Wide Angle Adaptor for XH A1?

[Kenny Shem]

how about fish eyes lens? Any recommendation?

[Jack Walker]

Originally Posted by Kenny Shem

May I know how heavy is it? I'm using it with Merlin so weight is pretty important I guess. Does it need any step up/down rings to be mounted onto the A1 and is there any vignetting when zoom out? Thanks.

The Century .6x wide angle weighs 8.9 ounces.

It attaches to the camera securely using the built-in bayonet mount of the camera. There is no step ring involved. It works very well. It attaches directly to the lens and does not allow a filter between the wide-angle and the camera lens.

I see absolutely no vignetting. To make sure, though, you can call Century and speak to them. They will tell you if there is any vignetting or not. I don't see any. Here is the contact info for Century:
http://www.schneideroptics.com/contact/contact.htm
(Van Nuys is the office I have called in the past. Before I bought the converter, I went into the office and they setup the .6x on their XH-A1 to show me what it looked like.)

The Century .6x is a converter (not an adapter), so it is generally not zoom through. However, on the XH cameras, if you set the camera to regular autofocus this converter _is_ zoom through for the first half of the zoom range. This makes this adapter good on the Merlin with the XH camera, which the cameras excellent autofocus.

I bought this to use on the Merlin. The combined weight with the XH-A1, small battery, tape, built-in mic mount (but no extra mic) and the Century .6x is 5 lbs. 9.1 oz.

I don't think you'll find anything better in this amount of magnification for the XH-A1.

This is the same glass as used on the .6x Century sold for previous Canon cameras. The older version will fit on the XH-A1, but not securely and Century doesn't recommend using the older one without sending it in and having the mounting changed. They said they can do this, but I don't know how much they would charge. The point is, you may be able to save money by finding the older version. You can call Century about this. They have always been straight forward in giving out accurate information about their products, not just sales spin.)

[Gert Kracht]

If you're interested.
One of the Dutch XH-A1 users send me an email a few weeks ago.
He just got a Canon Wide Angle Lens and told me about his experience with it.
He made some photo's of the lens and also made two photo's of his garden with the A1. It gives an impression of what you can film with and without the lens.

Here you can find the article: http://www.xha1.nl/?p=159

(Credits to Henk for all the photo's he made)

[Steve Clee]

Well, after spending a week with my new A1 I definitely love it...Now I am looking for wide angle adapter / lens...

Any product suggestions ?

Thanks

SC

[Bill Pryor]

I'd probably go for the Canon.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._75x_Wide.html

[David Chilson]

Steve,

I have the 0.75X Wide Converter for HDV Model #HDV75X82 made by 16X9 and think it's very good. Tried some less expensive ones and was not happy. The only downside was the cost. Think it was around $900 US. And by the way you need a new sunshade, that will set you back around $180. (Model # HU-104.) Oh and maybe a filter. It takes the 105mm thin filter and B&W makes some nice ones. I think the UV was about $140 and the polarizer was about $400, give or take a hundred.
You can find them for a lot less but depending on if you want focus through and can live with the distortion at the edges, but this is one area where you really get what you pay for. Good Luck!

[Stephen Sobel]

I've read some posts suggesting you don't need a wide angle with the HX-A1. I currently have the Canon GL-2 with the wide angle. Do you know if the HX-A1 without a wide angle has as much coverage as the GL-2 with a wide angle?

[Benjamin Hill]

Some discussions on it here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=138

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ighlight=WD-72

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=wide+angle

I use the WD-72 and it is a great wide-angle, but kinda big; if you can stand how front-heavy it makes your camera it is worth the money. I hate shooting tight without it.

[Benjamin Hill]

Originally Posted by Stephen Sobel

I've read some posts suggesting you don't need a wide angle with the HX-A1. I currently have the Canon GL-2 with the wide angle. Do you know if the HX-A1 without a wide angle has as much coverage as the GL-2 with a wide angle?

If memory serves me the stock XH-A1 not quite as wide as GL2 with WD-58, which I used to use as well. Once I put it on I almost never took it off.

[Eric Weiss]

you'll get a bit wider horizontal and a lot more vertical with the canon wa.
it's very good.

[Steve Wolla]

I got the Canon, it's kind of spoiled me. Great sharp lens that when mounted to the A1 doubles as a great workout. Yeah, it's heavy--but so very good.

[Travis Breitenbach]

So, I'm tempted to purchase this ridiculously cheap wide angle adapter:
http://www.bestlaptopbattery.com/b.c.../-45XWide-.htm

Obviously, it's going to be of very low quality...but given that I'd be using it to shoot a few POV "dream sequences," I might be able to live with/pass off the distorted image as being stylistic...and because it's soooo damn cheap it couldn't hurt giving it a try. If I like the angle but not the quality I can always rent or buy a nicer lens.

But what exactly should I expect from a low quality/cost lens like this other than barrel distortion and maybe some vignetting on full wide?

[Lloyd Claycomb]

Even at a "great price," if the thing is junk, it is very EXPENSIVE junk--as it appears to be.

[Ben Winter]

But it has PROFESSIONAL written on the box--and the word TITANIUM! It must be good!

But what exactly should I expect from a low quality/cost lens like this other than barrel distortion and maybe some vignetting on full wide?

LOTS of chroma aberration. And that can't be passed off as "stylistic" as hard as you may try.

[Chris Hurd]

Travis, if I were you, I'd put that $40 in my gas tank instead.

You get what you pay for in this business.