PHOTO TALK
Prepared by the staff of Marshall’s Camera
Auburndale, Florida -A05

So you want to store up tangible memories to savor again and again. Hopefully the following discussions will help.

QUESTION: My friend talks about getting a lens called a “two-by” which he says will help him get better wildlife shots. I have never heard of such a lens nor have I found it mentioned in any photographic reference books. What is it and how does it work?
ANSWER: Your ignorance shows that you have always kept polite company, photographically speaking. “Two-by” is a somewhat incorrect slang term used to describe an auxiliary lens that is more commonly known as a 2x teleconverter. Such a lens is normally used on a single lens reflex camera. The 2x teleconverter is mounted between the camera body and the telephoto lens.
The “2x” refers to the magnification effect that the teleconverter creates when it is used. As with any lens there are pluses and minuses to using a 2x teleconverter.
One advantage is that the cost is much less than buying a larger telephoto lens. Also the size and weight of the combined teleconverter and telephoto lens is less than that of a single equivalent focal length telephoto lens.
A disadvantage is that one loses two steps in aperture when the 2x is used. There is also some small loss in sharpness even if a highly corrected 2x is used. The loss is greater if a medium quality 2x is used.
If an autofocus SLR(single lens reflex) camera is used the telephoto lens in front of the 2x usually has to be manually focused. As with many other areas in photography the use of a teleconverter is a practice on which the purists and pragmatists strongly disagree.
The purists think that using a 2x is cheating and the pragmatists think that it is a clever way to cheat.
Note: A few years ago 2x teleconverters used to be included in many manual focus camera kits. As a consequence Marshall’s Camera has a lot of the used manual focus 2x teleconverters to sell starting at $25.
Further note: When the lens on a camera cannot be removed an auxiliary magnifying lens may be placed on the front of the camera lens. Most photographers avoid the use of such lenses.

QUESTION: My wife’s aunt is 72 years old and she wants to send her picture to someone that she met on the internet. Naturally they expect me to take the picture. Three times I have taken pictures that are not well received because they make her look “too old.” Can you help me save my marriage?
ANSWER: You have a problem that some would describe as a dilemma and others would describe as a no-win situation. You could offer to pay for a professional to do it and let him take the blame. But, if you are determined to persevere, here are some suggestions.
Portraiture is an ancient art practiced well before photography was invented. Techniques have been developed for portraying different types of faces in the most flattering manner. These techniques generally involve both positioning and lighting the face for the best effect. Since the space available here is too limited to discuss these techniques in detail then you should seek out books that cover such topics. Look for such books in the library either in the art or photography section. You will also find books of this type in a good book store or Marshall’s Camera.
Another aid in this situation is a filter for the lens that will minimize some of the signs of experience that most of us acquire as we age. Filters of this type go by various names: diffusion, softener, and fog are three of the more common ones.
If all else fails you could tell the aunt that you obviously need a better, more professional, and expensive camera to take the kind of picture she wants but that you can’t afford it at the moment. If she accepts that story she might even pay for the professional photographer.
Conclusion: See announcement of photo classes at
MarshallsCamera.com. If you have questions or comments please email us at marshall@marshallscamera.com or write by letter to Photo Questions, P.O.Box 1217, Auburndale, Fl 33823
Copyright 2004 by Marshall Ledbetter