Has anyone actually tried any of these raynox conversion lenses? I was reading the specs on the HD-7000PRO and it sounds excellent. Just wondering if anyone has some hands-on experience with these.

http://raynox.co.jp/english/video/hdrhc1/index.htm

What do you guys think?

I've been kind of skeptical about Raynox, but that site is turning me into a believer. I wonder how the .3 Raynox compares to the .3 Century Optics adapter?

Some of the Raynox lenses are good. I went a camera store the other day and they had a brochure on some auxiliary lenses. I don't remember the brand, but it had like 3 lines, with the top line being good for megapixel cameras that I think went up to 8 MP. That is what is important. Always buy the highest grade lens, but have the option of gtting your money back. Some of the lenses don't have flat field and if you're in focus in the center, the corners will be out of focus and vice versa.

I have the Raynox HD-3030PRO and the Sony VCL-HG0737 and if I were to have only one it would be the Raynox. The Sony is not that much wider than w/o it on. The Raynox w/ the camera in digital still mode is about as wide as my eyes field of vision. I will try to post some comparisons soon.

Hi David!
I am still waiting for sample pictures with HD3030----
THX

PS: ..or pls send me sample to xcmovies@chello.hu
I want to make decision which one to buy....THX

Camera was approx. 6 ft from the door.

Files are frame grabs using bsplayer.

HC1 at widest:
http://www.phyllisbrowning.com/dwatts/hc1wide.jpg

HC1 at widest w/ 0737:
http://www.phyllisbrowning.com/dwatts/HG0737.jpg

HC1 at widest w/ hd3030:
http://www.phyllisbrowning.com/dwatts/HD3030.jpg

I have the mpg ts file but it is around 200 mb.

David

Hi David - thanks for the shots! Hey, can you zoom in while the hd3030 is attached, and if so does the focus remain correct?

Thanks for the screenshots! They look great. I am pleasantly suprised to see that there is basically no distortion around the edges of the frame. I think you've made me into a Raynox believer.

I had the 6600Pro Raynox, and liked it a lot. It gave far less distortion than the Century 0.65x but wasn't as well coated, so flare had to be watched out for. It's also not an entirely zoom-through optic, the 6600Pro, but even so, I like the lens. Worked well on my 35 mm camera, too - which the Century does not.

tom.

I am posting the ts (as mpg) file that I used for the frame grabs here:

246mb
name: WA_lensComp_0737_hd3030.mpg


ftp://ftp.footagefirm.com
username: michael
password: video

I downloaded.......Thank U so much!!!!
Excellent work... ...
:))))

Well on the strength of the earlier postings in this thread, I bought a HD3030 wideangle adapter for my HC1.

One thing I had wondered about was how the HD3030 image would hold up when it was zoomed in slightly: both in terms of resolution and linear distortion.

So here's the answer (each file is about 800KB) . This first image is of my HC1's lens at full wideangle WITHOUT the Raynox:
http://home.att.net/~ghickling/hc1-wide.jpg

This second image is with the Raynox attached, and zoomed in far enough to approximately match the preceeding shot:
http://home.att.net/~ghickling/raynox-zoomed.jpg

And here's the Raynox at its widest setting:
http://home.att.net/~ghickling/raynox_wide.jpg


Anyone care to go through the equivalent exercise with the SonyHG0737X or Y?