Century wide angle converter

Jerry Bixman · June 20th, 2002, 04:38 PM

95mm

Jerry

Jeff Donald · June 20th, 2002, 05:23 PM

The Image 2000 matte box is a good choice http://www.birnsandsawyer.com/index.asp . Its made for the Century adapters (95mm) and not too expensive. I see them on ebay ocassionaly for around $250, but as always, buyer beware.

Jeff

Jerry Bixman · June 21st, 2002, 01:25 AM

Thank you for your suggestion Jeff.

Jerry

Jeff Donald · August 16th, 2002, 12:13 PM

Century Precision Optical has a new series of charts on their site that explain in detail what adapters ( including Century part numbers) fit what lenses and hoods. http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/prodv/xl1/chart.htm

Jeff

Chris Hurd · August 16th, 2002, 03:31 PM

Very handy... many thanks, Jeff.

Rik Sanchez · August 23rd, 2002, 10:32 AM

I have a .7X wide adapter for my 16X lens for the XL-1. Also just got off the phone with Chris over at ZGC, ordered the fisheye adapter. The people at ZGC rock, I'll have the fisheye adapter by next friday(30th). Can't wait to shoot with it. Now my friend with an XL-1s can use one adapter, and I can use the other on two camera shoots!

Josh Bass · October 10th, 2002, 11:31 PM

Here I am once again trying to find out how to use a piece of equipment that I've ordered. Just got my Century .6x zoom through converter, made for the manual lens. I checked with the lovely (I'm assuming) Chris from ZGC before ordering, and she verified that you can indeed zoom through with the converter on the manual lens, even though descriptions I have seen of the .6x say that you have 8x zoom "with autofocus only."

I put this thing on, and find that at it's widest setting, it's blurry with the iris opened all the way up. I adjusted the back focus, and now it's fine. That's only at the widest setting, however. Once you start to zoom (sorry I didn't take note of the factor) a litte bit, it goes blurry. Now, if it's got 8x zoom, that means it should be in focus through half of the manual lens's zoom range, no? The regular focus ring seems to have no effect when the converter's on, regardless of focal length.

Can anyone help?

Jeff Donald · October 11th, 2002, 01:22 AM

The back focus is not adjusted properly. Adjusting the back focus may take a little experimentation with the converter. My guess is that you'll need to set the back focus at the 8X position first. Then zoom to the widest setting. Trial and error will get you there. Also make sure you're focusing on something far enough away when our setting back focus.

Jeff

Chris Hurd · October 11th, 2002, 01:33 AM

Once you have your back focus set, don't even think about touching it again.

Josh Bass · October 11th, 2002, 06:37 AM

Jeff, if I set it at the 8x setting. . .won't I be blurry at the widest setting?

Jeff Donald · October 11th, 2002, 08:36 AM

I'm not sure. But if it wasn't getting it before, I can't figure how else it might work. You could always call Chris at ZGC and ask. When setting the back focus are you focusing on an object far away? It should be something far away (200 yards at least) not the mail box at the end of the drive.

Jeff

Josh Bass · October 11th, 2002, 03:38 PM

I haven't focused on anything too far away. I can try it. I thought the idea behind the back focus was that it adjusted the focus at the lens's widest setting, and on the XL1s, in my experience, that means everythings in focus anyway, near and far (except when exceeds the minimum focus range for the manual lens).

Jeff Donald · October 11th, 2002, 07:15 PM

Here's a link to adjusting back focus.

http://www.videouniversity.com/backfoc.htm

They suggest an object at least 75 feet. My experience is that is not far enough. But it may be OK for 1/3 inch chips and a WA adapter. DOF will cover small errors.

Jeff

Josh Bass · October 12th, 2002, 12:15 AM

Jeff, thanks. Here is what your link said (I'm posting it so what I write afterward will makes sense).

1.Set the iris to manual.
2.Set the zoom to manual.
3. Open the iris to 1.4 or its widest aperature. If the illumination on the test chart is too bright for the open iris, reduce the light or move the chart to a darker area.
4.Turn the zoom barrel to extreme telephoto.
5.Focus on the chart.
6.Set the zoom to wide angle.
7.Loosen the back focus ring retaining knob.
8.Adjust the back focus ring for the sharpest focus.
9.Repeat steps 4 through 8 until focus is consistently sharp.
10.When it is, tighten the back focus ring
retaining knob to secure the ring.

This is exactly how I've been doing it, with the exception of cheating on the distances of my obects upon which I focus. I've never had a problem maintaing consistent focus before.

I talke to Mizell at ZGC about this today, and he gave me a variation on the above formula.

He said instead of going all the way to wide angle, as in step 6, you're supposed to slowly zoom out from telephoto only until the image gets blurry, and then adjust the back focus ring again, and continue to do that until the image is sharp throughout. He said it usually takes 5 or 6 adjustments. Has anyone heard this? I've always done it just once the above-mentioned way, and never had a problem with focus.

Ryan Krga · January 27th, 2003, 07:55 PM

On the site it says with the stock 16x lens you can only get a 85 degreee horizontal view, but with the 3x lens you can get 116 degree horizontal view.

So does this mean that I will have to buy the 1000+ dollar 3x lens to get the widest field of vision with the lens?

Seems like some sort of money making scheme Canon and Century teamed up on...

Thanks,
Ryan Krga

June 21st, 2002, 01:25 AM	#18
Jerry Bixman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Utah Posts: 25	Thank you for your suggestion Jeff. Jerry __________________ Jerry Bixman Innlight Video Productions

August 16th, 2002, 12:13 PM	#19
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	What Century Precision Adapter fits what lens? Century Precision Optical has a new series of charts on their site that explain in detail what adapters ( including Century part numbers) fit what lenses and hoods. http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/prodv/xl1/chart.htm Jeff

August 16th, 2002, 03:31 PM	#20
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Very handy... many thanks, Jeff. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

August 23rd, 2002, 10:32 AM	#21
Rik Sanchez ChorizoSmells Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 424	I have a .7X wide adapter for my 16X lens for the XL-1. Also just got off the phone with Chris over at ZGC, ordered the fisheye adapter. The people at ZGC rock, I'll have the fisheye adapter by next friday(30th). Can't wait to shoot with it. Now my friend with an XL-1s can use one adapter, and I can use the other on two camera shoots! __________________ ChorizoSmells Video Barrio Tamatsukuri, Osaka, JAPAN

October 10th, 2002, 11:31 PM	#22
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Century .6x converter and manual 16x lens Here I am once again trying to find out how to use a piece of equipment that I've ordered. Just got my Century .6x zoom through converter, made for the manual lens. I checked with the lovely (I'm assuming) Chris from ZGC before ordering, and she verified that you can indeed zoom through with the converter on the manual lens, even though descriptions I have seen of the .6x say that you have 8x zoom "with autofocus only." I put this thing on, and find that at it's widest setting, it's blurry with the iris opened all the way up. I adjusted the back focus, and now it's fine. That's only at the widest setting, however. Once you start to zoom (sorry I didn't take note of the factor) a litte bit, it goes blurry. Now, if it's got 8x zoom, that means it should be in focus through half of the manual lens's zoom range, no? The regular focus ring seems to have no effect when the converter's on, regardless of focal length. Can anyone help? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

June 20th, 2002, 04:38 PM	#16
Jerry Bixman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Utah Posts: 25	95mm Jerry

June 20th, 2002, 05:23 PM	#17
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The Image 2000 matte box is a good choice http://www.birnsandsawyer.com/index.asp . Its made for the Century adapters (95mm) and not too expensive. I see them on ebay ocassionaly for around $250, but as always, buyer beware. Jeff

October 11th, 2002, 01:22 AM	#23
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The back focus is not adjusted properly. Adjusting the back focus may take a little experimentation with the converter. My guess is that you'll need to set the back focus at the 8X position first. Then zoom to the widest setting. Trial and error will get you there. Also make sure you're focusing on something far enough away when our setting back focus. Jeff

October 11th, 2002, 01:33 AM	#24
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Once you have your back focus set, don't even think about touching it again. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 11th, 2002, 06:37 AM	#25
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Jeff, if I set it at the 8x setting. . .won't I be blurry at the widest setting? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 11th, 2002, 08:36 AM	#26
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I'm not sure. But if it wasn't getting it before, I can't figure how else it might work. You could always call Chris at ZGC and ask. When setting the back focus are you focusing on an object far away? It should be something far away (200 yards at least) not the mail box at the end of the drive. Jeff

October 11th, 2002, 03:38 PM	#27
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I haven't focused on anything too far away. I can try it. I thought the idea behind the back focus was that it adjusted the focus at the lens's widest setting, and on the XL1s, in my experience, that means everythings in focus anyway, near and far (except when exceeds the minimum focus range for the manual lens). __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 11th, 2002, 07:15 PM	#28
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Here's a link to adjusting back focus. http://www.videouniversity.com/backfoc.htm They suggest an object at least 75 feet. My experience is that is not far enough. But it may be OK for 1/3 inch chips and a WA adapter. DOF will cover small errors. Jeff

October 12th, 2002, 12:15 AM	#29
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Jeff, thanks. Here is what your link said (I'm posting it so what I write afterward will makes sense). 1.Set the iris to manual. 2.Set the zoom to manual. 3. Open the iris to 1.4 or its widest aperature. If the illumination on the test chart is too bright for the open iris, reduce the light or move the chart to a darker area. 4.Turn the zoom barrel to extreme telephoto. 5.Focus on the chart. 6.Set the zoom to wide angle. 7.Loosen the back focus ring retaining knob. 8.Adjust the back focus ring for the sharpest focus. 9.Repeat steps 4 through 8 until focus is consistently sharp. 10.When it is, tighten the back focus ring retaining knob to secure the ring. This is exactly how I've been doing it, with the exception of cheating on the distances of my obects upon which I focus. I've never had a problem maintaing consistent focus before. I talke to Mizell at ZGC about this today, and he gave me a variation on the above formula. He said instead of going all the way to wide angle, as in step 6, you're supposed to slowly zoom out from telephoto only until the image gets blurry, and then adjust the back focus ring again, and continue to do that until the image is sharp throughout. He said it usually takes 5 or 6 adjustments. Has anyone heard this? I've always done it just once the above-mentioned way, and never had a problem with focus. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 27th, 2003, 07:55 PM	#30
Ryan Krga Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, Illinois Posts: 116	A little confused about the Century Optics Fisheye for the XL1S... On the site it says with the stock 16x lens you can only get a 85 degreee horizontal view, but with the 3x lens you can get 116 degree horizontal view. So does this mean that I will have to buy the 1000+ dollar 3x lens to get the widest field of vision with the lens? Seems like some sort of money making scheme Canon and Century teamed up on... Thanks, Ryan Krga