DV Info Net - Photos of My Sony HC9 with Accessories

I've mounted a Sony VCL-DH1758 1.7X telextender on my new HC9 with a 37mm to 58mm step-up ring I got from B&H. It works very well and produces sharp images with no blurring near the edges, nor any color-fringing (that I can see). This telex is primarily intended for use on digital still cameras and has good quality for the fairly low price. It causes vignetting only in the bottom 30% of the zoom range on the HC9 in 16:9 Video mode and in 38% of the range in the 4:3 Photo mode.

The mike is a stereo Sony ECM-MS907. It's a good match for this camcorder and is fairly sensitive with a full sound range. It gives medium long-distance pickup. It's mounted on a hotshoe mike adaptor I made, that has a narrow, notched foot and a locking thumbscrew. These adaptors are hard to find from a commercial source and are needed for using self-powered, plug-in mikes on these small, hotshoe camcorders. In the 2nd picture, the mike is on an extended arm I made from Kevlar fiber and epoxy resin. Kevlar can block most unwanted sound and vibrations from reaching the mike, that would pass through other materials. I will also mount two long XLR shotgun mikes on a stereo crossbar attached to this arm. It is fastened to the bottom of the shoulder-mount and puts no weight on the camcorder.

The butterfly hood was made with fiberglass, using a yogurt container as a molding form. It slips tightly over the outside of the telex, which has no outer mounting threads.

I'm very pleased with the overall performance of the HC9 after three days of practice. With my shoulder-mount and telextenders, I hope to catch some good wildlife shots, using both video and still photo modes. On some occasions, I will put my Raynox 2.2X telex on the HC9. This camcorder's deep lens threads seem able to support the DH1758 well and the Raynox weighs only 1 oz. more, at 9.5 oz. The HC9 feels like a solid brick in my hands.