View Full Version : wide angle lenses


Steven Galvano
September 17th, 2003, 10:23 AM
What's the word on the cheap wide angle adapters??

There is a bunch of Sony 52mm .7x models on ebay for under $60.
Are these reommended for use with the HD10?

-Steve

Barry Green
September 17th, 2003, 11:27 AM
With all due respect, this is a terrible idea. Shooting high-def video through a $60 converter?

As Ken Freed says, "you NEVER want to save money on anything that goes in front of your lens."

A Century wide-angle adapter for the PD150 is probably the minimum you should consider, and that'll run around $400.

Eric Bilodeau
September 17th, 2003, 11:43 AM
Barry has a point but then again one must try it before judging (I seem to remember hearing similar things about HDV). There are good chances that it is not good enough but who knows... We could all be surprised...

Alex Knappenberger
September 17th, 2003, 12:06 PM
Not only is that lens cheap, and I wouldn't want to use it on that camera, but .7x really isn't crap. It won't give you much of a wider angle of view at all. I'm assuming you want one with no barrel distortion though, correct?

Darren Kelly
September 17th, 2003, 06:00 PM
Consider looking at Cavision Adapters at www.cavision.com.

they make the Matte box for this camera and they also make a great line of zoom throughs for both prosumer and pro cameras.

DBK

Darren Kelly
September 17th, 2003, 09:29 PM
Sony also makes an outstanding wide angle adapter for the PD150 and VX2000. using a stepdown ring you can use it on the JVC cams.

Just another thought

DBK

Eric Bilodeau
September 18th, 2003, 03:01 AM
Cavision has a .4 wide angle that has been tried by the guys at JVC Canada (though not thoroughly tested) on the JVC and works. it is of course very wide.

Frank Granovski
September 18th, 2003, 03:29 AM
Sony also makes an outstanding wide angle adapter for the PD150 and VX2000. using a stepdown ring you can use it on the JVC cams. Just another thoughtActually, Kenko makes them for the Sony VX/PD150. And if you buy the Kenko Pro (VX2000 size), it'll even have filter threads in the front. (The Sony VX wide doesn't.) Same lens, but the Kenko is slightly less money and has the threads. But then again, the Sony VX wide has "Sony" written on it. This may be important. :)

Dave Largent
September 18th, 2003, 06:02 AM
Hi guys,
Am I right that both of these JVCs have 52mm front threads?
What's the best 52mm wide available right now? Or is the best thought right know to go with the 0.65X Century Optics 58mm (i.e. the one for the SonyVX/PD) with a step-down ring?
Dave

Steven Galvano
September 18th, 2003, 04:10 PM
The Kenyo KRW-065 58mm 0.65X PRO Wide Angle Converter Lens is available at B&H for $150.
Does anyone one have this?
Will this adaptor reduce the image quality at all?

-Steve

Alex Raskin
September 28th, 2003, 11:16 AM
Dave, yes - both HD1 and HD10 have 52mm threads.

Wide andgle adapter: I use Century Optics 0.55x Reversible (flip the lens, get fisheye). It is 58mm, so I use a step-down ring to 52mm.

This wide angle adapter, subjectively, is amazing to me as it only has a very slight barrel effect all the way to the wide side, and great image quality (for the lack of the scientific tests.)

I used to have a highly acclaimed (Okay, David Ruether likes it...) Canon 0.7x wide adapter for my VX2000, and sent it back - barrel effect was worse than on this 0.55x!

Paid $270 at B&H, with step-down ring already included. Highly recommended.

Mike Eby
September 28th, 2003, 01:49 PM
<<<-- Originally posted by Alex Raskin: This wide angle adapter, subjectively, is amazing to me as it only has a very slight barrel effect all the way to the wide side, and great image quality (for the lack of the scientific tests.)
-->>>

Hi Alex, Do you have any clips or still shots you could post from the lens? Like others I am skeptical of anything attached to the front of the lenses but I am willing to keep an open mind, especially because we have no other options at this time.

Thanks
Mike