Century Optics .55 adapter at DVinfo.net

Marco Leavitt · January 6th, 2006, 10:53 PM

Just wanted to say I picked up one of these things and it's a pretty slick little dude, about the size of a stack of four silver dollars -- the old cool ones, not those weird things they make these days.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...s=&ci=2102&ac=

It's a single element, but seems pretty sharp. There appears to be some softening in the corners, but it's hardly noticeable. In 16:9 you get a really wide image, with not as much distortion as you'd think. It's fairly resistant to flare as well. At wide open I can zoom a little more than 50 percent of the way on the Optura 60. Most of the image looks dead sharp on our production monitor, but I need to shoot some resolution charts to be sure. In any case, 80 bones well spent I think. It's never leaving my bag.

Just passing on this information in case it's useful to anybody. I'm always curious about how well the various wide angle adapters perform, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there.

Jason J. Gullickson · January 9th, 2006, 08:20 AM

Thanks for posting this, I have an Optura 60 and I'm looking for a wide-angle lens, so I have a few questions for you:

1. Does it thread directly onto the 60 or do you need an adapter?
2. Are you using a hood, and if so, what kind?
3. How does it affect the weight/balance of the camera?

Thanks!

Marco Leavitt · January 9th, 2006, 08:46 AM

You will need a 34 mm to 37 mm adapter ring. No hood unfortunately, but the angle of view is so wide you wouldn't be able to get much of a hood on there without vignetting anyway. I've shot in a pretty wide variety of conditions with it, and flare has not been a problem. The adapter is pretty tiny and doesn't add noticeable weight.

This adapter has already saved my butt. I was able to use it last night on our shoot "Wolf Eyes" and it enabled me to get a cool corner shot that would not have been possible with a .7 adapter. Interestingly, the rest of the scene was shot with a WD58 (on the Optura 60) using a 1/4 Schneider black frost filter, and the shot with the .55 adapter (and no filter) was noticeably sharper. In other tests I've done the WD58 (unfiltered) was at least as sharp as the .55 adapter.

Jason J. Gullickson · January 9th, 2006, 09:12 AM

I used a cheap (Cokin?) adapter on my old camera but on the Optura it vignettes (spelling?) like crazy, so I've been concerned that I might run into that with other adapters as well.

I'd love to see some before/after shots of the adapter, do you have any or know of any reviews of the adapter that might have something like that?

Thanks!

Marco Leavitt · January 9th, 2006, 09:35 AM

I'd be glad to make up some comparison shots if somebody has a way to post them. I don't have a way to put them online. I could do one with no adapter, one with the WD58, and one with the Century .55. I wouldn't be able to do it until Saturday though. I'm planning to get a cheapie Raynox .3 snap on filter too in a couple of weeks. (I need it to simulate a peep hole on a door.)

January 6th, 2006, 10:53 PM	#1
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Century Optics .55 adapter Just wanted to say I picked up one of these things and it's a pretty slick little dude, about the size of a stack of four silver dollars -- the old cool ones, not those weird things they make these days. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...s=&ci=2102&ac= It's a single element, but seems pretty sharp. There appears to be some softening in the corners, but it's hardly noticeable. In 16:9 you get a really wide image, with not as much distortion as you'd think. It's fairly resistant to flare as well. At wide open I can zoom a little more than 50 percent of the way on the Optura 60. Most of the image looks dead sharp on our production monitor, but I need to shoot some resolution charts to be sure. In any case, 80 bones well spent I think. It's never leaving my bag. Just passing on this information in case it's useful to anybody. I'm always curious about how well the various wide angle adapters perform, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there.

January 9th, 2006, 08:20 AM	#2
Jason J. Gullickson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 170	Thanks for posting this, I have an Optura 60 and I'm looking for a wide-angle lens, so I have a few questions for you: 1. Does it thread directly onto the 60 or do you need an adapter? 2. Are you using a hood, and if so, what kind? 3. How does it affect the weight/balance of the camera? Thanks! __________________ Jason J. Gullickson Producer the second society http://2soc.net

January 9th, 2006, 09:12 AM	#4
Jason J. Gullickson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 170	I used a cheap (Cokin?) adapter on my old camera but on the Optura it vignettes (spelling?) like crazy, so I've been concerned that I might run into that with other adapters as well. I'd love to see some before/after shots of the adapter, do you have any or know of any reviews of the adapter that might have something like that? Thanks! __________________ Jason J. Gullickson Producer the second society http://2soc.net

January 9th, 2006, 08:46 AM	#3
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	You will need a 34 mm to 37 mm adapter ring. No hood unfortunately, but the angle of view is so wide you wouldn't be able to get much of a hood on there without vignetting anyway. I've shot in a pretty wide variety of conditions with it, and flare has not been a problem. The adapter is pretty tiny and doesn't add noticeable weight. This adapter has already saved my butt. I was able to use it last night on our shoot "Wolf Eyes" and it enabled me to get a cool corner shot that would not have been possible with a .7 adapter. Interestingly, the rest of the scene was shot with a WD58 (on the Optura 60) using a 1/4 Schneider black frost filter, and the shot with the .55 adapter (and no filter) was noticeably sharper. In other tests I've done the WD58 (unfiltered) was at least as sharp as the .55 adapter.

January 9th, 2006, 09:35 AM	#5
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	I'd be glad to make up some comparison shots if somebody has a way to post them. I don't have a way to put them online. I could do one with no adapter, one with the WD58, and one with the Century .55. I wouldn't be able to do it until Saturday though. I'm planning to get a cheapie Raynox .3 snap on filter too in a couple of weeks. (I need it to simulate a peep hole on a door.)