Hello all,

Going on a trip to Japan over the summer and I'm thinking about picking up a 50 for some run and gun outdoor shooting. I have no experience with Canon consumer cameras. Some questions:

1. Is the 0.7x Canon WA adapter (WD-H34) a zoom-through? Is a WA recommended for the Optura?
2. I'm planning on getting a Senn. MKE-300 and a softie to put on the hotshoe. With the Canon WA, will the mic protrude into the frame?
3. Are there any cheap ND's in 34mm, and how would that work with the WA?
4. Is the camera too small/light to do stable shooting while walking? Would a handheld stabilizer be a good investment?

Thanks everyone.

<<<-- Originally posted by Xiaoli Wang : Hello all,

Going on a trip to Japan over the summer and I'm thinking about picking up a 50 for some run and gun outdoor shooting. I have no experience with Canon consumer cameras. Some questions:

1. Is the 0.7x Canon WA adapter (WD-H34) a zoom-through? Is a WA recommended for the Optura?
2. I'm planning on getting a Senn. MKE-300 and a softie to put on the hotshoe. With the Canon WA, will the mic protrude into the frame?
3. Are there any cheap ND's in 34mm, and how would that work with the WA?
4. Is the camera too small/light to do stable shooting while walking? Would a handheld stabilizer be a good investment?

Thanks everyone. -->>>

1. Not sure if that's zoom through, but you can probably get that off canondv.com. The optura's view isn't especially wide, but you probably won't miss the WA lens unless you're shooting inside a building.

2. I have the MKE 300 and an Optura 30. With my WA adapter (an older canon 46mm) the mic does show in the frame. Look on ebay for "flash shoe" or check out a local camera shop to find a small extender that mounts in the hot shoe and will elevate the mic. Works great.

3. bhphotovideo.com
OR get a 34mm-37mm or 34mm-46mm step ring and get the more easily found filters and lenses.

4. If you want stable, try keeping it on a monopod while you walk around. Plus then you can extend it and get nice steady standing shots when needed.

Good luck.

Philip Williams
www.philipwilliams.com

Is a WA (wide angle) recommended ... would a handheld stabilizer be a good investment? One benefit of a wide angle lens is that it helps your video look more stable. It's a natural effect of using a wider angle of view. A WA lens with a larger/long life battery can also help to weight down/stabilize the camera.

If you're travelling, a monopod will probably be more user-friendly than a handheld stabilizer. And as Phillip pointed out, a monopod will also help stabilize the camera.

If I have pre-planned shots, I take the WA lens off to get a slightly sharper image. But if I'm running around with the Optura, I keep the WA lens, as a "just in case" option.

... cheap ND (filters) in 34mm, and how would that work with the WA? Canon's consumer WA lenses don't have outside filter threads, so you'll have to sandwich the filter between the lens and the camcorder. Look to Raynox lenses for WA lenses with an outside filter thread.

Filters + a WA lens are a mixed blessing. You can get some interesting effects, good and bad.

If I know I need a particular filter, I will try not to use the WA lens, unless it's a long or indoor shot, or once again unless I'm running around and don't know what I'll be shooting. For example, while island hopping in the Philippines, I kept the polarizer sandwiched between the WA lens. Though I did get into a habit of shooting wide footage first, then taking off the WA lense afterwards for the short/medium shots.

Thanks for the tips everyone. Very helpful information.

Well, I guess an ND isn't that important. I originally wanted to ND because I know that when the aperture is stopped down in bright environments it tends to degrade image quality (diffraction and stuff). Has anyone found this to be an issue? If not, I'll just go with the Canon 0.7x WA and forget the ND.

Btw, what happened to my post? :)

Whoops, my bad, all better now.

re: ND filter
It's good to have a polarizer and/or ND filter to handle blow outs. Lassoing those zebras, is usually my biggest concern on sunny days.

Okay, well it seems the only 34mm ND I can find is the Canon one, and that costs like $55.

So...this would work?

34mm Lens --> 34 to 37 step up ring --> 37 ND --> 37 WA

Would this change the multiplication factor of the WA or cause distortion since I'm using a 37 on a 34 lens and it's sitting far away because of the ND?

<<<-- Originally posted by Xiaoli Wang : Okay, well it seems the only 34mm ND I can find is the Canon one, and that costs like $55.

So...this would work?

34mm Lens --> 34 to 37 step up ring --> 37 ND --> 37 WA

Would this change the multiplication factor of the WA or cause distortion since I'm using a 37 on a 34 lens and it's sitting far away because of the ND? -->>>

I use a 34-46 ring. I just installed my WA over a 46mm polarizer (which has a turning mechanism and extends further out than a typical ND) and I'm not seeing any problems. I checked the "overscan" area on a live feed into my PC and its fine. I don't think you'd have a problem stacking a step ring and 1 filter under your WA lens.

Note that this will also depend on the WA lens you get. I think the more modest .7x Canon lens will be fine. I seem to recall that my larger .6x lens will not mount over a filter without serious vignetting problems.

Philip Williams
www.philipwilliams.com