Which wide lens for HV30?
 

Don't know anything about lenses really - please advise. :)

edit: Oh, and while we're at it.. which microphone do I get, for 'general use'?

Hard to answer these questions without knowing what you are wanting to do in your video. Also, have you looked in the dedicated forum for the HV20/30 (HDV2) Canon VIXIA HV40 / HV30 / HV20 / HV10 - The Digital Video Information Network for any help? Similar questions have been posted many times before.

For what it's worth, I have the Canon WD-H43 (which at 0.7x isn't as wide as some) but you can zoom right through from full wide to full tele with the adapter fitted without bits of the picture going dark. It does distort straight lines at the edges of the picture at full wide setting (barrell distortion), so expect doorframes, walls and so on to look a bit bent at the side of the picture.

As for the microphone, we really need to know what you intend doing with it. You will not get really good audio with any mic fitted on the camera, although a Rode Videomic or NTG-2 in an SM3 shockmount will sound better than the built-in mic. Are you recording indoors or outside? Is it people talking, music or just ambient sound you want? How much extra gear do you really want plugged in to your nice neat portable little camera? (That WD-H43 lens adapter will double the camera's weight by the way).

We issue HV20 kits to staff (same camera, essentially) with the Canon wa that Colin mentions and the Sennheiser MKE400 shotgun mike (a good fit, sizewize, to the camera, and remarkably nice sound for such a small mike) and as a backup, the Canon DM50 shotgun/cardioid mike. (People are always leaving the power on in the Senny, running the button battery down; the Canon doesn't need a battery) The WA adapter is as Colin describes, zoom thru, good quality but barrell distortion (as with most add-on wa's) and relatively heavy (but only relatively, it's small). //Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

I see that the H43 is a very popular choice. Where can I buy one in black?

Anyone?...

I've never seen the WD-H43 in black. It was launched with the HV20, and I don't think Canon ever switched colors on it.

I have an WD-H43. It's heavy, but I rarely take it off my camera.

I've also heard good reports about the Raynox HD-6600. It's a 0.66x lens and it is also black.