opinion please - v1 vs z5

Leslie Wand · November 19th, 2009, 10:26 PM

thanks tom.

seems like the person buying my v1 wouldn't say no to the wa as well.

are the red-eye zoom through, or rather than look that up myself (i'm not that lazy), have you personal experience of them?

i ask cause i've used a few sony handycams with other manufacturers wa's and a couple of them were meant to be zoom through, but in practice weren't. sorry, i don't remember the brands...

leslie

Tom Hardwick · November 20th, 2009, 01:41 AM

I have indeed had experience of the Red-Eye wide-angle adapters and tested the 58 mm 0.7x and 0.5x for a magazine. That was back in the VX2000 days though, so they may well have improved.

Both are injection moulded plastic single elements, beautifully multi-coated and weighing very little. They claimed to be aspherical elements and indeed appeared to be, but even so, they gave far too much barrel distortion for my liking. They have an excellent protective soft case.

On the VX2k I could partially zoom-through - instead of a 12x zoom I had a 7x zoom. Still very useful.

Raynox do some 'clip-on' single elements in the Red-Eye mould (HA!), and these are very much cheaper and work well. Barrel distort though.

tom.

Leslie Wand · November 20th, 2009, 05:51 AM

thanks again tom....

i think i'm going to hang on to my kit wa till i get the z5. that way i'll have a clear, practical overview (thruview?) of the matter.

checked raynox site, and looked at the video's, but there really not much help since they don't show the scene WITHOUT wa. i mean i just don't understand that at all.....

i thought i'd sacrifice something, and too much barrel distortion is certainly a non-starter for my mainline projects, artists works of art.

i suppose the old adage suits - suck it and see.

thanks for your great help / advice

November 20th, 2009, 01:41 AM	#47
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I have indeed had experience of the Red-Eye wide-angle adapters and tested the 58 mm 0.7x and 0.5x for a magazine. That was back in the VX2000 days though, so they may well have improved. Both are injection moulded plastic single elements, beautifully multi-coated and weighing very little. They claimed to be aspherical elements and indeed appeared to be, but even so, they gave far too much barrel distortion for my liking. They have an excellent protective soft case. On the VX2k I could partially zoom-through - instead of a 12x zoom I had a 7x zoom. Still very useful. Raynox do some 'clip-on' single elements in the Red-Eye mould (HA!), and these are very much cheaper and work well. Barrel distort though. tom. Attached Thumbnails

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November 19th, 2009, 10:26 PM	#46
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	thanks tom. seems like the person buying my v1 wouldn't say no to the wa as well. are the red-eye zoom through, or rather than look that up myself (i'm not that lazy), have you personal experience of them? i ask cause i've used a few sony handycams with other manufacturers wa's and a couple of them were meant to be zoom through, but in practice weren't. sorry, i don't remember the brands... leslie

November 20th, 2009, 05:51 AM	#48
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	thanks again tom.... i think i'm going to hang on to my kit wa till i get the z5. that way i'll have a clear, practical overview (thruview?) of the matter. checked raynox site, and looked at the video's, but there really not much help since they don't show the scene WITHOUT wa. i mean i just don't understand that at all..... i thought i'd sacrifice something, and too much barrel distortion is certainly a non-starter for my mainline projects, artists works of art. i suppose the old adage suits - suck it and see. thanks for your great help / advice