How to choose wide angle and telephoto lens at DVinfo.net

Angela Chan · May 12th, 2004, 09:45 AM

When I check on sony's website, it has couple different wide angle and telephoto lens for TRV950 with some numbers, i.e. 37mm 0.6X...
Does anyone could teach me how to read those numbers, and how to choose the right len? Thanks

Frank Granovski · May 12th, 2004, 12:07 PM

.6 - just times it by 100 which equals 60% of view.

2 good wide angles in the 37mm thread size are the Tiffen and Raynox HD5000.

Boyd Ostroff · May 12th, 2004, 06:57 PM

Also remember that you get what you pay for. Sony makes some cheap 37mm mount lens that sell in the $40 range. Don't waste your money, they're terrible. Their "high grade" lenses are nice although expensive.

Vasily Kopyl · May 12th, 2004, 06:58 PM

Does anybody know if it is possible to find a wide angle lens connectable to the bayonet, which normally holds the lens hood.
It is not very convenient to attach lenses on the 37mm thread. I am afraid to ruin the thread trying to put a lens on it in a hurry.

Thanks.

Angela Chan · May 12th, 2004, 08:12 PM

Hi, Boyd,

Does VCL-HG0737X good?

Steve Roffler · May 12th, 2004, 08:48 PM

I have the VCL-HG0737X.

It helps broaden the view but it is only 0.7X. It is nice combined with 16:9. I have not noticed any vignetting but in my very limited experience it seems to make the picture a bit "murky". It may be my inexperience though.

I will try to make a couple short movies w/wo the lens and post them when I get time.

Boyd Ostroff · May 12th, 2004, 09:25 PM

Angela, a search will turn up lots of discussion of wide angle lenses:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=24673
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=17282
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=16383
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=16383

Gareth Watkins · May 13th, 2004, 03:23 AM

I have the Techpro 0.5 wide angle on my 950 and find it very good. Sharp in good light, no vignetting, so zooms through. I notice a slight drop off in edge definition in lower light (when the camera system is unable to keep it on the 'sweet spot'), but to my mind the advantage of the wider angle of view out weighs this.

Has a fair amount of distortion at widest setting, but again I can live with it as I'm not trying to squeeze stuff into a tight frame all the while. This is most noticeable, as one would imagine on landscapes where the horizon bows a bit and on close ups of door frames etc.

I got mine from Creative Video in the UK. Their website sells it principally for the PDX10.

All the wide angle attachments have their limitations and looking at Tom Hardwicks test the Techpro doesn't seem any worse than many of the dearer lenses, and indeed better than some. At around 60 quid it seems a good buy, in keeping with a camera of the TRV950 class.

cheers
Gareth

Ralf Strandell · May 13th, 2004, 11:35 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : .6 - just times it by 100 which equals 60% of view.

2 good wide angles in the 37mm thread size are the Tiffen and Raynoc HD5000. -->>>

I have the Tiffen 37mm 0.56x. Yes, it is sharp and nice, but:

- it is NOT zoom through; I can zoom with it a little, but at large zoom 10x or so, focus is lost and everything gets blurred out. Everything becomes unsharp and gets a halo... Now I'm uncertain as to where the unsharpness begings and I'm afraid of zooming at all. That's a bit problematic. I would prefer a fully zoom through lens. (but maybe they all are inferior - haven't tested any other W/A lenses yet...)

- the Tiffen 0.56x 37mm W/A lens DOES NOT fit in the wideangle lens hood of the PDX10 (or, maybe, trv950). You'll need a third party lens hood.

- I saw two pictures somewhere here at dvinfo.net/conf taken with the Raynox HD5000. Very unsharp around the edges...

But I haven't compared the Tiffen lens with anything... and it's a relatively good lens, though not zoom through.

Steve Roffler · May 14th, 2004, 02:00 AM

I put up a short video of the Sony VCL-HG0737X 0.7X wide-angle lens here:

http://www.ibms.sinica.edu.tw/~sroff/wideangle.html

Frank Granovski · May 14th, 2004, 04:08 AM

Quote:

I saw two pictures somewhere here at dvinfo.net/conf taken with the Raynox HD5000. Very unsharp around the edges.

I guess this would depend on how much you open up your iris.

Quote:

it is NOT zoom through;

Few are, and if they are, they're probably not wide angles with the 37mm mounting threads. The thread starter asked about how to read these numbers: "37mm 0.6X." Note: 37mm.

Ralf Strandell · May 14th, 2004, 04:29 AM

You are correct...

We could also make clear now that with a

0.7x lens the focal distance becomes 0.7x which means that the angle of view increases (old picture is approx 70% of the new, right?). Thus: wide angle. The picture looks quite natural.

0.5x lens makes the angle of view even wider. The picture gets slightly distorted. Straight lines bend slightly inwards. This effect is visible at least when shooting buildings (vertical lines).

0.3x lens gives an even wider view, but with a "fish eye effect".

So the Sony HG0737 lens is a slight wideangle (0.7x) with a 37mm thread. While the Tiffen 0.56x is a bit wider and the Raynox at 0.5x is even more wider. These all are widely usable.

0.3x lenses are specialty lenses because they bend the picture so much.

Ralf Strandell · May 14th, 2004, 05:01 AM

Summarizing:

1) Thread size: 37mm for TRV950

2) Power: whatever you like; 0.5x - 0.7x are safe choices.

3) Sharpness: Try the lens in a store if you can. Pay attention to the image sharpness. Some wide angle lenses are sharper than others - especially near the edges - or at large zoom factors. You need to test them to find your favorite.

4) Zoom: Full 12x zoom might not be possible at all with some of these lenses or then it degrades the image. It is the "wide end" that matters, after all. With both Tiffen and Raynox you should be able to zoom at least 6x with a good picture quality. I haven't tried the Sony lenses.

5) Accessories: Remember to buy a lens hood / sunshade that protects the lens from glare caused by stray light

Ignacio Rodriguez · June 8th, 2004, 12:07 AM

Hi. My sister is travelling to the Vancouver BC area in a few days and could bring me back a WA adapter for my PDX10. So I could use some advice in terms of buying a good WA for about US$200, from a trusted source, should be in the 0.5 to 0.65 range and hopefully should fit in the Sony hood that comes with the cam. Since I live in the third world and good WAs are not easily available here, a good WA can be a great added value to my kit and it's great that my sister can bring one back but she will not be able to test it, compare several and so on. Any suggestions?

Tom Hardwick · June 8th, 2004, 09:38 AM

Just to say Ralf that my aspheric 0.5x doesn't " gets slightly distorted. Straight lines bend slightly inwards. This effect is visible at least when shooting buildings (vertical lines)."

There's lots of perspective distortion yes (but that can be eliminated by sitting at the right distance from the screeen), but distortions? Can't see any I'm pleased to say, not barrel, pincushion or chromatic aberation. I use a Bolex Aspheron.

tom.

May 12th, 2004, 09:45 AM	#1
Angela Chan New Boot Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 10	How to choose wide angle and telephoto lens When I check on sony's website, it has couple different wide angle and telephoto lens for TRV950 with some numbers, i.e. 37mm 0.6X... Does anyone could teach me how to read those numbers, and how to choose the right len? Thanks

May 12th, 2004, 08:48 PM	#6
Steve Roffler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Taipei, Taiwan Posts: 100	I have the VCL-HG0737X. It helps broaden the view but it is only 0.7X. It is nice combined with 16:9. I have not noticed any vignetting but in my very limited experience it seems to make the picture a bit "murky". It may be my inexperience though. I will try to make a couple short movies w/wo the lens and post them when I get time. __________________ Steve pdx10, EOS10D

May 14th, 2004, 02:00 AM	#10
Steve Roffler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Taipei, Taiwan Posts: 100	I put up a short video of the Sony VCL-HG0737X 0.7X wide-angle lens here: http://www.ibms.sinica.edu.tw/~sroff/wideangle.html __________________ Steve pdx10, EOS10D

June 8th, 2004, 12:07 AM	#14
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	Hi. My sister is travelling to the Vancouver BC area in a few days and could bring me back a WA adapter for my PDX10. So I could use some advice in terms of buying a good WA for about US$200, from a trusted source, should be in the 0.5 to 0.65 range and hopefully should fit in the Sony hood that comes with the cam. Since I live in the third world and good WAs are not easily available here, a good WA can be a great added value to my kit and it's great that my sister can bring one back but she will not be able to test it, compare several and so on. Any suggestions? __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

May 12th, 2004, 12:07 PM	#2
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	.6 - just times it by 100 which equals 60% of view. 2 good wide angles in the 37mm thread size are the Tiffen and Raynox HD5000.

May 12th, 2004, 06:57 PM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Also remember that you get what you pay for. Sony makes some cheap 37mm mount lens that sell in the $40 range. Don't waste your money, they're terrible. Their "high grade" lenses are nice although expensive.

May 12th, 2004, 06:58 PM	#4
Vasily Kopyl New Boot Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: USA Posts: 5	Does anybody know if it is possible to find a wide angle lens connectable to the bayonet, which normally holds the lens hood. It is not very convenient to attach lenses on the 37mm thread. I am afraid to ruin the thread trying to put a lens on it in a hurry. Thanks.

May 12th, 2004, 08:12 PM	#5
Angela Chan New Boot Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 10	Hi, Boyd, Does VCL-HG0737X good?

May 12th, 2004, 09:25 PM	#7
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Angela, a search will turn up lots of discussion of wide angle lenses: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=24673 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=17282 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=16383 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=16383

May 13th, 2004, 03:23 AM	#8
Gareth Watkins Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: France Posts: 578	I have the Techpro 0.5 wide angle on my 950 and find it very good. Sharp in good light, no vignetting, so zooms through. I notice a slight drop off in edge definition in lower light (when the camera system is unable to keep it on the 'sweet spot'), but to my mind the advantage of the wider angle of view out weighs this. Has a fair amount of distortion at widest setting, but again I can live with it as I'm not trying to squeeze stuff into a tight frame all the while. This is most noticeable, as one would imagine on landscapes where the horizon bows a bit and on close ups of door frames etc. I got mine from Creative Video in the UK. Their website sells it principally for the PDX10. All the wide angle attachments have their limitations and looking at Tom Hardwicks test the Techpro doesn't seem any worse than many of the dearer lenses, and indeed better than some. At around 60 quid it seems a good buy, in keeping with a camera of the TRV950 class. cheers Gareth

May 13th, 2004, 11:35 AM	#9
Ralf Strandell Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 180	<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : .6 - just times it by 100 which equals 60% of view. 2 good wide angles in the 37mm thread size are the Tiffen and Raynoc HD5000. -->>> I have the Tiffen 37mm 0.56x. Yes, it is sharp and nice, but: - it is NOT zoom through; I can zoom with it a little, but at large zoom 10x or so, focus is lost and everything gets blurred out. Everything becomes unsharp and gets a halo... Now I'm uncertain as to where the unsharpness begings and I'm afraid of zooming at all. That's a bit problematic. I would prefer a fully zoom through lens. (but maybe they all are inferior - haven't tested any other W/A lenses yet...) - the Tiffen 0.56x 37mm W/A lens DOES NOT fit in the wideangle lens hood of the PDX10 (or, maybe, trv950). You'll need a third party lens hood. - I saw two pictures somewhere here at dvinfo.net/conf taken with the Raynox HD5000. Very unsharp around the edges... But I haven't compared the Tiffen lens with anything... and it's a relatively good lens, though not zoom through.

May 14th, 2004, 04:29 AM	#12
Ralf Strandell Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 180	You are correct... We could also make clear now that with a 0.7x lens the focal distance becomes 0.7x which means that the angle of view increases (old picture is approx 70% of the new, right?). Thus: wide angle. The picture looks quite natural. 0.5x lens makes the angle of view even wider. The picture gets slightly distorted. Straight lines bend slightly inwards. This effect is visible at least when shooting buildings (vertical lines). 0.3x lens gives an even wider view, but with a "fish eye effect". So the Sony HG0737 lens is a slight wideangle (0.7x) with a 37mm thread. While the Tiffen 0.56x is a bit wider and the Raynox at 0.5x is even more wider. These all are widely usable. 0.3x lenses are specialty lenses because they bend the picture so much.

May 14th, 2004, 05:01 AM	#13
Ralf Strandell Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 180	Summarizing: 1) Thread size: 37mm for TRV950 2) Power: whatever you like; 0.5x - 0.7x are safe choices. 3) Sharpness: Try the lens in a store if you can. Pay attention to the image sharpness. Some wide angle lenses are sharper than others - especially near the edges - or at large zoom factors. You need to test them to find your favorite. 4) Zoom: Full 12x zoom might not be possible at all with some of these lenses or then it degrades the image. It is the "wide end" that matters, after all. With both Tiffen and Raynox you should be able to zoom at least 6x with a good picture quality. I haven't tried the Sony lenses. 5) Accessories: Remember to buy a lens hood / sunshade that protects the lens from glare caused by stray light

June 8th, 2004, 09:38 AM	#15
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Just to say Ralf that my aspheric 0.5x doesn't " gets slightly distorted. Straight lines bend slightly inwards. This effect is visible at least when shooting buildings (vertical lines)." There's lots of perspective distortion yes (but that can be eliminated by sitting at the right distance from the screeen), but distortions? Can't see any I'm pleased to say, not barrel, pincushion or chromatic aberation. I use a Bolex Aspheron. tom.