Has anyone tried out the wide angle lens?

[Chip Kuhn]

Hello everyone.

I am going to buy the HD100 this week. When I talked to the JVC rep at the Gov. Expo in Washington, DC a little while ago I was told that the stock lens was not very good (fuji folks said the same) and that it was a sound investment to get the TH13x3.5BRMU lens. I thought that was interesting because JVC really doesn't make anything off selling lenses.

My question is whether anyone has seen or used it. I would like to stay away from the converter solutions right now and stick with a typical video lens solution.

It will be used for interviews and general B-roll in documentaries, higher end corporate work and TV commercials.

Thanks in advance

Chip

[Nate Weaver]

Hollywood Studio Rentals in Burbank has told me they've sold two. The pervading opinion on this board is that since nobody's actually seen one in a shop that they're not out yet, but I think the case is more like they're few and far between. Also, if you look around, it seems you can get it for a big notch under $10k.

That said, the Fuji adapter available for the stock 16x seems to be without flaw. Compared to the DV level adapters Century makes, it's far superior. No soft edges, no additional CA.

[Jiri Bakala]

Originally Posted by Nate Weaver

Compared to the DV level adapters Century makes, it's far superior. No soft edges, no additional CA.

I talked with the Century guys and they told me that their WA adapter for the 16x Fujinon will be released within some 4 weeks. We'll see... Nate, did you actually buy the Fujinon adapter? I am considering it but I would really like something closer to 0.7 Anyone here tried the Red Eye adaptor?
http://www.collinscraft.com/

[John Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Jiri Bakala

I talked with the Century guys and they told me that their WA adapter for the 16x Fujinon will be released within some 4 weeks. We'll see... Nate, did you actually buy the Fujinon adapter? I am considering it but I would really like something closer to 0.7 Anyone here tried the Red Eye adaptor?
http://www.collinscraft.com/

As part of the local distributors deal, early adopters in Aus got the wide angle adapter for "free". It works very well but as you rightly note does not make the lens wide enough for true wide angle work. It has helped me out more than once though.

[Chip Kuhn]

Thanks for the help. What I was also interested in knowing is not only whether the stock lens was wide enough but also the optics. Will a $10K lens look noticeablybetter than one that cost less than $800? When I asked the JVC rep he replied "why would you want to do that? It certainly won't make the lens any better." I am interested in the adapter to widen the lens but that is only one concern.

Thanks for your posts

Chip

[John Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Chip Kuhn

Thanks for the help. What I was also interested in knowing is not only whether the stock lens was wide enough but also the optics. Will a $10K lens look noticeablybetter than one that cost less than $800? When I asked the JVC rep he replied "why would you want to do that? It certainly won't make the lens any better." I am interested in the adapter to widen the lens but that is only one concern.

Thanks for your posts

Chip

I'm not sure I understand the JVC rep's response???? A 10K lens should look "noticeably better" than the stock lens (or absolutely no one would buy it!).

The only shots I saw on this forum were only a quick test in SD and compressed so it's impossible to comment on resolution etc.

I really don't think you'll find too many useful comments until Fujinon bring the price down, but if you have the budget buy it and tell the rest of us LOL

Seriously I hope someone who owns the lens chips in and helps you.

[Chip Kuhn]

Thanks John I appreciate your quick response. I suppose I'll just have to use my best judgment (generally not a good plan.)

If I end up getting the wide angle I will post my thoughts

[Henrik Helms]

When I bought the JVC camera I was given the wide angle adapter with the camera - but I was not happy with the pictures - I had focus problems when I used it - and it was not wide-angle enough.
So I have bought the wide-angle lens - and are very happy with the switch. I feel it has given me noticealble better results.
It works better in low-light conditions -and the image quality is far better.
I use the camera in documentaries.

[Nate Weaver]

Originally Posted by Henrik Helms

When I bought the JVC camera I was given the wide angle adapter with the camera - but I was not happy with the pictures - I had focus problems when I used it

I've found that the backfocus adjustment on the 16x is much more critical when the .82 is on. I have a devil of a time getting it set correctly these days.

[Tip McPartland]

I have the wide lens and I think it's great. It hardly breathes, has negligible barreling, and has the sweetest lift-off and landings on zoom moves. Great lens and for me the best reason to own the camera.

Tip

[John Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Tip McPartland

I have the wide lens and I think it's great. It hardly breathes, has negligible barreling, and has the sweetest lift-off and landings on zoom moves. Great lens and for me the best reason to own the camera.

Tip

To Tip and Henrik - any footage you can post of the 13x in action would be greatly appreciated.

[Henrik Helms]

Hi!
I will post a little musicvideo soon - we shot it last week - and I will let you know in this thread when there is something to see.

[Henrik Helms]

Hi!
As promised you can now see an example of a musicvideo shot with the wideangle lens.
The link is:

http://homepage.mac.com/dbamedia/iMovieTheater3.html

[John Vincent]

Thanks for the footage,

John

PS - what was you process in working with FCP5?

[Henrik Helms]

Originally Posted by John Vincent

Thanks for the footage,

John

PS - what was you process in working with FCP5?

See that was simple - because the footage is shot in SD...:)
I have footage shot in 25P HD which I am not able to edit yet in FCP5 in a good way. I have bought Lumiere which not is working - and have tried the HDVXDV but have not had good results with that either....