I recently tried a Century Optics 0.55x wide angle adapter on my HC7, here is the item on B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/229934-REG/Century_Precision_Optics_DS55WA37_DS_55WA_37_0_55x_Wide_Angle.html.

It worked very well, nice clean image etc. until I put the camera in it's waterproof housing, Sony SPK-HCC Marine Pack, at which point it refuses to focus. It looks like it's hunting for focus but can't find it.
Any idea why?
Thanks, Rich.

probably trying to focus on the front glass of the housing...

Also you might try the setting on the camera for when it's fitted with a WA adapter - it's seemed to me like I get better focusing when I use those presets - seems to readjust the camera's brain for wide or tele lenses, at least with Sony lens, maybe it will help with the CO too...

I recently tried a Century Optics 0.55x wide angle adapter on my HC7, here is the item on B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/229934-REG/Century_Precision_Optics_DS55WA37_DS_55WA_37_0_55x_Wide_Angle.html.

It worked very well, nice clean image etc. until I put the camera in it's waterproof housing, Sony SPK-HCC Marine Pack, at which point it refuses to focus. It looks like it's hunting for focus but can't find it.
Any idea why?
Thanks, Rich.
I had the same problem and I've tried to contact Century Optics , but no response.
First, this lens is not a zoom trhough lens, will zoom just half way and after that the picture gets blurry. Also if you leave the camcorder on with the lens on, the moment you'll plug the LANC the picture gets blurry and I assume is a electronic glich.
Send it back and get a snap on lens made by Raynox.

Or you might look at the Sony HG0737C - it *might* be short enough to fit in the HCC, have the HCB's myself and not enough room with the HC7 without mods, although it will fit with my CX7 nicely w/the 0737C mounted - no focus issues.

If it is like the A1U, it has a setting for "landscape" under the "Program AE" menu...this will stop the lens from focusing on the glass, and instead have it look through the glass.

On the A1U there is a menu setting for Conversion Lens right after the "Steadyshot" on/off menu setting. You can set it for wide or telephoto.

Also, I believe there are two Sony part #''s for the wide angle (.7), the VCL-HG0737 and the "Y" version intended for HD.

That's the conversion lens setting I suggested earlier, and I'd hope it would help? Any luck?

There are a series of "HG" lenses... HG supposed to be "high grade", I suspect an indication they are suitable for a higher resolution (HD in later versions) imagers. The 0737 and 0737X look about identical, and are decent glass, the Y is a HUGE lens, very good glass, but heavy! The latest version is the C, is smaller (about 1/2" shorter), and seems pretty good, but with a bit more barrel distortion than the X and Y. The C is short enough to MAYBE fit in one of the housings, the Y... fugeddaboudit. The X version, "possibly" with some modification, but the housings are tight, although I think the HCC added some length over the old HCB's I've got...

http://www.cavision.com/optics/micro/MWC043X37.htm
cavision wide angle lens.
works well enough, though noticable bending at edges, almost turns into a fisheye. Allows zoom-thru too.

I use the sony HG WA "y" model, but like this as it is lots lighter and relatively cheap.

The conversion lens setting is only to adjust the steadyshot function for "optimal compensation for camera shake for each lens", per the manual.

Won't help with focus.

Jamie

I *think* the setting also has some effect on focus - I've noticed more lag and more searching for focus if I don't change the setting, but maybe I'm just seeing a random unrelated effect... I thought somewhere in the manual for one of the HC series it suggested that the setting affected focus, but...

I had the same problem and I've tried to contact Century Optics , but no response.
First, this lens is not a zoom trhough lens, will zoom just half way and after that the picture gets blurry. Also if you leave the camcorder on with the lens on, the moment you'll plug the LANC the picture gets blurry and I assume is a electronic glich.
Send it back and get a snap on lens made by Raynox.

Please try to set the camera to a macro mode if it has one. I recently recieved a call here at Century for a similar problem. The gentleman set his camera to macro mode and it worked fine in the housing. Do not set it to the Tele Macro Mode because it will cause the camera to tele photo and the adapter will not work.

Otherwise, contact AB SEA in Torrance, CA. They might have some ideas or expereince that I haven't had.

Ryan Avery
Regional Sales Representative
Schneider Optics