Wide Angle lens for HC1/A1U at DVinfo.net

Bill Gehrke · July 17th, 2006, 01:11 PM

Does anyone know if the older Sony VCL-0637H lens will work with the HC1/A1U?

Jerome Marot · July 17th, 2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Gehrke

Does anyone know if the older Sony VCL-0637H lens will work with the HC1/A1U?

It will work, but the corners of the picture will not be very sharp.

Rick Foye · July 17th, 2006, 06:30 PM

I used the VCL-0637H lens with my Digital8 and then continued using it when I bought my HC1. It works with the camera but the lens is a piece of crap. At $15 you get what you pay for. The picture is VERY blurry around edges. Don't bother with it.

Ray Boltz · July 18th, 2006, 02:48 AM

Rick,
I'm really curious...where did you find the VCL-0637H for $15.00? Or did you mean...Don't waste a $15.00 tape using it.

Mauricio Galdieri · July 18th, 2006, 08:28 AM

Bill,
Check out this frame grab taken with the A1U and the VCL-0637H conversion lens and see what they mean about the blurred corners. It's very annoying indeed...

Rick Foye · July 18th, 2006, 10:47 AM

Ah, for some reason I thought I paid $15 for the lens. I think I paid more like $50. $15 or 50, it's still not worth the time with an A1 or HC1.

Charlie Vankirk · July 18th, 2006, 03:23 PM

I would have to agree!

I have an HC1.

I bought my VCL-0637H on eBay for $20 (including shipping) since I don't have the $$ to spend on the more expensive (but worth it) Wide Angle lenses from Sony.

Got what I paid for! Ha!

The edges will smear.

If you are using it for home video and/or things that don't require the type of quality the HC1 or A1U can give you then use the lens.
But if that's the case, why would you have one of those cams in the first place!

Anyway, in my opinion, get the lens if you can't afford a better one or just save up for a lens like the Sony VCL-HG0737Y

Alex Thames · July 18th, 2006, 08:25 PM

Check out the Raynox wideangle lens too. Some say they are better than the Sony Y lens in terms of glass quality and color aberrations.

Mikko Lopponen · July 19th, 2006, 06:38 AM

Who says so? I have the Raynox 0.5 (hd500pro) and it's good but not great, some smoothing in the corners.

Paul Kepen · July 23rd, 2006, 01:47 AM

"Who says so? I have the Raynox 0.5 (hd500pro) and it's good but not great, some smoothing in the corners."
I second that Mikko. The Raynox HD-5005PRO is nice and wide at 0.5x. The image is very good at full wide, but as you zoom the corners become quite fuzzy. The more you zoom the greater the portion of the image that is blurry. It is suppose to be a full zoom thru, and must be cause the center of the image stays in focus. The Sony - Y lens is only 0.7x, but stays sharp throughout the image area at all levels of zoom.

Alex Thames · July 23rd, 2006, 05:11 PM

Don't know about the zoom-through capabilities of the Raynox, but I was told they are better when in focus than the Y lens because of superior glass, so less color aberrations or something. This is unconfirmed on my part. I only have the Y lens.

Graham Hickling · July 23rd, 2006, 07:26 PM

I have the Raynox HD3030PRO for my HC1.

At full wideangle it gives a very sharp image (although with considerable curvilinear distortion). Unfortunately, as soon as you begin to zoom in the edges go soft.

Paul Kepen · July 24th, 2006, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Thames

Don't know about the zoom-through capabilities of the Raynox, but I was told they are better when in focus than the Y lens because of superior glass, so less color aberrations or something. This is unconfirmed on my part. I only have the Y lens.

The Raynox is FULL ZOOM THROUGH, but even their spec sheet only lists sharpness "at the center." All lenses-even the one built on the camera are sharper at the center then they are at the edges. However, with a good lens the difference is not noticeable. Any "accessory" screw on lens will not perform as good as a prime lens. My Raynox is very sharp at full wide, but as you zoom the lack of sharpness at the edges becomes significant and progressively moves to fill more of the image as you zoom. This is not because I'm not maintaining focus or a loss of focus - cause the center is still sharp. At full zoom only the center of the image is sharp, the rest is VERY blurry. Because of this I recently purchased the Sony "Y" lens (don't recall the full model #). I have only played with it a little bit, but it seems to maintain a much sharper image across the frame when you zoom with it. Hope that clearifies what I meant in my previous post. Have a Great Day :) - PK

Alex Thames · July 24th, 2006, 11:58 AM

From the way you describe it, I wouldn't call the Raynox a full-zoom through lens then (unless that's the technical definition of it). From how I've understood it, if the picture gets noticeably blurry (or blurry) on the sides as you zoom in more, then it's not full-zoom through. The Y lens doesn't get noticeably blurry at any zoom position so I consider it a full-zoom through lens. I'm not really disagreeing or agreeing with you on the quality of the Raynox lens - I'm just saying that someone on this board once said that the Raynox was better, but I don't remember who, so I thought I'd throw that out and for those interested, they could do a search on it.

Mikko Lopponen · July 24th, 2006, 03:31 PM

But we are comparing the hd5005 which is a 0.5x lens. Not a 0.7x. It is less sturdy than the 0.7x wides.

July 17th, 2006, 01:11 PM	#1
Bill Gehrke New Boot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Great Falls, VA Posts: 6	Wide Angle lens for HC1/A1U Does anyone know if the older Sony VCL-0637H lens will work with the HC1/A1U? __________________ Bill

July 18th, 2006, 08:28 AM	#5
Mauricio Galdieri Tourist Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2	Bill, Check out this frame grab taken with the A1U and the VCL-0637H conversion lens and see what they mean about the blurred corners. It's very annoying indeed... Attached Thumbnails

July 17th, 2006, 06:30 PM	#3
Rick Foye Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 30	I used the VCL-0637H lens with my Digital8 and then continued using it when I bought my HC1. It works with the camera but the lens is a piece of crap. At $15 you get what you pay for. The picture is VERY blurry around edges. Don't bother with it.

July 18th, 2006, 02:48 AM	#4
Ray Boltz Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 50	Rick, I'm really curious...where did you find the VCL-0637H for $15.00? Or did you mean...Don't waste a $15.00 tape using it.

July 18th, 2006, 10:47 AM	#6
Rick Foye Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 30	Ah, for some reason I thought I paid $15 for the lens. I think I paid more like $50. $15 or 50, it's still not worth the time with an A1 or HC1.

July 18th, 2006, 03:23 PM	#7
Charlie Vankirk Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Las Vegas,NV Posts: 41	I would have to agree! I have an HC1. I bought my VCL-0637H on eBay for $20 (including shipping) since I don't have the $$ to spend on the more expensive (but worth it) Wide Angle lenses from Sony. Got what I paid for! Ha! The edges will smear. If you are using it for home video and/or things that don't require the type of quality the HC1 or A1U can give you then use the lens. But if that's the case, why would you have one of those cams in the first place! Anyway, in my opinion, get the lens if you can't afford a better one or just save up for a lens like the Sony VCL-HG0737Y

July 18th, 2006, 08:25 PM	#8
Alex Thames Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York Posts: 508	Check out the Raynox wideangle lens too. Some say they are better than the Sony Y lens in terms of glass quality and color aberrations.

July 19th, 2006, 06:38 AM	#9
Mikko Lopponen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 393	Who says so? I have the Raynox 0.5 (hd500pro) and it's good but not great, some smoothing in the corners.

July 23rd, 2006, 01:47 AM	#10
Paul Kepen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minneapolis Minnesota Posts: 347	"Who says so? I have the Raynox 0.5 (hd500pro) and it's good but not great, some smoothing in the corners." I second that Mikko. The Raynox HD-5005PRO is nice and wide at 0.5x. The image is very good at full wide, but as you zoom the corners become quite fuzzy. The more you zoom the greater the portion of the image that is blurry. It is suppose to be a full zoom thru, and must be cause the center of the image stays in focus. The Sony - Y lens is only 0.7x, but stays sharp throughout the image area at all levels of zoom.

July 23rd, 2006, 05:11 PM	#11
Alex Thames Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York Posts: 508	Don't know about the zoom-through capabilities of the Raynox, but I was told they are better when in focus than the Y lens because of superior glass, so less color aberrations or something. This is unconfirmed on my part. I only have the Y lens.

July 23rd, 2006, 07:26 PM	#12
Graham Hickling Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 1,669	I have the Raynox HD3030PRO for my HC1. At full wideangle it gives a very sharp image (although with considerable curvilinear distortion). Unfortunately, as soon as you begin to zoom in the edges go soft.

July 24th, 2006, 11:58 AM	#14
Alex Thames Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York Posts: 508	From the way you describe it, I wouldn't call the Raynox a full-zoom through lens then (unless that's the technical definition of it). From how I've understood it, if the picture gets noticeably blurry (or blurry) on the sides as you zoom in more, then it's not full-zoom through. The Y lens doesn't get noticeably blurry at any zoom position so I consider it a full-zoom through lens. I'm not really disagreeing or agreeing with you on the quality of the Raynox lens - I'm just saying that someone on this board once said that the Raynox was better, but I don't remember who, so I thought I'd throw that out and for those interested, they could do a search on it.

July 24th, 2006, 03:31 PM	#15
Mikko Lopponen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 393	But we are comparing the hd5005 which is a 0.5x lens. Not a 0.7x. It is less sturdy than the 0.7x wides.