I scoured the internet for the wd-h43 (wide angle lens for the hv20) but couldn't find it anywhere. finally i stumbled across videodirect.com.

not only was it in stock, it was also dirt cheap (compared to the competition). i ended up ordering it and soon read many complaints about the company and considered cancelling the order. i decided to wait it out, and it arrived today (three days early)!!

the lens is very solid - fairly large and heavy. it adds a bit of added range to the lens, but not incredibly drastic. any thoughts from others who have used the lens?

edit: here's the link to the lens:
http://www.videodirect.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WDH43&Category_Code=

It sure would be lovely to see some tripod shots with the H43 on versus same
shots with just the regular HV20 wide.

Anyone have any such comparisons?

I'm not sure why everyone is trashing videodirect. I got my HV20 from them and a bunch of wireless mic gear. I believe they're an authorized Canon dealer. My experience is they are sometimes slow (I think it's a very small operation) but not shady.