Pros & Cons
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- Compact.
- Dust and splashproof design.
- Extends reach of lens by 1.4x.
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- Very limited compatibility.
- Halves light-gathering capability.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 Specs
| Dimensions | 0.9 by 2.7" inches |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Weight | 6 |
The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 ($349.99) is a small accessory for select Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses that extends the effective focal length by a factor of 1.4. The teleconverter doesn't significantly degrade image quality, which is good news for photographers who want to get a little bit more reach from their lenses, but like all 1.4x teleconverters it halves the amount of light that's captured by the lens. It won't work with every Micro Four Third lens, but if you do have one that it's compatible with and you want some extra reach, it's a worthwhile investment.
The MC-14 ($299.00 at Amazon) is very small and light. It measures just 0.9 by 2.7 inches (HD) and weighs 6 ounces. It's easy to slide into a pocket when not in use—Olympus includes both front and rear caps and a protective carrying case. It mounts to your Micro Four Thirds camera, and has its own lens mount to which to attach a lens. Right now it can only be used with one lens, the M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO ($1,349.00 at Amazon) , but it will also work with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f4.0 PRO that is slated for a 2015 release. Both of those lenses are sealed against dust and moisture, as is the teleconverter.
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I used Imatest to check and see how the MC-14 affected the sharpness and distortion characteristics of the M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO. The lens is one of the best telezooms that we've tested, and aside from limiting its maximum aperture to f/4, the teleconverter doesn't detract too much from image quality. At 40mm f/2.8 the M.Zuiko lens shows 2,357 lines per picture height on a center-weighted sharpness test, and that number drops to just 2,342 lines at 56mm f/4, the widest angle and aperture possible with the MC-14 attached.
There is a steeper decline in sharpness at 105mm f/4 (2,291 lines), compared with the lens at the same zoom position without the MC-14 attached (2,411 lines at 70mm f/2.8), but there's still plenty of detail in photos. At 150mm f/4 the lens and teleconverter combination shows 2,105 lines, versus 2,364 lines at 100mm f/2.8. All of these numbers are better than the 1,800 lines per picture height that we use to mark a photo as sharp, and that level of detail holds up to the edges of the frame. At no tested focal length did the lens drop below that mark.
It's certainly helpful that the MC-14 is attached to such a good lens, but due to its design you won't be using it with anything besides lenses from Olympus's PRO series. In that regard, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 is a little limited. But if you often shoots sports, nature, or other subject matter that requires extreme telephoto focal lengths, the MC-14 is a worthwhile accessory to add to your kit. It adds some versatility to an already great telezoom in the 40-150mm, and we look forward to seeing what it can do when paired with the upcoming 300mm—when you factor in its effect and the Micro Four Thirds sensor size, it will turn that lens into the equivalent of a 840mm f/5.6 prime on a full-frame system.
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Final Thoughts
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 Review
The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 extends the reach of select Olympus lenses without sacrificing image quality, but it does reduce the amount of light that the lens captures.