octoplex Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 I'm struggling to understand the definition of the terms 'adapter' and 'converter' when applied to wide-angle lenses. Can the community here offer a perspective? In some places online, the words appear to be used inter-changeably. Does anyone know the difference between the two? As a random example, this lens self-describes as a wide-angle "adapter": While this one, for example, self-describes as a wide-angle "converter": Ignoring the finer-specifics of these two lenses, how does a "converter", in general, differ from an "adapter" ? Final question: If there is a difference between these two general-denominations: Is an 'adapter', or a 'converter', more suited to having its lenses 'harvested' and retro-fitted into a variable-diopter system? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members BTM_Pix Posted September 11, 2023 Super Members Share Posted September 11, 2023 Its just different naming conventions between different manufacturers - or, more specifically, a lack of naming conventions - but they amount to exactly the same thing functionality wise. So, no doubt there are manufacturers out there who landed on a different part of the thesaurus and have named theirs Adjusters or Modifiers etc. Prefixing whatever term they use with "Wide Angle" is also a bit of a misnomer anyway as it doesn't convert or adapt a lens into a wide angle lens (commonly defined as having a focal length of say 24-35mm) but just reduces the focal length by the 0.8/0.7/0.6x indicated on it. So whilst a 50mm lens with a 0.7x can be considered to effectively have "become" a 35mm and therefore a "wide angle" lens in common terms, putting the same 0.7x on a 200mm lens will only make that "become" a 140mm, which is very much not a "wide angle" lens in common terms. Basically, for "Wide Angle" read "Wider Angle". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octoplex Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said: they amount to exactly the same thing functionality wise. Thank you; this is exactly what I needed to know. I suspected they might be the same thing, but it was very hard to get this confirmed elsewhere. 2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said: Prefixing whatever term they use with "Wide Angle" is also a bit of a misnomer anyway as it doesn't convert or adapt a lens into a wide angle lens... but just reduces the focal length... Basically, for "Wide Angle" read "Wider Angle". Again, thank you immeasurably for this information. This explains, for me, why the lens components in one of these "wide angle" adapter/converters can be removed and re-purposed for use in a Front-Variable-Diopter. Mystery solved. I appreciate your assistance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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