Century Precision vs Sony VCL-EX0877

[Keith Moreau]

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

Note that by Cavision's own admission, quote: '*Please note: this adapter causes a small amount of vignetting at corners of frame at full wide (outside 90% safety zone)'.

This happened with me when I had a Cavision 0.7x for my VX2k years ago. If you zoom up to eliminate this vignetting you've suddenly got a 0.8x rather than the 0.7x you paid for.

Why is this important? Because all films shown on computers (and I include YouTube and so on here) show the entire frame. Having blacked out corners of your wide shots doesn't look too good. Many modern LCD and plasma TVs have no overscan when they show DVDs, mine included.

tom.

For the CAVision adapter that I own (non-zoom through) I don't experience the vignetting at full wide on the EX1. Not sure about the full zoom through version.

[Dave Morrison]

Waking this thread again because I need some advice. If Ryan from Schneider can jump in, it will be a big help, too. I've seen announcements from Schneider/Century about their "new" line of lens adapters for the EX3 and EX1 but I'm having a hard time figuring out what is "new". Is this a redesign of the original add-on lenses? Specifically, I'm going to be needing a Wide adapter for some model home walkthru's and I'm leaning toward the Sony. However, it's barely adding enough "wide" to make it worthwhile and I need to know if the new lenses will fit my needs better. Ryan?

[Bob Grant]

Seeing as how this thread has been revived and I haven't seen it mentioned before I picked up a 16x9 0.75 WA adaptor and lens hood at NAB. Price was very competitive.

Works as advertised. There is more barrel distortion as expected. It is a heavy! There's no thread on the front so a matte box is the only way to add filters.

We also had a lengthy discussion with Fujinon regarding buying a wide zoom for our EX3's. We were looking at their 1/2" "broadcast" lens at several time the cost of the EX3. It was pointed out that barrel distortion is difficult to avoid due to the 1/2" chips. 2/3" chips make it less of a problem. I'm no optics guru so make of that what you will.

[Don Greening]

Originally Posted by Bob Grant

It was pointed out that barrel distortion is difficult to avoid due to the 1/2" chips. 2/3" chips make it less of a problem.

Now for some reason I find myself grateful that EX cameras don't have 1/3" sensors.

- Don

[Tom Hardwick]

Originally Posted by Bob Grant

It was pointed out that barrel distortion is difficult to avoid due to the 1/2" chips. 2/3" chips make it less of a problem. I'm no optics guru so make of that what you will.

Bob, the chip size (effectively the gate of the movie camera) has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the amount of barrel distortion (or pincushion, CA, or any other lens failing).

Lenses distort due to their design - and this generally comes about when cost, size and weight constraints are placed on the lens designer. Ergo - people who invest in 2/3" chipped camcorders tend to buy bigger, more expensive lenses - lenses that have inherently better corrections.

tom.

[Dean Sensui]

As Tom mentioned, it's the lens design that determines barrel distortion.

There are some great wide-angle "rectilinear" lens designs but they're dearly priced.

A 14mm Nikkor for a 35mm camera can cost more than $2,000. A zoom lens for ENG cameras can easily surpass $25,000.

[Bob Grant]

I think the lens under discussion is the XS13X3.3BRM, not a cheap piece of glass but it seems to be about the best of the 1/2" lenses.
I must admit I wasn't paying all that much attention to what was being said about the difficulty of making a wide zoom for 1/2" cameras and in the general noise of the NAB floor it's not too easy to hear so well. The way I heard the comment it did strike me as odd. Perhaps a 1/2" lens is simply more expensive to make than a 2/3" to the same specs and given the obvious difficulty of selling expensive glass to go onto cheaper cameras no one takes up the challenge.
That there's two in this country looking for owners and we're being offered one a cost lends weight to that logic. Good news is we look like getting a loan of one to try out. It'd need to perform significantly better than the stock lens with a WA adaptor to justify the cost or it'll be going back.

[Markus Klatt]

I own the Sony VCL-0877 and like it, more or less.
With iris at f1.9 open I have a noticable unsharpness/blurring on the right side of the picture. It is around till 1/4th from the right and from the bottom upto at least 1/2 of the picture hight.

This happend with my EX1 and happens with my EX1R - so it is caused by the WW itself. All other corners are maybe not perfect but much less visible unsharp.

Is this "normal" for the Sony VCL-0877 or is it worse as it should be?
I am going to buy another one to check....

Thanks
Markus

[Tom Hardwick]

Not normal at all Markus, and it rather points to a miss-centred element in the line-up. Has the lens been dropped at any time? I'm betting your next 0877 will be a lot better.

[Markus Klatt]

I've bought it used and at normal daylight its not that visible, so one can miss it.
OK, another 500 Euro... :(

Thanks for your input!

[Ryan Avery]

Originally Posted by Dave Morrison

Waking this thread again because I need some advice. If Ryan from Schneider can jump in, it will be a big help, too. I've seen announcements from Schneider/Century about their "new" line of lens adapters for the EX3 and EX1 but I'm having a hard time figuring out what is "new". Is this a redesign of the original add-on lenses? Specifically, I'm going to be needing a Wide adapter for some model home walkthru's and I'm leaning toward the Sony. However, it's barely adding enough "wide" to make it worthwhile and I need to know if the new lenses will fit my needs better. Ryan?

We have redesigned the EX series attachments as Sony has made their own unannounced changes to the lenses over time. These are changes that we have had to make as the native camera lens or issues with the camera have come to the surface that could not be seen in initial design. These are not recalls beyond the first recall but simple modifications to improve performance for select applications. The simple fact is that the EX series cameras lenses both have significant barrel distortion and latteral chromatic abberation that cannot be corrected optically. Some people have tried to offer apochromatic correction but this is incorrect for the EX series lens design and causes an upward flip in the image corners and other issues that were present in our very first version that nobody should own by this point due to recalls. That being said we feel that we have done the best with the limitations of this lens and given the maximum quality for an add-on attachment.

We offer the finest quality attachment available for the Sony EX series cameras. Our .75x is now in the MKII version with a wider rear element to prevent vignetting beyond tv safe and is the best version yet. Through June 30th 2010, this lens' list price is only $949. This means you can pick this lens up for less than ever at dvinfo sponsors. Probably around $800 or less.

The .6x can now be picked up for less than $300 but demonstrates the natural barrel distortion of the EX series cameras and not the best for interiors where vertical lines are evident and barrel distortion is more significant. The .75x is a better choice for interior shots.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

[Derek Reich]

I just posted a batch of photos showing comparisons between the various Century wide adapters. (I started a new thread, so here's the link: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...omparison.html)
I hope this will help answer some questions and give some perspective on the differences between these adapters. I have used Century products for nearly 20 years now, and would use nothing else when it comes to filters and adapters.

[Simon Wyndham]

I recently bought a Red Eye 0.65x adaptor and then use the New Blue FX II plugins for FCP (also available for other NLE's) since it has an absolutely superb lens distortion correction filter. Unlike other plugins I tried the New Blue FX one doesn't lose much off the width of the picture, and it's fast at rendering too.

I'm trying to find a good CA correction filter too. I found one by a company called River Rock Studios, but it was last updated in 2004 and doesn't play nicely with the New Blue FX filter. A shame because it totally eliminated all CA from the adaptor.

The other plugin I have tried is by Core Melt. This does a good job of getting rid of CA, but nowhere near as good as the River Rock one and also has the nasty side effect that it desaturates the picture. So my quest goes on. DFT used to make one in the set of plugins called 55mm, but they don't sell them any more.

[Les Wilson]

posted to the wrong thread

[John DuMontelle]

I'd love to see this wide angle adapter added to the mix for comparison.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/731865-REG/16x9_Inc_169_HDWC8X_77_169_HDWC8X_77_EXII_0_8x_Wide.html
I have it on my EX3 and could not be happier. Plus it's got a lens hood you can buy to fit!