Wide Angle Adapter

Ronald Lee · July 4th, 2006, 01:34 AM

Hi there,

I rented this camera with the wide angle adapter this weekend and someone took the lens cap (Sony, 0.7). Can anyone tell me where to get another and how much it will cost?

Thanks.

Ronald

Yegor Sak · July 28th, 2006, 04:56 PM

I just picked up a wide angle lens (0.45x) on ebay for my vx2100 and Im not too happy with the results. When I put the lens on, all 4 corners of the screen have these black circular spots, which disappear if I zoom in.... but that kinda defeats the purpose of the wide angle lens.

Is this a defect, or normal behavior?

Marcus Marchesseault · July 28th, 2006, 07:15 PM

I use a Canon WA58 which is about .65x magnification. It is about $170. Sony makes a version and the best is probably one of the more expensive Century Optics models. Unless you like the fisheye effect, I would stick with a .7x or .65x model.

Yegor Sak · July 29th, 2006, 03:30 AM

Does 0.7x really have much of an effect? The difference cant be that big.....

Don Bloom · July 29th, 2006, 06:09 AM

Past about an .55 WA you will start to experience Vignetting-the cutting off of the corners. some people like the look and attempt to get it regardless of the lens they are using.
If you want a WA look but no vignetting then you will need to go to something around a .65 or .7 WA and yes they are wide enough to make a difference HOWEVER it depends on what it is you are trying to accomplish.
For example, you might have a shot that calls for the use of a FISHEYE and another that calls for a .65WA lens and another that anything can be used.
I use the .65WA-don't own anything wider than that as I have no need for it and find the 65 works just fine. A 45 will definately vignette.

Don

Yegor Sak · July 29th, 2006, 11:52 AM

Thanks for the input, Don.
I cant seem to find anything over 0.5x on ebay. Grr....

Tom Hardwick · August 4th, 2006, 10:57 AM

I wonder if the 0.45x lens you gor from ebay had a 58 mm attachment thread. Maybe it had an adapter to take the VX's 58 down to the lens's 43 or so?

You're right, you shouldn't have vignetted corners. So you haven't got a filter between lens and zoom, have you, or on the front of the w/angle? Maybe you're using a hood thet vignettes the image?

Has your lens got a maker's name? The boys are right - stick to Century, Canon, Sony, Raynox andf you'll not go far wrong.

tom.

Chris Barcellos · August 4th, 2006, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yegor Sak

Does 0.7x really have much of an effect? The difference cant be that big.....

If you are looking for fisheye effect, no, but to get a decent wide angle, for small room shooting, its great. Ideal forwedding changing rooms, and so on.

Even with Sony .7x I have, you see some distortion. (curved vertical posts, an such at the edges.

Amit Sitapara · August 4th, 2006, 02:28 PM

Raynox's mx3000 "fisheye" is actually pretty wide without vignetting. It DOES however have a pretty noticeable amount of distortion so if you can't have that then this isn't for you. It has a .3x rating but it's nothing like a real .3x fisheye. Also, it's 58mm so you don't have to mess with step up/down rings.

Here's an example of a Vx2100 with long lens first and then with the mx3000, no zooming was done.
http://img152.exs.cx/img152/8473/withoutlens4st.jpg

http://img152.exs.cx/img152/8858/withmx30009mf.jpg

I'd post it with the proper HTML so it just shows the pictures but I've never seen anyone else do that so I figured I wasn't aloud to post pictures.

Zack Birlew · August 4th, 2006, 05:24 PM

I'd have to say either stick with a 58mm Sony Wide Angle lense or go for the Canon WD-58H (I use one with my GL1 and I put it on a friend's VX2100 to great effect). At this point in time, it isn't worth it to get a really expensive wide angle lense from Century or 16x9 or any of those specialized manufacturers for cameras in this range.

It's the same thing with buying an anamorphic adapter right now, for the price of the adapter you could almost buy a new HDV camera with native 16:9 (ie. Sony HC1, HC3, A1, or the new consumer Canon HDV camera).

Tom Tomkowiak · August 16th, 2006, 07:15 PM

I've been using the Sony wide conversion lens (VCL-HG0758) with my VX for about the past 6 months, and finally got around to buying the Sony WA lens hood (LSF-S58) that's supposed to work with this lens & this camera.

The hood arrived today, but, as I wrote in the title to this thread, it doesn't fit.

You're thinking, hmmmmmmm, probably an eBay ripoff. Nope. B&H doesn't carry these, so I ordered it brand new from J&R.

For those not familiar with this hood, it comes in two parts: the base that locks on to the camera, and the hood that locks on to the base. The lens is supposed to fit between the two.

The base locks on to the camera just fine, and the WA lens screws into the camera just fine. Then come the problems.

The first problem is that the hood isn't wide enough to fit over the front end of the lens. The second problem is that even if the hood did fit over the conversion lens, the body of the lens would stick out about a half-inch or more beyond the front end of the the hood if the hood could be locked to the base.

All I can think of is that I have the first generation of the VCL-HG0758 WA lens. Sony apparently modified the second generation to something smaller, but still kept the same VCL-HG0758 designation -- didn't add an "A" or something to the end to indicate a difference.

Interestingly, right on the front of the retail box the hood is packed in is a picture of my exact setup: VX2100+VCL-HGO758+LSF-S58.

I can't make the lens any shorter, so the only option is to just send the hood back. Anyone reading this have a suggestion as to what else might work?

Mike Rehmus · August 16th, 2006, 09:08 PM

There are all matter of hoods out there that will probably fit. It is reasonable to expect that Sony made the front of the lens to a 'standard' size.

When I went looking for a lens hood for my Century Optics WA, I looked no further than my old Mamiya RB67. The wide angle lens (65mm) for that camera has a slip-on rubber lens hood that exactly fits. If you were to buy the lens hood, I'm told it is about $250.

I'd go find an old photographic dealer (not many of them left) and look through their junk bins.

Got a machine shop? Make your own! :-)

Chris Chua · August 25th, 2006, 10:19 AM

I have the same setup, vx2100 with vcl-hg0758 and the lsf-s58.

I know with that final part of the hood, you can put it either on two differnt ways, with it completing a box like look and the other with the front creating a lip (which also doesn't allow you to fit the wide angle lens). Are you possibly trying to snap it in using this second way?

Tom Tomkowiak · August 25th, 2006, 08:10 PM

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the response. The hood was assembled "backwards" in the retail package, so at first I thought that was the problem. But, when I switched it around, it still didn't fit properly.

The base unit of the hood clicks on to the camera just fine. But the inside diameter of the actual hood part is too small for the end of the lens to fit into.

And, even if the lens did fit inside, the front end of the lens would extend about three-quarters of an inch beyond the front end hood.

I've seen these Sony lenses on eBay, and I noticed some are described as having a black coating and others have a silver coating. Mine is silver, and that may be an older version. Both are designated as being the LSF-S58.

Anyway, I already received a full refund. Apparently if there ever was a hood made for my version of the lens, it's been discontinued.

Jeff Toogood · August 29th, 2006, 01:32 PM

Do you have a UV filter between the camera and the wide angle lens?

July 4th, 2006, 01:34 AM	#376
Ronald Lee Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 435	Where to get Sony 0.7 wide angle lens cap???? Help? Hi there, I rented this camera with the wide angle adapter this weekend and someone took the lens cap (Sony, 0.7). Can anyone tell me where to get another and how much it will cost? Thanks. Ronald

July 28th, 2006, 04:56 PM	#377
Yegor Sak Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 76	Wide angle lens for vx2100? I just picked up a wide angle lens (0.45x) on ebay for my vx2100 and Im not too happy with the results. When I put the lens on, all 4 corners of the screen have these black circular spots, which disappear if I zoom in.... but that kinda defeats the purpose of the wide angle lens. Is this a defect, or normal behavior? __________________ PlanetBoredom.net

July 29th, 2006, 03:30 AM	#379
Yegor Sak Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 76	Does 0.7x really have much of an effect? The difference cant be that big..... __________________ PlanetBoredom.net

July 29th, 2006, 11:52 AM	#381
Yegor Sak Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 76	Thanks for the input, Don. I cant seem to find anything over 0.5x on ebay. Grr.... __________________ PlanetBoredom.net

August 4th, 2006, 05:24 PM	#385
Zack Birlew Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 613	I'd have to say either stick with a 58mm Sony Wide Angle lense or go for the Canon WD-58H (I use one with my GL1 and I put it on a friend's VX2100 to great effect). At this point in time, it isn't worth it to get a really expensive wide angle lense from Century or 16x9 or any of those specialized manufacturers for cameras in this range. It's the same thing with buying an anamorphic adapter right now, for the price of the adapter you could almost buy a new HDV camera with native 16:9 (ie. Sony HC1, HC3, A1, or the new consumer Canon HDV camera). __________________ "Babs Do or Babs Do not, there is no try." - Zack Birlew www.BabsDoProductions.com

July 28th, 2006, 07:15 PM	#378
Marcus Marchesseault Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,961	I use a Canon WA58 which is about .65x magnification. It is about $170. Sony makes a version and the best is probably one of the more expensive Century Optics models. Unless you like the fisheye effect, I would stick with a .7x or .65x model.

July 29th, 2006, 06:09 AM	#380
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Past about an .55 WA you will start to experience Vignetting-the cutting off of the corners. some people like the look and attempt to get it regardless of the lens they are using. If you want a WA look but no vignetting then you will need to go to something around a .65 or .7 WA and yes they are wide enough to make a difference HOWEVER it depends on what it is you are trying to accomplish. For example, you might have a shot that calls for the use of a FISHEYE and another that calls for a .65WA lens and another that anything can be used. I use the .65WA-don't own anything wider than that as I have no need for it and find the 65 works just fine. A 45 will definately vignette. Don

August 4th, 2006, 10:57 AM	#382
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I wonder if the 0.45x lens you gor from ebay had a 58 mm attachment thread. Maybe it had an adapter to take the VX's 58 down to the lens's 43 or so? You're right, you shouldn't have vignetted corners. So you haven't got a filter between lens and zoom, have you, or on the front of the w/angle? Maybe you're using a hood thet vignettes the image? Has your lens got a maker's name? The boys are right - stick to Century, Canon, Sony, Raynox andf you'll not go far wrong. tom.

August 4th, 2006, 02:28 PM	#384
Amit Sitapara Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 33	Raynox's mx3000 "fisheye" is actually pretty wide without vignetting. It DOES however have a pretty noticeable amount of distortion so if you can't have that then this isn't for you. It has a .3x rating but it's nothing like a real .3x fisheye. Also, it's 58mm so you don't have to mess with step up/down rings. Here's an example of a Vx2100 with long lens first and then with the mx3000, no zooming was done. http://img152.exs.cx/img152/8473/withoutlens4st.jpg http://img152.exs.cx/img152/8858/withmx30009mf.jpg I'd post it with the proper HTML so it just shows the pictures but I've never seen anyone else do that so I figured I wasn't aloud to post pictures.

August 16th, 2006, 07:15 PM	#386
Tom Tomkowiak Major Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: On the NC Crystal Coast Posts: 203	VX2100 wide angle hood doesn't fit over lens I've been using the Sony wide conversion lens (VCL-HG0758) with my VX for about the past 6 months, and finally got around to buying the Sony WA lens hood (LSF-S58) that's supposed to work with this lens & this camera. The hood arrived today, but, as I wrote in the title to this thread, it doesn't fit. You're thinking, hmmmmmmm, probably an eBay ripoff. Nope. B&H doesn't carry these, so I ordered it brand new from J&R. For those not familiar with this hood, it comes in two parts: the base that locks on to the camera, and the hood that locks on to the base. The lens is supposed to fit between the two. The base locks on to the camera just fine, and the WA lens screws into the camera just fine. Then come the problems. The first problem is that the hood isn't wide enough to fit over the front end of the lens. The second problem is that even if the hood did fit over the conversion lens, the body of the lens would stick out about a half-inch or more beyond the front end of the the hood if the hood could be locked to the base. All I can think of is that I have the first generation of the VCL-HG0758 WA lens. Sony apparently modified the second generation to something smaller, but still kept the same VCL-HG0758 designation -- didn't add an "A" or something to the end to indicate a difference. Interestingly, right on the front of the retail box the hood is packed in is a picture of my exact setup: VX2100+VCL-HGO758+LSF-S58. I can't make the lens any shorter, so the only option is to just send the hood back. Anyone reading this have a suggestion as to what else might work?

August 16th, 2006, 09:08 PM	#387
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	There are all matter of hoods out there that will probably fit. It is reasonable to expect that Sony made the front of the lens to a 'standard' size. When I went looking for a lens hood for my Century Optics WA, I looked no further than my old Mamiya RB67. The wide angle lens (65mm) for that camera has a slip-on rubber lens hood that exactly fits. If you were to buy the lens hood, I'm told it is about $250. I'd go find an old photographic dealer (not many of them left) and look through their junk bins. Got a machine shop? Make your own! :-) __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

August 25th, 2006, 10:19 AM	#388
Chris Chua Tourist Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 1	I have the same setup, vx2100 with vcl-hg0758 and the lsf-s58. I know with that final part of the hood, you can put it either on two differnt ways, with it completing a box like look and the other with the front creating a lip (which also doesn't allow you to fit the wide angle lens). Are you possibly trying to snap it in using this second way?

August 25th, 2006, 08:10 PM	#389
Tom Tomkowiak Major Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: On the NC Crystal Coast Posts: 203	Hi Chris, Thanks for the response. The hood was assembled "backwards" in the retail package, so at first I thought that was the problem. But, when I switched it around, it still didn't fit properly. The base unit of the hood clicks on to the camera just fine. But the inside diameter of the actual hood part is too small for the end of the lens to fit into. And, even if the lens did fit inside, the front end of the lens would extend about three-quarters of an inch beyond the front end hood. I've seen these Sony lenses on eBay, and I noticed some are described as having a black coating and others have a silver coating. Mine is silver, and that may be an older version. Both are designated as being the LSF-S58. Anyway, I already received a full refund. Apparently if there ever was a hood made for my version of the lens, it's been discontinued.

August 29th, 2006, 01:32 PM	#390
Jeff Toogood Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: St.Thomas, Ontario, CANADA Posts: 428	Do you have a UV filter between the camera and the wide angle lens? __________________ Toogood Studios