EX1 lens compared to JVC 13x 3.5 lens

[Dennis Robinson]

Hi,
I am wondering if anyone has compared the wide angle Fujinon 13 x .3.5 lens on the JVC HDV series cameras to the lens offered on the EX1 with WA converter. i need low light capabilities for shooting high end real estate videos and would like to know which way is the best to go. Do I buy an EX1/3 with WA converter or the $7000 Fujinon 13x and bolt that on to my JVC111. Can anyone offer any ideas? I love my JVC but there is no doubt that the EX1 is so much better in low light and the LCD is amazing. I really do need the wide angle lens for real estate.

[Eric Darling]

Sounds like you know what you need. For $7,000 you can own the EX1 outright. The Sony .8 wide angle converter for that camera will get you plenty wide, and that's just another $500 or so. As you know, it's the combination of chipset and lens that dictates low light performance. You've got a big leg up with the 1/2" sensors in the EX1.

[Wacharapong Chiowanich]

Dennis, you mentioned real estate and this depends on what level of lens distortion would affect the type of your work. The EX1+Sony 0.8 WA will show a pronounced level of barrel distortion at the widest end. You can avoid this by zooming in a little but at the expense of narrowing the FOV. I've never seen footage shot with the Fujinon at any range so I can't really comment. But as it (the Fujinon) goes very wide by itself, I guess you can find a range towards the wide end that gives you more acceptable results.

Wacharapong

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Dennis Robinson

I really do need the wide angle lens for real estate.

I had the pleasure of editing some SD stuff shot with an HD100 and the Fujinon wide. The rushes were lovely, and really showed what the camera could do. But then the lens is in a different price bracket.

The EX1 is great in low light, and will generate 720p pictures that I for one prefer over DSR450 and 570s, but for your uses, maybe the EX3 would be better as there's a Fujinon wide coming out late summer.

The stock EX1 lens is rather droopy on its widest setting, and I guess a wide angle adaptor can't improve that. Whilst general GV work can hide this, your room interiors are going to be full of straight lines at the edge of pictures, and for that kind of shot to look good, IMHO, that takes expensive glass. The total may be more than a stock F355... But then you're going to have an amazing but rare shooting combo.

One final thought (whilst I burn 20 DVDs this afternoon) - you could budget for a Letus Extreme, rods, box, and a very nice 35mm wide angle (17 or 21mm?) - whilst not exactly cheap, and far more fiddly/time consuming to shoot with than a standard lens, it might add production value all round.

[Dennis Robinson]

Originally Posted by Wacharapong Chiowanich

Dennis, you mentioned real estate and this depends on what level of lens distortion would affect the type of your work. The EX1+Sony 0.8 WA will show a pronounced level of barrel distortion at the widest end. You can avoid this by zooming in a little but at the expense of narrowing the FOV. I've never seen footage shot with the Fujinon at any range so I can't really comment. But as it (the Fujinon) goes very wide by itself, I guess you can find a range towards the wide end that gives you more acceptable results.

Wacharapong

Thanks for your reply,
I think I understand what you are saying. I have attached a grab of a clip I produced recently with the 13x3.5 Fujinon wide angle on my JVC GYHD111. What are your thoughts and is there any way i can compare the width the EX1 lens would give me?

I am having trouble uploading the frame. Is there something I am doing wrong? I press upload and nothing happens.

[Dennis Robinson]

Here is the grab. I finally got it done.

[Benjamin Eckstein]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

you could budget for a Letus Extreme, rods, box, and a very nice 35mm wide angle (17 or 21mm?) - whilst not exactly cheap, and far more fiddly/time consuming to shoot with than a standard lens, it might add production value all round.

I think for real estate video a Letus or other 35mm adapter would not be so great. Its a good way to get wide angle, but you probably want deep focus for this type of video, and you'll likely not have enough light to stop down the 35mm lens enough.

Dennis, that grab looked nice with not too much barrel distortion.

[Dennis Robinson]

Hi Benjamin,
Thanks for your reply. The JVC has nowhere near the low light advantage of the EX1 but this wide angle lens helps enormously. I have just received a contract to shoot a lot of real estate videos and want to get the job done as best as I can without spending a fortune. This is a grab from down converted footage in the timeline of FCP, from HDV to SD. My dilemma is whether to invest in the Fujinon WA lens for $7000 or buy the EX1. I really dont like the small cam form of the Sony but there is more than enough money in the work I have lined up to just use the Sony for this job. i find it difficult to turn up for a shoot with the small camera. My JVC looks much more Pro with matte box and battery pack etc. Clients really wont be seeing the EX1 with this project so it wont matter so much.

[Wacharapong Chiowanich]

Originally Posted by Dennis Robinson

Here is the grab. I finally got it done.

Looking at the grab, I could say your real issue may be the cost. The cost of Fujinon lens alone can buy you the whole EX1, which, on top of this, should be easier to handle for interior shooting because of its low light capability and size. On the other hand, the grab shows the Fujinon just blows the EX1's lens away, distortion-wise. The EX1+0.8 WA = 4.64 mm at the wide end while the Fujinon goes significantly wider at 3.5 mm.

It's a hard choice but as you already own the JVC, getting the Fujinon is probably a good investment. For your type of shoots, the main subject is geometric and straight lines. They shouldn't be rendered blurred or distorted.

Wacharapong

[Dennis Robinson]

Thanks Wacharapong,
I feel you may be right as the lens will be a good investment. I dont really understand the way to tell how much wider a lens can be over another but you say the Fujinon is wider than the EX1 plus converter. A little later I think i will buy the EX3 and no doubt there will be a WA lens available for it. Tell me, would the Fujinon fit the EX3 later? If so I can make money with the lens now and use it on the EX3 when that becomes available.

[Daniel Weber]

The fujinon will not fit the EX1 later.

The Fujinon is a 1/3 " lens. The EX1 and EX3 are 1/2" cameras.

I would think that you would be able to do a good job with either camera. I have shot with both cameras extensively.

One advantage of the EX1 is that you could put it on a Steadicam and get some very nice walk through shots that would be much harder to do with the JVC.

I don't think that you can go wrong with either one.

If you will be lighting your shots, then the Fujinon 13x on the JVC would be better.

If you don't plan on doing much lighting, go with the EX1.

One question, what is your final delivery? I always keep this in mind when considering a camera to use on a project.

Good luck,

Daniel Weber

[Dennis Robinson]

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your reply. We have found that with these display homes there is enough lighting without using our own except for the outside. We plan to shoot at night but there's no doubt the JVC will be fully open. We may even have to use a little gain. We do use a steadycam and dolly and the JVC works well with that although i understand that the EX1 would be better due to its size. Do you think the eX1 with WA converter would compete with the fujinon 13x3.5? Final delivery is internet and DVD. Why would that matter?

[Wacharapong Chiowanich]

[QUOTE=Dennis Robinson;912586]Hi Daniel,
Final delivery is internet and DVD.

Then my choice is the Fujinon. The resolution and noise advantages of the EX1 over the JVC would be more or less gone with down conversion to the DVD format. For the web, that would even be less of an issue.

Wacharapong

[Daniel Weber]

Originally Posted by Dennis Robinson

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your reply. We have found that with these display homes there is enough lighting without using our own except for the outside. We plan to shoot at night but there's no doubt the JVC will be fully open. We may even have to use a little gain. We do use a steadycam and dolly and the JVC works well with that although i understand that the EX1 would be better due to its size. Do you think the eX1 with WA converter would compete with the fujinon 13x3.5? Final delivery is internet and DVD. Why would that matter?

It would matter if you needed the higher resolution of the EX1 if you were to produce a high def master for the realtor. Since it is for the web and DVD, it is not as much of a reason to use the EX1.

But... since you are using available light only, I would go with the EX1. It is much better at low light than the HD110. Much Better!!

Your question is a good one though. There may be no "correct" answer. One person may prefer the Fujinon lens, another may want the smaller camera size of the EX1.

I would think from an optics point of view, that the Fujinon would be a much better lens than the EX1 with a wide angle adaptor.

Good luck with the project,

Daniel Weber

[George Strother]

Originally Posted by Wacharapong Chiowanich

The EX1+0.8 WA = 4.64 mm at the wide end while the Fujinon goes significantly wider at 3.5 mm.

Due to the larger chips in the EX, 4.62 mm will give almost the same angle of view as 3.5 mm on the JVC - about 73 degrees.