Hila 2.2FU50230-58A 50-230mm

The Hila 2.2X doubles your reach for $135, but the optical quality is the worst we've ever tested. It's a cheap stopgap for reach, not a real lens solution. Buy it only if you need magnification and literally cannot afford anything else.

The headline feature is the 2.2x magnification, which does extend your reach significantly. Autofocus still works since it's a front-mounted converter, and the stabilization from your base lens carries through. But the optical hit is brutal. Three elements means soft corners, heavy chromatic aberration, and a real loss of contrast. The constant f/4.5 aperture claim is misleading too, since you're stacking this on a variable aperture lens. Your effective light gathering takes a nosedive. Macro performance is surprisingly decent at the 93rd percentile, mostly because close focusing with that much magnification gets you pseudo-macro results. But for landscape work, it's a disaster at the 33rd percentile.

Stacked against something like the Tamron 28-300mm, the Hila is a toy. The Tamron gives you real optical engineering, better build, and actual image quality across the range. The Sony 16-50mm PZ is a different beast entirely, but even that kit lens outresolves this converter. The Meike 85mm F1.4 II and Viltrox 20mm F2.8 are primes that absolutely destroy this thing in sharpness, though they don't give you the reach. If you need telephoto on a budget, you're better off cropping from a sharper lens than magnifying a soft one.

At $135, it's tempting. A real 100-400mm Fuji lens costs over a grand. But you get what you pay for. This is a single piece of glass in a metal tube, and the image quality reflects that. If you absolutely need reach and have zero budget, it's a stopgap. Just don't expect sharp photos.

The Hila 2.2X is a screw-on teleconverter that mounts on top of your existing lens, specifically the Fujifilm XC 50-230mm here. It promises to turn that 50-230mm into a 110-440mm reach without buying a whole new lens. That sounds great on paper for wildlife or sports shooters on a budget.

But the specs tell a different story. We're looking at 3 elements in 3 groups, which is about as simple as optics get. The optical quality score is dead last in our database, 1st percentile. That's not a typo. This thing is cheap for a reason.

Skip this if you care about image quality at all. If you shoot landscapes, portraits, or anything where sharpness matters, this converter will frustrate you. Also skip it if you shoot in wet or dusty conditions, since there's no weather sealing. And if you already own a decent telephoto, just crop in post. You'll get better results.

This is for someone who needs maximum reach for minimum cash and doesn't care about image quality. Think bird identification photos, not bird photography. If you're documenting something far away and just need to see it, fine. If you want photos you'd actually print or share proudly, save your money.