Which converter for HDR-FX1
 

I'm going to buy VCL-HG0872 or Canon WD-H72.

Wchich is the best for FX1?

WD-H72 is very well presented on Vimeo.

Unfortunatelly i can't find any sample of VCL-HG0872.

Regards

All shot with a Z1 through the VCL-HG0872

My Short Video Showreel on Vimeo

It's a nice piece of glass, and was the first thing I bought for my Z1.

I have almost the same question.
 

I was prepared to put a question on lens, when I've noticed this Artur Matuszewski thread.

I have to shoot a couple of real estate videos in 2 weeks from now.
I will need a wide lens for my Sony Z1 camera, for almost of the interior shoots.

I can only find 4 options (prices in BHPHOTOVIDEO)
- SONY____________VCL-HG0872 72mm 0.8x_____________________$369.95
- 16x9 Inc__________EX 0.7X Wide Converter____________________$599.95
- 16x9 Inc__________EX 0.75X Wide Converter___________________$749.95
- Schneider Optics___0VS-07CV-HDS 0.7X HD W/A Converter HDV___$559.95
- Schneider Optics___0VS-08CV-72 0.8X HD W/A Converter 72mm___$479.95

Since the camera has around 5 years, I suppose that some of you have already tested these models, and maybe others.
Some questions:
- for the kind of work that I will do what model do you recommend?
- the 16x9 has a bayonet model. It's faster to put/take out, but in terms of quality/longevity, what's your opinion?
- does the 16x9 0.75 justify almost twice the price against the Sony or SO 0.8 ?
- the SOptics 0.8X comes with a Sunshade. Should I go for it agains the Sony?
The sunshade makes a good impression during the shooting... ...
- I have a 72mm UV filter in front of the camera lens all the time.
With the wide lens, do I have to remove it, or it can stay?


I will have to order until next Monday, to have the lens in 2 weeks.
Any advice is very welcome.

Sincerely
Carlos

You should take a look at:
Red-Eye Wide Angle Adapters :
-and save yourself a few bucks. The image quality is very good - and it's not as if you were going to blow the footage up to a cinema screen anyway.
You won't be able to zoom-through all the way with it though, but then I'm sure you're only interested in the widest end.
I've used this lens on a Z1 and an FX1 for tv docs and no one has ever picked me up on the image quality.

Hi Carlos, I've shot a lot of real estate with the Z1 and VCL-HG0872 combi. The image always looked great and it was certainly wide enough. The barrel distortion you get isn't very noticeable on screen. So I can certainly recommend this set-up.

Hi Derran,
I notice that you live in Breukelen. We based ourselves in the big hotel there a couple of years ago - the one that looks sort of Chinese! We were shooting a tv doc for S4C in Wales, on a canal journey between Utrecht and Amsterdam.
I particularly liked (and featured) Loenen-aan-der-Vecht as well.
Small world...

A small world indeed! I live on the other side of the canal and when it's winter, I can see part of the hotel. I've shot some footage around Breukelen and Maarssen (and also Loenen) with the Z1 and the Merlin. You can see it here if you like: YouTube - Steadicam Merlin (Tiffen) with Sony Z1 - matrix music montage - film look (HQ) Perhaps you recognize some places.
BTW, I would love to see this tv doc if it's possible.

The last time I tested the RedEye 0.5x and 0.7x 58 mm wide-angle converters I thought the barrel distortion quite unacceptable, but just maybe the latest lenses have aspheric surfaces that have been improved to counteract this. The lenses were beautifully coated and light (they're plastic) but pretty expensive for single screw-in elements.

Artur - I'd always opt for the more powerful converter. You can always zoom in using the Canon so that its image matches the milder Sony.

tom.

I use the Canon, but don't have any finished videos ready yet.....it does have some barreling, but that tends to be only noticable when shooting a horizontal subject that you know is a straight line.

I did see a Sony wide angle lens for the FX1 at a show.