Wide angle lens adaptor for EX1

[Mark Slocombe]

Does anyone have one of these they'd like to sell? I believe there is a Sony VCL-EX0877 and a Century HD one, are there others on the market?

[Buba Kastorski]

yes, there are some, from 0.5 to 0.8, Zunow is probably the best, but pricy,
I use Century Optics, it's a good lens, for the money :)
PMW EX1 wide angle lens

[John DuMontelle]

I like the Century brand...but it's so pricey! This one from 16X9 Inc. is my favorite.

I bought one of these wide angle zoom thru's for my own EX3 and could not be happier!

Plus they sell a lens hood to fit.

16x9 Inc. :: 16x9 Inc. EXII 0.8X Wide Converter - 77mm Thread

B&H lists it for a better price.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/731865-REG/16x9_Inc_169_HDWC8X_77_169_HDWC8X_77_EXII_0_8x_Wide.html

[Les Wilson]

In case you haven't read this thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...-ex0877-3.html

[Robert Bobson]

I had the Century .6x lens, and found it too wide for anything but special effects shots. I'm going to try a less wide .8x

[Markus Klatt]

I have to awake this old thread. My needs are still the same as written earlier in this thread.
I still film large sclae fireworks displays from around 150 to 500m distance and I own two Sony VCL-EX0877 (one in spare). I still like this heavy piece of glass, although it is noticeably unsharp at iris open f1.9, especially at all outer parts of the image. But I remember some comments, that this is normal for f1.9 - f2.8/f4. I fully open Iris at light golden effects but use f2.8-f4 for almost all other effects.
But - there are so many displays, where I either have to be too close and there is no chance to move backwards and/or the fireworks fronts are so wide and heigh, that the 0.8x is simply not enough.

So I urgently need a wider angle for my EX1R, 0.5x or 0.6, at least 0.65 for some displays. Barrel distortion is not that big problem to me, if it bends the ground or water horiziont only. I mostly have no other straight lines like buildings in my pictures at night. Light vignetting at the edges is no problem too, since I film at night sky only when using the wide angle.

I've followed theses threads:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...ters-ex1r.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...cl-ex0877.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...pros-cons.html

So, it looks like these lenses are possible for my needs:
Century Schneider Optics .6X Wide Angle Adapter $490
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/544583-REG/Century_Precision_Optics_0HD_06WA_EX1_0HD_06WA_EX1_0_6x_Wide_Angle.html $390
Red-Eye .65x Wide Angle Adapter $470
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/624190-REG/16x9_Inc_169_HDWA6X_EX_169_HDWA6X_EX_EXII_0_6x_Wide.html $294
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/626817-REG/Cavision_BWA06X86B_EX1_BWA06X86B_EX1_0_6x_Broadcast_Wide.html $322
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/626785-REG/Cavision_LWA05X86B_EX1_LWA05X86B_EX1_0_5x_Broadcast_Wide.html $495

Search at B&H:
PMW EX1 wide angle lens | B&H Photo Video

I've read this warning at the Century Schneider 0.6x:

Focusing on the Sony PMW-EX3/EX1/EX1R

Like all wide adapters, the Century .6X attachment uses the macro feature of the camera to achieve focus. Be sure the macro mode is enabled and the focus gear is engaged to auto focus, rotate ring 180 degrees.

NOTE: The full manual focus mode will not allow the adapter to focus and therefore CANNOT be used in conjunction with wide adapters.

There is no way not to use auto focus when filming fireworks displays. Normally I use full zoom in, focus with peaking, zoom back to Z0 and that's it. Since probably any lense mentioned above is not zoom through, it should at least allow manual focussing with peaking at 1/4 - 1/3 zooming in and then zoom back. Will that be possible with any of that lenses?

Just from what is written here in forums, at B&H and for my taste these are my favorites:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/624190-REG/16x9_Inc_169_HDWA6X_EX_169_HDWA6X_EX_EXII_0_6x_Wide.html $294
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/626817-REG/Cavision_BWA06X86B_EX1_BWA06X86B_EX1_0_6x_Broadcast_Wide.html $322
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/626785-REG/Cavision_LWA05X86B_EX1_LWA05X86B_EX1_0_5x_Broadcast_Wide.html $495

Especially the 0.5x from Cavision or the 16x9 0.6x (but with $150 extra for the hood which I need) seem to be fine.
Any recommendation on these 3 (2) lenses for my needs? Especially regarding on manual focussing and image sharpness at full width (with the 0.5x I probably could go to Z5 in most cases)?

Any hint is appreciated, thanks a lot in advance!

[Chris Medico]

The Sony is zoom-through. I have one that I use on my EX1r.

[Markus Klatt]

Thanks, but I have the Sony 0.8x and need a wider adapter.
I've found an older thread which has some more info: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdc...angle-ex1.html

It looks like as if full manual mode is not possible anymore. Instead one has to go to auto mode with macro set to on - and focus manually. Is this really the case? I don't have to zoom while filming when the adpater is on. I have to find the focus once, best with zooming fully (with the Sony) or partly in (with the 16:9 which ist partly zoom through), check manually the focus with peaking (almost in darkness, auto focus won't work!) and then zoom fully back.
Will this be possible with the 16x9 Inc. 169-HDWA6X-EX EXII 0.6x Wide Angle Adapter?

[Dave Sperling]

Most of the wide 'adapters' do not hold focus when you zoom, particularly when on the long end of the lens, thus you can't zoom in for focus and zoom out. You would need to set the focus when the lens is at your shooting focal length.
As long as macro is enabled you should be able to focus manually without having to press the 'auto-focus' button.
I can't speak about the specific lenses, since I use the Sony 0.8 converter.

[Markus Klatt]

Thank you, Dave, for making it clearer to me! To be sure:
Does the problem of not holding the focus occur even with adapters, which are "partly zoom through" like the 16:9 0.6x? I would expect that one could zoom in for maybe 1/4-1/3 for focussing, after reading that comment on B&H:

Though not a full zoom-thru, you can zoom about 1/3 of the way in and still be in focus, making it more like a 35mm WA

I really would prefer to find the focus while beeing zoomed in, at least a little.

Does anybody use that 16x9 .6x Wide Angle Adapter, which seems to fit my needs? Some comments would be great before ordering from the US to Europe. I would also order the hood to protect from fireworks debris and hope, it can't be seen in the image even at Z0...

[C.S. Michael]

I have the Cavision 0.5x for sale. Pristine condition, used sparingly. Message me if interested (would prefer to sell in the USA for obvious reasons - not sure about shipping overseas).

[Annen James]

I have a 16x9 .6 for sale if you are interested. PM me $200

[Markus Klatt]

So, the 16x9 0.6 arrived - and I am fully disappointed. Just see the attached image. Although its anly a quick check (1080i at f2.4) with a wild background one can easily see, that the left side is much, much softer than the middle and even the right side is much better. That result can be reproduced on other scenes, with f4 or more - its always the same although its not that visible with more closed iris.
I received the 16x9 from a big seller, obviously heavily used before - so I assume it was ordered and tested several times before reaching me... and always was sent back.

The focus is simply not uniform. One can focus on the left side, then the middle an the right side is soft.
But there is only slight barrel distortion and no visible vingetting at Z0 - but it's unusable though.

I am not sure it this is some fundamental design problem of the 16:9 lense or if this piece I received is damaged/ununiform by chance. In any case it comes to late for the next important job...

Any comment is appreciated.

[Dustin Moore]

Hi Markus, I also do fireworks with the EX1 these days so "I feel
your pain."

The zoom lens in the EX1 is operating totally differently at Z99 than Z0 and you
just can't expect it to hold focus with a wide angle conversion lens.
The EX1's zoom lens was not designed to hold focus with the a-focal conversion
lens out front and it won't. At least, not well enough fireworks. In my experience,
fireworks have to be as in focus as possible to look right so you can't take shortcuts
like zoom in and refocus. Maybe if we were running at f/6 but not at f/1.9.

If you want fireworks that are as in focus as can be, you need to focus the camera
at the zoom position you want to run the camera at. For me, this means using the
expanded focus. Due to Petzval and astigmatism induced by the conversion lens,
not all of the field will be at the same focus even with a good converter. The aberrations
should be radially symmetric about the center of the image, that is, if the center of the
field is in focus that outside edges will be (invariably) way out of focus.

With a good conversion lens (century 0.6 non-zoom-through), you don't want to have any
extremes of out of focusness. This means trying to make the focus best in a region of
the image that is a ring around the center. You should be able to balance the aberrations
across the image by picking the mid-point between dead center and extreme edge and
making sure that is in focus.

It sounds like you have a bad conversion lens, though. You can get the left or the middle
or the right in focus. It isn't radially symmetric and this is not the aberration you would
expect from a system that is operating as well as it could given the circumstances. Th
16x9 glass might be tilted relative to the camera or the 16x9's optical axis is not the
same as the camera's optical axis. Or it could just be a bad lens. While the 16x9's may
be great for daylight filming, I am suspicious of them for fireworks.

I have had decent luck with the century 0.6x non-zoom through. I also have the century 0.45x
and although it is not as nice as the 0.6x, I can use it for some fireworks shots now and then.
You really don't want to go much below 0.6x. Every increment below about 0.7x and you
pay a heavy price in uncorrectable petzval/astigmatism with the non-zoom-through
converters. Even the zoom through converters can't fix much of it.

I have also had decent luck with the cavision converters (e.g. a 0.7 on an ex1) but I trust
the centurys for the extreme 0.6x and 0.45x. I haven't tried a cavision 0.6. Based on
the still image of the 16x9 you attached, I am reasonably certain you would have better
luck with the century 0.6x. Now you can't run the century at Z0, though. There is
a big of vignetting and I think you have to move to Z5 or Z8 to get full brightness across
the image.

The only way to get a truly nice wide angle is to go to an EX3 and put a
dedicated wide angle lens on it. I think the good fujinon is $13k USD though. I can't
afford the rental on that for the fireworks videos I work.

[Markus Klatt]

Hello Dustin,

thank you so much for hooking in! The pain is not just when it does not work as expected. The pain is much bigger, when one feels alone with the specific problems. The fireworks things we could share via private mail, I just comment the wide angle related points:

The big seller did immediatly sent me a new 16x9 0.6x. Hopefully this time it is brand new, it will arrive next week already.

The 16x9 glass might be tilted relative to the camera or the 16x9's optical axis is not the same as the camera's optical axis.

The 16x9 fits well on the EX1R bajonett, but is movable a little for 1mm or so. It seems, that this mm is not responsible for the huge softness on the left side.
Could be my EX1R be a little "defect" (not perfect optical axis)? With my Sony VCL0877 0.8x there is a softness on the right side of the image. But it is much less so I can live with it, although I would like to avoid. I am somehow afraid that my EX1R has to be fixed instead of buying different adapters. Could this be: heavy softness on left side with 16x9 but moderate softness on the right side with the Sony VCL0877?

I do not zoom while recording fireworks. I film at Z0 only but use zoom in-focus-zoom out to get a safe focus in dawn or even darkness. Often it is impossible to be in position at daylight and wait till the display.

It seems, that the 16x9 is "sharp" (=same focus) from Z0 upto Z50! From Z53/54 it totally loses focus. I have to check how far the focus works in reality on 50'' TV when the new lense arrives.

So, the Century could be better for me?! The few comments at B&H led me to a different opinion:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/544583-REG/Century_Precision_Optics_0HD_06WA_EX1_0HD_06WA_EX1_0_6x_Wide_Angle.html
16x9 Inc. 169-HDWA6X-EX EXII 0.6x Wide Angle Adapter
And zooming in to Z5 or Z8 takes more of the image. In the end it comes again a littler closer to the Sony VCL0877 0.8x. Mmmmhhh, I just would use it for huge, wide front displays. For all other displays and distances the 0.8x is good enough.

Beste regards and thank you again,
Markus