Is the wide angle lens really worth it?

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Stephen L. Noe

The WA adapter falls far short of the 13x lens. 58 degrees compared to 70 degrees respectively. The 13x lens is very very wide. This (I think) is the primary reason it is so much more expensive than the others. At the widest part of the lens the image holds true on the edges with no real ill effect. The 13x lens is definately worth the extra bread if you need wide shots (just about anybody).

The 13 x 3.5mm has same angle of view as a 6.42mm lens on a 2/3" CCD camera. It's not as wide as the current crop of 2/3" CCD W/A lenses (4.7mm at the wide end), but it has the angle of views you commonly tend to use on these lenses.

The stock 16 x 5.5 has the same angle as a 10mm on 2/3". The standard 2/3" zooms tend to be 8mm at the widest. Of course, the angle of view at the min distance on both the stock JVC lens and the standard zooms is reduced due to the breathing effect when focusing.

The much reduced breathing on the W/A lenses then become a major advantage, because you're not losing around 10 degrees on your angle of view (as happens on the standard zooms) when you focus at the min distance on the wide end of the zoom.

[David Ziegelheim]

Originally Posted by Stephen L. Noe

The WA adapter falls far short of the 13x lens. 58 degrees compared to 70 degrees respectively. The 13x lens is very very wide. This (I think) is the primary reason it is so much more expensive than the others. At the widest part of the lens the image holds true on the edges with no real ill effect. The 13x lens is definately worth the extra bread if you need wide shots (just about anybody).

That would have been the 18x4.2mm lens with a .8x WA adapter. With the standard 16x5.5 it would have been much narrower, as you indicated.

[Stephen L. Noe]

The Shooting angle calculation table can assist you with figuring it all out.

[David Ziegelheim]

Thanks...I was missing the sensor size. At 3.5mm, isn't there some barreling?

[Chris Hurd]

No, there is no "barrel" effect with the 13x3.5 at full wide.