wide-angle lens question (Sony, Zunow, Schneider?)

[Paul Cronin]

Jason and Malcolm I would suggest you just go for the Sony .8x it works well. Yes a little weight but nothing I noticed. Very crisp picture.

As for the fisheye I have to spend some time with it next week when I am done with the shoot through Monday. But first look was not good. It would not focus in AF or MF.

I will not be able to post stills till next week due to only 15 min in the office each day this week.

[Martin Drew]

Did you have the EX1 set to Macro Paul? The fisheye is a lens adapter so it requires macro to focus?

M

...Never mind. Just seen your post on the fisheye thread.

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Martin I will try that again when free on Tuesday thanks.

[Paul Cronin]

My mistake the Century Fisheye is working well. Focus ring forward, on Macro, and bottom switch either AF or MF both work.

Thanks for the help.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

a quick update re wide-angle zoom-throughs... I've certainly received some good advice on this thread, and it's making me lean towards the Sony, but I thought I'd email Cavision, to give someone who's handled the lends a chance to talk up its good points.

I put it to this Cavision contact that:

- the Sony .8 wide-angle lens costs $500 and weighs 300 grams (I've tried it in a store, and even that feels heavy)

- and their Cavision .7 wide-angle converter costs $1345 (almost three times the cost of the Sony, then you need to buy a lens hood), and weighs 865 grams (almost three times as heavy as the Sony!).

Someone from Cavision wrote back to say that their lens if very high quality, multi-coated with three elements... and it is wider than the Sony, but in terms of the weight, yes, it is heavy, and he'd "probably recommend using a lens support, which means you'd
also need a rods support system"

I appreciated his reply, but it's kind of settled things for me. As much as I'd like a lens (that doesn't distort or vignette) that's wider than the Sony .8, the extra cost, and even more than that, the extra WEIGHT of the Cavision lens is too much for me.

Cheers, Malcolm

[Tom Hardwick]

I'm guessing Mr Cavision didn't say his lens didn't barrel distort, did he?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi Tom,
No, he called it "the best quality lens we produce, multi-coated with three elements". He admitted to quality control issues a few years ago, with their wide-angle made for VX200, but said their lenses now get checked three times before being shipped. No specific mention of barrel-distortion.
Malcolm

[Steve Cahill]

Footage taken with the Schneider Fish eye, posted on my blog @
http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...r_the_EX1.html

[Rich Dykmans]

Thanks for putting that up Steve, that's exactly the kind of example footage I wanted to check out.

Anyone know who has the Schneider .55X FE in stock? Adorama had one but it appears they are on back order now there too.

[Ryan Avery]

Originally Posted by Rich Dykmans

Thanks for putting that up Steve, that's exactly the kind of example footage I wanted to check out.

Anyone know who has the Schneider .55X FE in stock? Adorama had one but it appears they are on back order now there too.

B&H should have it if you haven't already tracked one down. Abel Cine Tech had them last time I checked as well.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

[Paul Cronin]

Here are two short clips one is the Century Fisheye excellent results on my last job the other is the Sony WA also excellent results on the last job.

Both clips are when I first tested the lens and are full size Quicktime files. The client does not want me posted clips till the footage is released so this is all I have for now. The clips will be up through mid day tomorrow. Once you click on the clips wait and they will play in Quicktime.

www.whitecapvideo.com/preview.htm

[Ted OMalley]

Originally Posted by Paul Cronin

Here are two short clips one is the Century Fisheye excellent results on my last job the other is the Sony WA also excellent results on the last job.

Both clips are when I first tested the lens and are full size Quicktime files. The client does not want me posted clips till the footage is released so this is all I have for now. The clips will be up through mid day tomorrow. Once you click on the clips wait and they will play in Quicktime.

www.whitecapvideo.com/preview.htm

I would really love to see these, but it's not working for me. In IE, I get a white page with a 1920x30(?) black stripe along the bottom. In Quicktime (yeah, tried that too), I get a 1920x1080 black window and can see the indicator move along the timeline, but no video or audio.

Am I doing something wrong?

[Paul Cronin]

I think IE will not view the clips. No problem with a few who have viewed with Safari and Quicktime.

[Dave Morrison]

Paul, just to confirm....that was the .8 Sony WA attachment, right? Very nice timelapse.

[Ted OMalley]

Originally Posted by Paul Cronin

I think IE will not view the clips. No problem with a few who have viewed with Safari and Quicktime.

I even download the .mov files and quicktime won't play them. Guess I need to run to Best Buy and pick up a Mac real quick...