I've got a Fujinon 1/2" SD Lens from a sony block camera.
12x7.5 model # VCL-712BXEA

Would this work as a good alternative to the stock Fujinon 16x that it comes with if I get the 1/3 to 1/2 adapter?

I seem to recall this lens producing some great images when it was in use.

Does anyone here own the adapter?
Is it just a piece of milled aluminum?

I don't think it's going to resolve properly for High Definition... probably too soft for HD.

ah ok.

thanks for the tip.

I have the adapter 2/3 to 1/3 and use my lens and it is much better then the stock lens. The adapter is I believe made of steel, but not sure, it is very strong and sturdy.

Remember that sticking a 1/2" lens on a 1/3" camera results in a huge loss of field of view. A 7.5mm minimum focal length is going to be far too telephoto for general use (see: people who complain about the stock lens not being wide enough at 5mm).

I wouldn't be suprised if most 1/2" lens will perform as well as the stock lens (optically). At about $800, the stock lens really isn't exactly a HD lens itself. After all it is cheaper than almost any 1/2" SD lens on the market...

Makes me think my 1/2" Canon 16x 7mm which is very much an economy SD lens (about US$1200) would work well enough on a HD100 for local sports where reach is much more helpful than getting wide and lets face it, the clients arn't exactly the fussiest.

I have the adapter 2/3 to 1/3 and use my lens and it is much better then the stock lens. The adapter is I believe made of steel, but not sure, it is very strong and sturdy.

Carl, can you please tell me where you got the lens adapter and how much it costs ? I have two fujinon lenses, one for 1/2" and the other for 2/3'. I would love to see if they are better than the stock lens on the HD 100, although for my current shooting needs the stock lens is more than adequate. But I'm hoping the other lens might give me better resolution and maybe a wider field of view. Thanks.

Your not going to get a wider field of view out of a 1/2" lens, let alone a 2/3" lens. As the sensor is 1/3", only a smaller section the image produced by lens is captured by the sensor resulting in a crop effect (commly refered to as a multiplification effect as well).

eg: With a 35mm lens, the multiplication factor is about 7x. So a 35mm lens on a HD100 will appear in zoom (Field of view) to be about 245mm on a 35mm SLR. 1/2" and 2/3" lens have less zoom but it is still there. Someone else might chip in with their factors.

Not sure how it translates into focal length multipliers, but a 1/3" chip will give you 66.6...% of the field of view of a 1/2" lens and 50% of the field of view of a 2/3" lens.

ok, so what 1/2" lens would be used ideally for the 1/3" to 1/2" adapter?

One that comes back to at least 5 mm on the wide end, preferably.

Canon has a few, but they're mostly in the $25k and up range.

This one (http://www.usa.canon.com/html/industrial_bctv/p_proVideo_YH12x48_intro.shtml) is only $6,200, or $9,200 with a 2x extender, but isn't much wider than the stock and doesn't have much telephoto to it.

I'm still waiting for the adaptor that will let me stick a real lens (http://www.usa.canon.com/html/industrial_bctv/p_field_DIGISUPER100XS_intro.shtml) on this camera. =D

Carl, can you please tell me where you got the lens adapter and how much it costs ? I have two fujinon lenses, one for 1/2" and the other for 2/3'. I would love to see if they are better than the stock lens on the HD 100, although for my current shooting needs the stock lens is more than adequate. But I'm hoping the other lens might give me better resolution and maybe a wider field of view. Thanks.

I got it at Abel Cine Tech. 2/3-1/3 costs $699. I think.

I use my 2/3 SD Fuji lens on the HD100 and the images are awesome, much better then the stock lens and a bit wider. It is worth the purchase.

Carl which lens is that?

I believe that he is talking about the JVC 2/3" to 1/3" lens adaptor.

Oops, realized you were talking about his Fuji lens not the adaptor, my bad.

Dan Weber

Carl which lens is that?

A20x8.6BERM-SD

I'm confused, does the adaptor have glass in it to restore the original field of view of the lens? 'Cause that's the only way a 20x8.6 would come wider than the HD100 stock lens. I thought the adaptor was just a metal piece that let you fit a different-sized lens in there.

I'm confused, does the adaptor have glass in it to restore the original field of view of the lens? 'Cause that's the only way a 20x8.6 would come wider than the HD100 stock lens. I thought the adaptor was just a metal piece that let you fit a different-sized lens in there.

It is just metal, and it is much wider then the stock lens.

I got it at Abel Cine Tech. 2/3-1/3 costs $699. I think.

I use my 2/3 SD Fuji lens on the HD100 and the images are awesome, much better then the stock lens and a bit wider. It is worth the purchase.

Carl;

Thanks for the info. I will check out the adapter at Abel, NY.

Jay

Just discovered my semi retired Pana AJ D200 DVC Pro camcorder is also 1/3 chip camcorder with a Fuji lens T14X5.5BRM4, almost identical to the stock JVC HD 100 lens in all respects except size, its a couple of inches shorter. I swapped lenses and shot some footage. My initial tests show the older fuji is much sharper and a tiny bit wider. Those interested in upgrading the lens might find this interesting.

Just discovered my semi retired Pana AJ D200 DVC Pro camcorder is also 1/3 chip camcorder with a Fuji lens T14X5.5BRM4, almost identical to the stock JVC HD 100 lens in all respects except size, its a couple of inches shorter. I swapped lenses and shot some footage. My initial tests show the older fuji is much sharper and a tiny bit wider. Those interested in upgrading the lens might find this interesting.


Are you sure it's sharper? I ask because I know somebody who used to have a D215, which uses the very same lens and I did some tests with the T14 and the HD100 and the stock lens was much sharper. Also as the T14 is an external focus lens breathing was more of a problem than with the stock 16x. I even shot a resolution chart and the stock 16x was the clear winner. I can't re-do the tests because he has since sold the D15 with the lens but I might still have the tape somewhere. I remember this was the same lens Optex adapted for the Xl1. I can't see such a cheap lens as being good enough for HD.

Are you sure it's sharper? ....I can't see such a cheap lens as being good enough for HD.

Mike;

My test was short. I need to do some real world shooting with both lenses before I can form a definitive opinion. Check out the stills from both the lenses though. Camera was set to FAW and locked down. For now the T14 will stay on my HD 100. The external focus is not a problem for me. I've put in hundreds of hours on my D 200 which btw is a great camera, with this lens .I will post my future findings here. I look forward to your comments as well as those from others on this board

Jay

PS. Could not upload pics. File size too big. Will upload later.

Is that compression from you compressing the still image for the web or from the origonal HDV compression? It is very bad.

Is that compression from you compressing the still image for the web or from the origonal HDV compression? It is very bad.

compressed to death. original 2.8 MB. downsized to 127 kb.

Jay could you post them as .png files?

they will be very small but look like the originals.

I've got an opportunity to buy one of these lenses and the boss says ok as long as its equal or better than the stock lens.

One of the things I use the HD100 for is for capturing the image produced by our aerial telecine for consumer grade 8/16 mm film transfer.

I've noticed that the JVC lens produces an odd gold/blue fringing between light and dark contrasted areas vertically.

The 1/2" lens never had this issue.

I'm wondering if this fuji 1/3" SD lens would solve that problem inexpensively.

Jay could you post them as .png files?

they will be very small but look like the originals.

I've got an opportunity to buy one of these lenses and the boss says ok as long as its equal or better than the stock lens.

Hi Mark;

You should do some tests of your own before you buy, especially since your requirements are for telecine work. I could email the full res BMP files to you if you like. I will be using the HD 100 with the T14 SD lens for the next couple of weeks and will have a better idea if in fact it is better than the stock lens. I can't say Ive noticed the fringing you mentioned in your other post.

Jay

The fringing has something to do with the optics between the film gate and the HD100 lens.

But its odd because the 1/2" lens on the sony block camera showed none of this at all.

I'd be very interested if any optics experts here on the board could tell me what this gold/blue fringing effect is called.

can the 1/2 and 2/3 lenses be controlled by the JVC on auto aperture? Is the pin combo from the camera to to the servo controls on the lens the same?

I have a chance to buy a Fujinon S19x6.5BRM. Reading these posts here I'm even more confused. Will have more then 19x zoom or less. And is the quality worth getting into this or not...