This time the question is which shot will be wider? Shot with lens or adapter? I am taling about 0.6 an 0.7 adapters for 20X lens.
And will the image quality suffer a lot with the adapter? Or it will be small side distortion?

Cheers!

The Century Optics .6x adapter comes out to 20-200mm on the 20x XL2 stock lens; the .7x comes out to a little less (see http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=208&IID=1736).

There are other adapters out there (I mean the cheapos), but from what I've heard, their quality is not good (vignetting and distortion). Check the forums for what people say about the adapters.

In the end, the 3x lens is best for wide-angle, but it is pretty pricey.

**note, if I am not mistaken, the NEW version of the .7x lens is very pricey (about $700 new), at that price, plus another $100, you could pick up the 3x lens on ebay!

The lens' specs confuse me a bit.

0.6 says it has 20-200mm focal lens in 35mm equivalent. However it does not specify, is it 16x9 or 4x3.
At the same time on canon xl2 watchdog they say that x3 is 26.6 - 79.8mm wide in 35mm equivalent in 16x9.

So i t seems that 0.6x adapter is wider. Is it actually mich wider? Or it won't make a huge difference? What is better - to buy the adaptor for $550 or th x3 lens for $750?

Get the 3x, I did years ago and NEVER regreted it. Bob

The Century Optics .6x adapter comes out to 20-200mm on the 20x XL2 stock lens;


I thought the Century .x6 was more like 24-188mm on the 20x.

-- peer

This time the question is which shot will be wider? Shot with lens or adapter? I am taling about 0.6 an 0.7 adapters for 20X lens.
And will the image quality suffer a lot with the adapter? Or it will be small side distortion?

Cheers!

Edgar,

A .6x will get your lens 40% wider than it already is in either 16:9 or 4:3 mode. A .7x will get your lens 30% wider.

Anytime you add an adapter to the front of a lens, you will reduce some of the quality of the original optics. How much and to what degree is the question. A high quality adapter will not reduce the image quality anywhere near what a lower cost one will.

The Canon 3x will be a better quality image than the 20x with a .6x adapter. However, the issue of cost and will you really notice both come into play. I have heard it both ways and the general feeling is that a .6x is good enough quality for most applications and is a lot less expensive than buying a whole new lens.

Either way, I am certain you will be satisfied with the result.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

Ryan,

I just got budget approval for an XL2 and this issue is very important to me. I can snag the 20x kit, or I can buy the body kit and purchase the 3X lens (which costs more...)

We do video installations of our automotive products. I wanted to get the 3x lens so I can use the camera in close quarters (inside of a vehicle, in the trunk, underneath a truck, under the hood).

How close can I realistically get to something with the 20x and a wide angle converter? I was thinking that I'd have to use the 3X Canon lens. Is this not the case?

Thanks,
Will

Ryan,

I just got budget approval for an XL2 and this issue is very important to me. I can snag the 20x kit, or I can buy the body kit and purchase the 3X lens (which costs more...)

We do video installations of our automotive products. I wanted to get the 3x lens so I can use the camera in close quarters (inside of a vehicle, in the trunk, underneath a truck, under the hood).

How close can I realistically get to something with the 20x and a wide angle converter? I was thinking that I'd have to use the 3X Canon lens. Is this not the case?

Thanks,
Will

Will,

Here are the 35mm still equivalents of the various combinations. These numbers are in 16:9 mode. As you can see, the Canon 3x and 20x with the .6x installed are the same!

Canon 3x = 24mm-75mm

Canon 20x = 40mm-800mm

Canon 20x with Schneider/Century .6x = 24mm-242mm

Again the difference is that the quality of the image will likely be a bit better with the 3x installed but most of our users do not find it appreciable. We of course make the .6x for the 3x as well for a really wide 15mm shot.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

We of course make the .6x for the 3x as well for a really wide 15mm shot.


Since both the 20x and the 3x lens have the same diameter, I wonder if the Century .6x made for a 20x will also work on the 3x?

-- peer

The nicest thing that can be said of Canon's own 3x wide-angle zoom is that the barrel distortion is very well controlled. So if you're like me and want your straight lines to remain straight then avoid the screw-on converters, especially the more powerful ones.

The downer on Canon's lens is the price, size and weight for such a feeble (24 mm equiv) wide-angle coverage.

tom.

Ryan, I hope you're still listening...

So check it out. Can I zoom through the wide angle converter?

Example: I'm crouching underneath a truck that's up on a vehicle lift. I'm videoing the installation of some specialty product. Can I be videoing action overall from 3'-4' away and then quickly zoom in and see a tiny detail or a small screw being turned?

Or is the image going to get all distorted if I try to zoom in? (like what happens now on our cheap ZR85 w/ the Canon Wide Angle attachment.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Will

Will - there are two types of screw-on wide-angle converters (as against the interchangeable lenses of the XL Canons and suchlike).

There's the 'partial zoom through' which are generally (though not always) single element adapters. These are smaller, lighter, more compact than the full zoom through converters, but (typically) mean that your 12x zoom will be reduced to a 6 or 7x zoom before the image blurs irredeemably.

The full zoom-through converters still give you a 12x zoom, but move it all down into the wide-angle end. So if you had a 5 to 60 mm zoom, a 0.5x converter will change that to a 2.5 to 30 mm zoom.

So what you're asking for (to zoom in on tiny details with your widie in place) will certainly be compromised.

tom.

Ok, I'm hearing you. Unfortunately, I don't think that the 3X will help in that regard either. I can see something from 3'-4' away, but it doesn't have enough zoom to punch in tight and see the screw being turned, or whatever tiny detail I may want to see.

It sounds like I may have to go with the .6 wide adaptor on the 20X lens. Then I'll pull the adaptor off when I need to zoom in closely on something. How does the adaptor mount? Is quick mounting and removal a realistic option?

Then I'll pull the adaptor off when I need to zoom in closely on something.

Good thinking. Attach the wide converter when you need the coverage, DoF, shake reduction or perspective control, and take it off at all other times.

Ryan, I hope you're still listening...

So check it out. Can I zoom through the wide angle converter?

Example: I'm crouching underneath a truck that's up on a vehicle lift. I'm videoing the installation of some specialty product. Can I be videoing action overall from 3'-4' away and then quickly zoom in and see a tiny detail or a small screw being turned?

Or is the image going to get all distorted if I try to zoom in? (like what happens now on our cheap ZR85 w/ the Canon Wide Angle attachment.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Will

This was basically already answered but no you cannot zoom through the .6x. You get about 1/2 of the zoom range with the 20x lens.

In answer to other questions, yes you can use the Century .6x on both the 20x and 3x lenses.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

Ryan, please correct me here, but I thought you guys did not allow for the adapter to be mounted on the 3x due to possible contact between the glass elements?? as it locked down on the front of the lens???

Ryan, please correct me here, but I thought you guys did not allow for the adapter to be mounted on the 3x due to possible contact between the glass elements?? as it locked down on the front of the lens???

That was a previous issue but no longer as we redesigned the spacing of the elements relative to the lock ring to fix the problem. I cannot gaurantee this would be a problem with older .6x lenses unless you provide me with the serial number of the lens in question.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

I was just wondering if using the 1.6X Extender with the 3X wide angle lens would cause more noticable barrel distortion.

Now there's a thought - use a telephoto converter on Canon's very expensive 3x wide-angle zoom. I've got to ask why, Jay.

But barrel distortion is very rarely (if ever) a problem when using telephoto converters. I haven't tried the combo you describe, but I'd say pincushion distortion was a more likely outcome.

tom.

To be honest I have very little experience with lenses. The large majority of cameras I have used have been fixed lens and I just recently upgraded to the XL2. (2 days ago) Reading through this thread I see that wants to be able to zoom in for high detail on the auto repair action yet retain a wide angle. He said --Example: I'm crouching underneath a truck that's up on a vehicle lift. I'm videoing the installation of some specialty product. Can I be videoing action overall from 3'-4' away and then quickly zoom in and see a tiny detail or a small screw being turned? Just an idea. Like I said I have very little experience with different lenses. Right now I have a 3X and an extender on the way so I will try it out.

Will,
I am ver familiar with the type of shots you are talking about.

IMO - I think the 3x lens will be much better when you are able to move the camera close to your target. However, the 20x for obvious reasons will allow you to zoom in better. Keep in mind that your lighting will change dramatically in all of the variations.

In my experience with my 20x adapter the wide angle gets very distorted on the edges when I zoom in on something. My 3x lens does very well in the close quarters.

Another thing you can do is buy both used. I am currently trying to get rid of a 16x lens for about $500. You can buy both lens (in very good cond) for about $700 if you shop it.