Hey Tom, Thanks for the reply.

What is the diameter of the Raynox of which I will have to find a hood to fit? All I am finding in search is the mm of the area where it attaches to the camera. I would like to have something that makes the camera look less like a handycam. I actually have a script for this one and numbered scenes so I thought it best to clapboard the scenes but will it ever look goofy clapboarding a handycam...Plus of course I am trying to lower the event of sun flairs from a practical stand point. A matte box would be awesome! However any matte box I see is as much as the budget for the film itself..

Well I chose the 6600pro simply because it has the least barrel distortion. As I am trying to obtain the "film" look with the HV30, barrel distortion would make it look like video. So this one seems to fit the bill. However, I have seen ALOT of people who like the WD-H43 still after many tests. Are there attributes I should be looking for in a wide angle adapter that I am unaware of?

Thanks for your help.
Terry.

The front hood attachment thread on the 6600 PRO is 72 mm Terry

DCR-6600PRO High Definition Wideangle conversion lens 0.66X for Digital & High Definition camera (http://www.raynox.co.jp/english/dcr/dcr6600pro/indexdcr6600eg.htm)
I had a very nice hood for mine taken from a Super-8 camera. Not only does it make your diddy-cam look better, it makes your films look better too. Flare can be a problem with this particular Raynox lens as it appears to have single - not multi coating. I bet the Canon lens H43 is multi-coated.

tom.

Hey Tom, Thanks for the reply.

I think I found a little matte from CineCity that would fit the Raynox 6600pro

The CineCity*::*Cine Matte box*::*Matte box*::*Wide angle Matte box mattebox + french flag for all DV HDV camera from 37mm to 82mm lens thread dia (http://www.thecinecity.com/tcc/product.php?productid=59&cat=26&bestseller=Y)

Seams to be a pretty steady little unit for $155

Interesting site, thanks Terry.

I have the Raynox 6600 pro HD and at full zoom it has insane amounts of CA. Comes with the territory I suppose but I do wish it was as good as a piece of glass as my WD-H72 for my XH-A1.

is there anything better than the 6600 in this prise range?
maybe i sell my 6600.
5050? or anything else?

I have the Raynox 6600 pro HD and at full zoom it has insane amounts of CA.

Raynox make no secret of this fact Randy, and they admit the lens (because of it's very good barrel distortion control) is only sharp for just over half your zoom's travel - just like any non zoom-through adapter in fact.

Prech there are better lenses out there but the 6600 still has a lot of fans. Generally the wider you go the more barrel distortion you'll have to accept - especially if you're wanting a full zoom-through.

tom.

Tom:
"especially if you're wanting a full zoom-through."

No. Honestly, i dont want to zoom when a WIDE lens is attached. No.
Instead i remove the lens. At normal FOV, the original lens has the best quality, isnt?

So the 5050 has wider FOV, and bigger barrel distorsion.
Can you say product name or type in this price range?

I saw a test video with sony 0,7 vcl-mhg07, and that looked fantastic to me!
Sharp at corner, and minimal distorsion. This lens have NO zoom possibility at hv20.
But, this is not an issue for me.

I saw a test video with sony 0,7 vcl-mhg07, and that looked fantastic to me! This lens have NO zoom possibility at hv20.

Are you sure? My 0.52x wide-angle is classed as a 'non zoom-through' but my 12x Z1 zoom still is a 7.8x zoom with the converter in place. I've never come across a camcorder that can't zoom at least to the half-way point with a 'non zoom-through' attached.

Sorry that I can't make recommendations for your camera as wide-angle converters are a real 'suck-it-and-see' experiment. I took my Z1 to the London Video Forum and filmed through as many wide-angles as I could find - that's the way to find a goodie - at home looking at the results on your TV.

tom.

Are you sure?

Here is it:
Sony VCL-MHG07 wide-angle tests [Archive] - Canon HV20, HV30 & HV40 User Forum (http://www.hv20.com/archive/index.php?t-1149.html)

Those widetest M2T files looks great to me!

He says:
"I cannot zoom more than a little though without loosing focus"

He says:"I cannot zoom more than a little though without loosing focus"

But he also said he hand-held it in front of his zoom and that, 'This is my first wide angle lens so I'm not sure what to look for. I am satisfied with the sharpness which was my main concern.'

I must have had probably 10 or 12 wideangle converters and adapters in my time and tested many more. Here's a couple that worked well, and they're both inexpensive - the Raynox very cheap even.

tom.

The Sony's quality is very good, dont you think?

Hm, the qc-505 is very inexpensive.
As you rememeber, what was the CA, and barrel distorsion?
You have some pictures?
Have enough resolution for HD?

I like the snap-on instead of rotating always the lens when needed.

thx

Here's a comparison - standard MX300 zoom, then with Raynox 0.5x added.

Thx.
Barrel distorsion is here, but interesting, without the
lens there is also a little BD.

As i see the sharpness is good enough for hd.

You're right - and you'll find that most (if not all) camcorder zooms exhibit barrel distortion at the wide end. Easy enough to chek how badly your camera's afflicted - look at my pictures in post #50 here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xl-h-series-hdv-camcorders/80666-6x-wide-angle-shipping-4.html

tom.

Raynox make no secret of this fact Randy, and they admit the lens (because of it's very good barrel distortion control) is only sharp for just over half your zoom's travel - just like any non zoom-through adapter in fact.

tom.

Indeed my friend. I wish when I was doing my research that I cared about CA rather than just BD so I would have known to take the adapter off for telephoto shots at disneyland. I use it at full wide most of the time as it is a wide safe shot cam for me so it's a welcomed trade off.

What's your opinion on the canon WD-H43? Worth it to make the switch? Pros and Cons over the raynox?

Cheers.

Sounds like your v'finder is rather lacking in resolution Randy if it wasn't obvious that the Raynox was a no-no after about 50% of your zoom's travel. I used to say full tele with that lens fitted was for portraits of women 'of a certain age'.

I sold my 6600PRO because although it was very good at wide angle I felt it was getting softer and softer the more I zoomed. At least with the single element adapter I now use (and the Raynox 0.5 shown above) I can see exactly when it becomes unsharp.

Canon are one of the few Japanese camera manufacturers that don't feel they have to go cap in hand to German lensmakers to give their kit some kudos. Canon's reputation is built on fine optics, so although I haven't tested the H43 I'd take a good guess at it being a fine lens. And yes, I'd rate it over the 6600 PRO on paper. Probably slightly less powerful, a touch more BD, better coated and proper zoom-through capability.

tom.

Sounds like your v'finder is rather lacking in resolution Randy if it wasn't obvious that the Raynox was a no-no after about 50% of your zoom's travel. I used to say full tele with that lens fitted was for portraits of women 'of a certain age'.

I sold my 6600PRO because although it was very good at wide angle I felt it was getting softer and softer the more I zoomed. At least with the single element adapter I now use (and the Raynox 0.5 shown above) I can see exactly when it becomes unsharp.

Canon are one of the few Japanese camera manufacturers that don't feel they have to go cap in hand to German lensmakers to give their kit some kudos. Canon's reputation is built on fine optics, so although I haven't tested the H43 I'd take a good guess at it being a fine lens. And yes, I'd rate it over the 6600 PRO on paper. Probably slightly less powerful, a touch more BD, better coated and proper zoom-through capability.

tom.

The whole day I didn't have it at anything past full wide. When the fantasmic show came on at night, I zoomed in since we had bad seats and thats when I noticed the insanely terrible CA and telephoto of the lens. By that time, I figured a soft CA'd shot was better than missing a portion of the show. Viewfinder has plenty of resolution ;).

I returned my new 30 because of the tape eject issue along with the Canon WA adapter. I got an HFS100 in its' place. I had purchased a Cavision shade that fit well on the Canon WA adapter by wrapping the lens with some tape...just a few turns to enlarge the size by 1/32". The shade has a nice front filter thread to protect the WA adapter glass. The Cavision LH77part is here...

LH 77 | B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&shs=LH+77&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&Go.x=17&Go.y=10)

I'll sell it for $25. It's only a week old. It looks great on the lens and really protects thew WA glass. I wish it fit the WA adapter for the HFS100.
Craig 305 393 7503
ConchTV@aol.com

Feel Free to peruse this review as well.
Imago Metrics:HV20 Wide Lens Test (http://www.imagometrics.com/FLReviews/HV20_Wide.htm)
I love my HD6600Pro. Not a perfect lens but pretty darn good and gets the job done!

craig,
will the shade work with the WD H 43? I hve that on the HV30.
Thanks
Bruce Yarock

I have the XH-A1 lens hood that works on WD-H43. You can buy the hood from Canon Parts department

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-vixia-hv40-hv30-hv20-hv10/100952-found-lens-hood-wd-h43.html