Using the Olympus TCON 17 1.7x teleconverter with a Nikon 1

These three photos were taken with a Nikon 1 V2, the 1 Nikkor 30-110mm zoom, and an Olympus TCON-17 1.7x teleconverter. I am extremely pleased with the results using the teleconverter.

On the Nikon 1, I use a 55 to 52mm adapter ring, and then a 52mm to 40.5mm adapter ring to mount on the Nikon 1. (I could not find a 55 to 40.5 mm adapter).

I bought the TCON17, used, on Ebay, for $15. That is not the normal price – prices are usually closer to $80 to $110 U.S. I think the person who sold this one did not know what they had.

Olympus had made 4 teleconverter lenses that appear to be essentially identical – the B300, the unlabeled TCON17, the TCON-17, and the TCON-17x. I have what I believe is the “unlabeled” version. I understand the early models did not include the TCON-17 model # on the lens.

I also did tests on a micro four thirds camera using the TCON17 with the Olympus f/1.8 45mm lens – works great (makes a 150mm FF equivalent). I tried the Lumix 45-200mm, but the TCON17 made the images soft and with much chromatic aberration.

DSC_3148

DSC_3161

The shot below was to test for chromatic aberration, by having the high contrast areas of the branches against the gray background. DSC_3160

Not surprisingly, contrast is a little soft with the teleconverter, but that is easily corrected either in camera or using Lightroom.

I will post more photos in the future, but it is hard to get out taking photos right now as we live in a rainy climate.

VR needs compelling content to succeed

Consumer 3D faded due to:

  1. Lack of content, lack of content and lack of content
  2. It was launched in the midst of economic depression
  3. The 2011 quakes and tsunamis damaged manufacturing plants (as well as later floods in Thailand), after which manufacturers eliminated their consumer 3D camera products

VR faces a similar challenge of lack of content, plus VR gaming requires top of the line computing gear that few people own just yet.

Which leads to words of caution:

Early optimism that virtual reality is about to blossom into a new mainstream medium could collapse into despair

Source: Lessons from CES: How VR Can Avoid the Fate of 3D TV – IEEE Spectrum

VR seems likely to achieve success in gaming and specialized applications (engineering, science, medicine for example).

Will VR be a big story telling medium?

How will consumers react to the need to wear VR helmets?

Virtual reality uses multimedia content. Appli...
Virtual reality uses multimedia content. Applications and delivery platforms of multimedia are virtually limitless. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(I use the term “VR helmets” since they are …. Consumer tech reporters said 3D required wearing “3D goggles that no one wanted to wear” – the same writers now enthusiastically endorse VR helmets because … well, wearing a helmet is simpler than wearing glasses?)