Wide Angle Conversion Lens
 

I got the wide angle adaptor today (VCP-L06W), and you know what, the wide angle adaptor lens has filer threads! 49mm. It is funny that the camera does not have threads, but the lens does...

WOW.. Thank you for that info.... life is looking even brighter now... the world is full of accesories for 49mm.

Do you feel that it give the expected extra FOV ? Im guessing the wideangle pretty much will become "standard lens" once it arrives, because of the narrow fov the carmera is born with.


Bo

www.bophoto.com/HDV

Yes, it give a decent FOV now, but barrel roll is very high.

Too bad about the barrel distortion, however I guess that was to be expected in a $99 wideangle lens.

The great news is that one can mount a filter holder directly to the 49mm tread, so using filters and polarizers will be significantly easier this way.


Bo

www.bophoto.com/HDV

WA lens details
 

Hi Bo-

I tried to send you an e-mail with a 3D model of the lens...just checked my sent items and all the test is missing...

Anyway, OD is 52mm on a length of 7mm. Then comes a rubber ring (with little pyramids) which is roughly 52.4 mm max OD and 3.8 mm in length. Followed by another 52mm OD/2.70 mm section.

Then there is a R3 radius which leads over to the macro barrel of 45mm OD and 13mm in height. The overall height is 29.20 mm.

As mentioned already, the lens takes 49mm threaded filters, I can stack 2 normal (not slim) filters and get slight vignetting. I should have bought one slim filter and one regular (UV+ circ. polarizer)

The macro barrel is detachable and gives some extreme macro, albeit with pretty bad optical quality at max magnification. But we are talking about microscopic magnification here (e.g. the spindle of a mechanical wristwatch where all the hand are attached now fills the frame). In "normal" situations it is quite superb.

Hong Kong cost is USD 77, and they have plenty of wide and tele lenses...

Oh, the manual warns you to not hold the camera+WA lens in a certain way so people don't mistake it for a handgun...funny. Gives "shooting a scene" a whole new meaning...

I'd be interested to hear what the WA adapter uses for friction to hold it onto the outside of the camera lens. I am using foam insulation tape on the inside of my homemade version, but there has to be something better.

For those who are talking about leaving the adapter on all the time, bear in mind that it probably will get in the way of the flash. Mine, which is smaller, casts a shadow over the bottom of the picture.

So, Joseph, would you feel safe purchasing 49mm accessories?

The WA lens uses a rubber ring for friction
 

The ring has 3 segments (evenly spaced and opposite a solid segment) that have a slot behind them so they can deflect.

And yes, it blocks the flash quite efficiently...:-(

I bought a 49mm CPL and a UV filter
 

An afterthought would be to buy a normal 49mm UV filter for protection and a 49mm slim CPL so one does not get vignetting and can leave the UV filter on all times.

Unless you are planning on buying a lens cap, the original Sanyo lens cover is too loose over the OD of standard screw-on filters, so you may want to add this to your list.

A slim filter will most likely come with a PVC cover already (B+W usually do).

Graham, I don't see why not, but I'm not sure I would use the wide angle adaptor in most cases due to the barrel roll.

Joseph, any chance you could post a still shot of something with a lot of straight lines. (smile) my favorite subject is always a brickwall.

Hmm, shounds like one ought to call Century Optics for a solution.. wonder if they have a 52mm clamp on..? The one I have is something like 72mm. Oh Well


Bo

www.bophoto.com/HDV

Thanks Joseph, I'm thinking about filters etc.

Here is an example of the barrel roll:

www.gamersden.com/hd1test/rollon.JPG

The counter and cabinet should be straight.

Joseph,

Thank you, WOW, that is quite a "bit" of barrel distortion.

Alas, none the less, Im still looking forward to my wideangle arriving from Amazon.com


Bo

www.bophoto.com/HDV

Thanks Joseph - pretty shocking!