Another mx500 "wide" question

[Marco Mezzalana]

Hello,
Can someone tello me, what is the best wideangle for this camera, I heared the original panasonic (I don't know the name) make some lateral distorsion, can you suggest me any brands and its costs?
I would avoid any distorsion, and (of course) retain the imagine quality!

Thanks

Marco

[Frank Granovski]

See this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=10724

The Raynox HD5000 is the one most often mentioned, but it needs a step-up ring from 37mm to 43mm.

The Raynox HD6600? is the one which is meant for 43mm threads.

The Pana wide is good, but not that wide and does not come with filter threads on the front.

The Tiffen 37mm pro version is also very good, in my opinion, better than the Tiffen with the 43mm threads.

[Marco Mezzalana]

ok I read all the five page, but I'm bit confused, I think Raynox 6600 is the only adaptor with no distorsion right? But it has made with spherical element so there is barrel distorsion, does it exist a mx500 wide adaptor made aspherical?If yes how much it cost?

I understand it's reccomended don't use a lot of zoom because with wide angle I will get vignetting and distorsion right?

But at this moment I don't know wich is the best wide adaptor, raynox, canon, tiffen...I tried to explore linked web page but they are dead link...

Any suggest?

Meanwhile thanks you so much...

[Frank Granovski]

...the best wide angle...make some lateral distorsion...I would avoid any distorsion, and... retain the imagine quality!

Well, to best answer this question, or comment on this statement rather, wide angle lenses are not perfect, and wide angle adaptors are even worse. In the Nikkor line of lenses (for my Nikon), and through much research, I've determined there's only 1 wide angle that stands out, and Nikon does make a lot of lenses. A wide angle adaptor is not really a lens, it is a set of glass designed to work with the lens, and these cam lenses and these adaptors are far from still camera quality.

Tom Hardwick ran some tests on related adaptor sizes and as a result leaned toward the Raynox HD5000. However, it's not the best wide because of the smaller threads. As long as the iris isn't fully opened, I figure, this adaptor probably will work just fine---it's around a .5X adaptor. The 43mm threaded Pana, Tiffen and Raynox don't seem to be as good, in a number of ways, from what I've read and in some cases seen, and they have less of a wide angle effect.

Personally, I have not considered buying a wide for any of my cams because I find I just don't need them nor need the trouble associated with them. In photography, yes, a good wide can be useful sometimes; but a good one will cost dearly (for my Nikon, about $800 US Dollars).

Now, if I really wanted a wide angle in the 43mm size, I would go with the one made by Pana, simply because it was designed for 43mm threaded Panas. If I want 1 wide for all my cams (some of my cams have 37mm threads), I'd go for the Tiffen, which I've seen and tried, or the Raynox HD5000, which I've only read about from people who own one.

[Frank Granovski]

Oops, I must have posted my last post just seconds after yours. I'll have to let someone like Yow, Tommy or Tom H. handle your questions. They are more familar with these adaptors and so can give you better answers.

[Marco Mezzalana]

thanks so much

[Guy Bruner]

Century Optics makes a wide range of professional and prosumer lenses. They are well known for their anamorphic lenses, but also make good wide angles. The link is to a 37mm thread WA, but they have others in larger sizes. You should be able to use these with stepup or stepdown rings. Note that with the 37mm WA, you can use your MX500 filters. You may get vignetting with this lens.

[Kamal Tailor]

aren't Anamorphic and Wide angle lens different??? i thought Anamorphic lenses were supposed to cause a specific kind of distortion that is corrected through software??? i'm probably wrong, cos i'm just going on what i remember, cos i'd like an anamorphic lens so i can get nice anamorphic shots =)

[Guy Bruner]

An anamorphic is a special type of wide angle lens that distorts the picture vertically while widening the field of view (squeeze horizontally). This type of lens is used to shoot cinemascope movies.

You don't really need an anamorphic lens with the MX500 because it has a high quality anamorphic (16:9) mode already. However, if you want to make cinemascope movies (2.35:1) you can use an anamorphic lens with the in camera anamorphic mode to get the look.

[Kamal Tailor]

i just found this by doing a search of that website guy gave us

it's a 16:9 widescreen adaptor

http://www.centuryoptics.com/product...7mm.htm#<br />

something i'd be interested in getting

or a 1:2.35 anamorphic lens

for extrawide theater look =)

[Bruce Simpson]

Now, if I really wanted a wide angle in the 43mm size, I would go with the one made by Pana, simply because it was designed for 43mm threaded Panas

I've got a geniune Pana WA and optically, it's pretty damned good (about US$220 from memory).

The big problem with them is that there's no provision for adding filters so that expensive piece of glass is just waiting to get scratched or otherwise damaged.

And, like most WA's on these cameras, it blocks the flash so you get a big dark shadow on your subject if you're taking stills inside (but the MX500 is *not* a good camera for still photography anyway so this doesn't really bother me)

[Tom E Young]

How wide angle of camcorder lens view does it have to be to be good? My Canon zr20 is wide enough for me. What am I missing? I know the mx500 is better then my zr20, but that is besides the point. How wide is good or better?

[Tom Hardwick]

If at all possible Marco - take your Panasonic to town and shoot through as many wide-angle converters as you can find. Include door frames and telegraph poles to check for distortions. Speak into the microphones. Film the converter in your hands.

At home open the frames in your photo program to check for vignetting, distortion, sharpness at different apertures. All w/angle converters will rob you of a little light, a little sharpness and a little contrast. They'll all add flare, weight and size (and block the flash gun). But the great plus is they open you up to a whole lot more perspective control in your movies. Imagine Danny in the Overlook Hotel being shot with a 'normal' lens. Ug! (Krubrick: The Shining).

Generally, aspheric single elements (non zoom through) give the least distortion and are expensive. The multi-element zoom throughs (even the expensive Centurys) give barrel distortion, but there's one that's pretty good in this respect - the Raynox 6600PRO. The only snag is it's not very wide (0.66x) and it's not a full zoom through.

Compromises, huh?

tom.

[Marco Mezzalana]

I agree with you, the only way to find a good wide adaptor is testing o lots of its, but its just useful knows how many type can they be divided (aspheric..ecc.) and wich are the compromises for a "wider view"

Thanks so much!