Lens for DSC-W7

[tkr2099]

Greetings,
My girlfriend is receiving a DSC-W7 for Christmas, and I am researching possibilities for accessories to get her. I recently discovered the possibility of getting her a telephoto lens, as the 3X built in zoom is rather weak. However, she and I are both very new to digital photography and I have very limited knowledge of lenses. I have found the following on ebay:

eBay kit with OPTEKA Telephoto lens. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7568119820&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1)

It appears to be a pretty good deal considering what all you get. However, I am concerned about the quality of the lenses, particularly the telephoto. Can I trust that to be a quality telephoto lens, reliably enhancing the zoom to 2x, or is it of lower quality, causing images to become distorted or blurry? Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[American Nomad]

Hi TKR,

I did a quick search of OPTEKA and most everything I saw was in the negative. Below is a quote from a forum from 2003 that may help you.


Generally, price is a good indication. Any filters/lenses are better than none, but if you want high quality, be expected to pay. Below are my approximate minimums for what high quality will cost. If your total package is $100, then I assure you that they may be decent but won't be high quality (you might not be able to zoom when the wide-angle lens is attached, corners blurry, etc.)

polarizer - $40
wide-angle lens - $80 (up to $300)
telephoto 2x - $80
UV filter - $10

I think she would be better off with one good lens rather that several of questionable quality.
Good luck in your search.