Tom Cadwalader

I am nearly ready to pull the trigger on a HD7. In shopping around I see a lot of kits offered. The only thing in the kits that I really want are the lights, battery, and telephoto lens. What brand lens are folks using and where are they available?
Thanks for any input.

Kaushik Parmar

Never ever buy cheap lens, they are horrible! I recently bought one from eBay, here is link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...52BSI%26otn%3D4

I thrown them in garbage!

If you want to buy then buy from JVC online store, here is link: http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.js...5001&pathId=153

GL-V0746U
$249.95
Wide Conversion Lens
High Definition 0.7X magnification for incredibly detailed wide-angle video.

GL-V1846U
$249.95
Tele Conversion Lens
High Definition 1.8X magnification helps make distant subject appear closer.

Remeber always buy an expensive product, you will not disppoint!

Kaushik

Waldemar Winkler

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER PURCHASE A KIT! Here's why ...
No retailer offers anything without a profit. Kits of supposedly necessary accessories consist of a bundle of either useless or poor quality products that the retailer bought for next to nothing and probably gets something like a 400% profit. Thats right, the kit is just a few dollars more, and the profit is still 400% (or something outrageous). So a few minutes with a calculator will tell you the wholesale value of the kit.

Here's what a prominent retailer in New Jersey provides as a kit for the HD7:
Two adapter lenses. Wide angle at .5x and telephoto at 2x. Unless you are in for big time distortion .7x is as wide as you want to go. But why compromise the absolute stellar quality of a Fujinon lens with some piece of optical crap from a third rate optical company that, by the way, was made to fit any camera lens, still or video, utilizing a 52mm filter thread. The HD7 uses a 46mm fliter thread, so you need and get a 46-52mm filter adapter. You also get vignetting. The 2x adapter optically gets you to 20x, but the HD7's digital zoom can take you to 40X and still provide a usable image. so why have a 2x adapter?
Oh, yes, there's a camera bag, too small for the HD7 to fit in. A 2 oz squeeze bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol (lens cleaner) and a neatly wrapped plastic package of 5 Q-Tip cotton swabs, made of not cotton but finely shredded wood fiber. Very abrasive. Does a wonderful job of scratching your lens. and the list goes on and on.


There are good after market products made by reputable manufacturers. Canon's wide angle adapters are sensible, a lot more reasonably priced than you would expect, and of amazing quality. Kenko makes a surprisingly wide line of lens adapters, but stay away from the lower priced models. You won't however, find many adapters made specifically for a 46mm filter thread, so be prepared. It would be nice if someone could find the wide angle adapter JVC advertises for the HD7, then you'd have matched optics.

B&H is currently selling a battery extender, essentially a separate battery that allows the original JVC data battery to piggy back on to it. It uses the data battery's chipset for identification, but draws no power from it. Reasonable cost. Sold under the Impact brand, which I think is a B&H house brand.

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Waldemar

Kaushik Parmar

Yes, "KIT" they give with camera is really garbage! We should never buy it.

But what about JVC official accessories? They are selling Wide/ Tele lenses and some other accessories. I guess they are genuine, I am sure.

Here is JVC link: http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp...001&pathId=153

I am going to buy soon lenses, charger & mice from them.

Kaushik

Waldemar Winkler

For me, it is finding a retailer other than JVC that carries the accessories at a competitive price. The wide angle lens adapter, for example, can be purchased from JVC for $249. B&H doesn't stock it, nor do they stock the JVC's external mic, for which JVC wants close to $200. Canon makes an exceptionally fine adapter for less than $150, and Azden's smallest shotgun is a bit less than $100.

I'd prefer to have JVC accessories, but when highly reputable retailers like B&H won't carry the product, there has got to be a problem, either with the product or the ability to acquire it. So, I look elsewhere for compatible accessories, always seeking the best quality at a competitive price.

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Waldemar