Low Cost Prime Lenses for HD Cameras
 

I think that you can buy adapters for various lens mounts, or at least for Canon SLR lens mout. So you can use 35 SLR lenses for telephoto applicatiomns. For normal and wide angle you can get industrial high def lenses. I think that Pentax, Schneider, Rodensack? (German company), Tamron, and others probably make them. YCheck these lenses, F1.4, FL 8-25 mm, $175-195 each:
http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlineca...productID=2411
Quality discount could be negotiated. Adapters from C-mount to Canon or other mounts should be available from Edmund Optical, other companies, or someone could machine them.

Has anyone actually tried these Edmund Optics fixed prime lenses on a HD camera? I have some doubts that a new lens selling for $175 would do the job...maybe I'm wrong. If you are correct, surely many that wanted a better lens than the Canon X3 zoom, would have jumped on lenses like these to use on the XL line of camcorders long ago?

Seems nice. I would defer to Graeme Nattress for wisdom on these. When it comes to optics, he's who I trust.

- ShannonRawls.com

I doubt you will be able to use the edmund optics lenses as the focal plane will may be too close the the lens rear element. These lenses are designed for single CCD cameras that have the sensor very close to the lens mount. Any 3CCD camera has sensors that are in effect further back due to the light path through the prism. I could be wrong though.

Anybody who knows where the focal plane is measured from the lens mounting flange, please make yourself heard!

Yes, it's about 36 mm. This was deduced by looking up the back focus distance of a Nikon lens and subtracting the thickness of the XL2 Nikon lens adapter from it. Clearly it has to be the same for the Xl-H1.