Yep, comes with a lenshood. I am content with it (only tested it in SD), although I'll probably won't use it as often as the WD-58 of my old xm1 (gl1), because the 'onboard' lens itself is quite 'wide angle', compared with other cameras.

Has anyone had any experience using Canon's WD-H72 wide converter?There are quite a few user reports in this forum already. Search for the term "WD-H72" and it should return about a dozen threads. Hope this helps,

I do own the wide angle adaptor and enjoy it quite a bit. It comes in a nice bag and some end caps for the glass. It also comes with a lens hood as well (that blocks the focus assist sensor). You can put the cap on the hood once attached to keep the lens safe. It is nice while zooming, not much barrel at all. It screws on the front of the 20x pretty tightly.

The most common problem you hear is that you cant attach a filter on the front without a mattebox

Yes, the cheap ($79.00) Merkury 0.45x wide angle converter works with A1, with some limitations:
Converter this wide can`t use even the slimmest filters because of the A1`s quite wide lens and it`s actually not zoom-through as it vignettes just slightly.

It can be used as ultra wide only converter indoors or for landscapes but then again it barrels a little.

Good thing is that the it isn`t soft at the edges and it`s compact.

> It looks like this < (http://www.cinedof.com/img/MERK_0.45--72MMW.A.jpg)

Crappy samples can be seen > here < (http://www.cinedof.com/wideconverter/)

Cheers,
T

You say it 'barrels a little'. yet most 0.45x converters barrel a *lot*. Better you send us a picture of a house shot square on with and without the lens rather than a picture of the lens itself.

tom.

Could you post a before and after pic. I am looking for something like this for a few special shots but can't justify $500+ for a few special shots. I would be all over this if it works.

I am looking for more of a semi fisheye look with a little bit of distortion on the sides. I have a .3 semi fisheye on SD land and loved the look for certain shots.

Is is possible to get an image to look at?

Ok I must admit that I asked for trouble by not mentioning that I don`t have a picturesque scenery before and after comparison samples but here you go:
Crappy before (http://www.cinedof.com/wideconverter/before.jpg) and after (http://www.cinedof.com/wideconverter/after.jpg) samples

Notice that it was taken with the lens wide open and AF focusing on I don`t know what :)...
The vignetting can not be seen on TV or camcorders LCD I guess I`ll modyfy the lens by removing those unusable filter threads so it will not vignette.
CA is due the camcorders own lens as you might notice and considering that original lens barrel too my estimate is that it doesn`t barrel that much.

Hope that helps a little, I`ll try to get some "beauty" shots soon enough.

Cheers,
T

Thanks for the images. It looks like it does give a little curve distortion to the outer edges of the footage....This effect is what I want. When you get a chance some outdoor images would be nice to really determine how it looks. I don't mind that tiny vigenette. I can deal with that easy enough.

Toenis, it looks to me as if your lens manufacturer has inadvertently (ha!) misrepresented a 0.7x converter and labelled it as a 0.45x - not uncommon with what I'll call 'no-name' brands. Once you've zoomed up to remove the vignetting (which you'll need to do for any film that'll be projected or shown on google video, for instance) you'll be down to a very mild 0.8x.

The vignetting will be down to the entry pupil's diameter and the distance it's from your zoom's front element, so 'removing threads' won't help. You haven't got a filter between converter lens and zoom, have you?

Ok, the lens looks pretty flare free and the image is sharp enough, but a genuine 0.45x should more than halve your focal length and in so doing give you dramatically wider footage.

For what a 0.52x converter can do for the Z1, go have a look here:

http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/v/tom-s-photo-album/Aspheron+Z1+full+wide+.jpg.html

tom.

I like the Canon wide angle lense alot. It changes the camera balance alot and is a bit of a pain to stow if you have a small camera bag. I have produced great images with it. I have not read of anyone with a better alternative than this lense.

1. Is there a way to adjust the speaker level on the A1 when playing back footage? I have looked through the book. I have scoured the camera. I cannot come up with a mechanism to adjust it.

2. Any one able to compare the Red Eye Wide Angle Adapters with the Century/Schneider non-zoom bayonet mount, fisheye and/or .6x?

From a distance the benefit of the Red Eye WA seems to be that it is lighter, can be flipped to create a fish eye.

The benefit of the Century lens is that it is a bayonet mount. Easy on/Easy off.

Can anyone make comparisons about the quality of glass?

I used the Century FishEye on my previous camera, a Z1, and was pleased with the results.

Best,

Whit

I went NUTS trying to find it also. Someone here helped me.

It isn't obvious, but if you look closely at the menu selector button at the bottom left of the battery compartment, you'll see that it adjusts playback volume by rotating up/down.

WOW!! I actually knew the answer to something here. I'm impressed with ME. Now if I could just get up to speed with everything else!!!

1. Is there a way to adjust the speaker level on the A1 when playing back footage? I have looked through the book. I have scoured the camera. I cannot come up with a mechanism to adjust it.

The select wheel on the back of the body. The same for headphone level.

Bill

I had some century adapters, bayonet mount, for my XL2 that I kept when I got the A1. Then bought the red eye and I much much prefer it.

I had some century adapters, bayonet mount, for my XL2 that I kept when I got the A1. Then bought the red eye and I much much prefer it.

And the Century adaptors fit? My bayonet mount Centurys from my XL1 won't fit on my A1 (and I was under the impression that the same Century models fit both the XL1 and XL2).

One of my lenses was actually for the XL1 I believe. They do fit if they are bayonet mount, it is just a very odd fit. I played with it for five minutes and was just about to give up then it just slipped on and the resolution was good in HD too. Problem is, I couldnt figure out a reliable way to get it on but both the WA and fisheye went on with some time spent. No forcing it was needed, just wiggling.

Right on, thanks. I gave up after a minute or so as I figured it was a long shot that it would fit in the first place. I will try again!


edit: wow that took all of 15 seconds. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks, very much, for pointing me to the menu selector.
Hiding in plain view!
Those crafty bastards!!

Thanks, too, for the Red Eye perspective.
I'll give it a shot.

Best,

Whit

I actually have the:
01) Century Optics .6X
02) Century Optics FishEye
03) Red Eye .4X

And a canon A1 and XL1s

if you want guys i can try to post images of all adapters !!!
But i thought the century optics adapters will not fit the A1 camera !!!!
I will give it a try and post something soon.

Amr

But i thought the century optics adapters will not fit the A1 camera !!!!

They just came onto the market:

http://www.schneideroptics.com/century/dv/xh-g1/xh-g1.htm

Best,

Whit

One of my lenses was actually for the XL1 I believe. They do fit if they are bayonet mount, it is just a very odd fit. I played with it for five minutes and was just about to give up then it just slipped on and the resolution was good in HD too. Problem is, I couldnt figure out a reliable way to get it on but both the WA and fisheye went on with some time spent. No forcing it was needed, just wiggling.

this is what i was referring to, i had those lenses for the XL1s

Just called Schneider Optics Inc again regarding their .7X WIDE ANGLE CONVTR HD CANON and was told by their West Coast Office they have 30 on back order, listed at $850.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=1385&IID=6220

Unfortunately, these won't be released until mid-May.

Other items listed are;

Lens Add-Ons

0HD-06WA-XLH .6X WIDE ANGLE ADAPT HD CANON $475.00 EA

0HD-07CV-XLH .7X WIDE ANGLE CONVTR HD CANON $850.00 EA

0VS-08CV-72 .8X HD W/A CONVERTER 72MM $595.00 EA

0HD-FEAD-XLH FISHEYE ADAPTER HD CANON $575.00 EA

0HD-FE3X-XLH .3X ULTRA FISHEYE HD CANON $995.00 EA

0HD-16TC-XLH 1.6X TELE-CONVERTER HD CANON $995.00 EA


Sunshades/Filter Holders/Matte Boxes

0VS-SS05-00 WIDE ANGLE SUNSHADE/FILTER HLD $125.00 EA

0VS-FF44-00 4X4 FILTER FRAME, PRO SERIES $150.00 EA

0DS-MB44-HSW DVMB W/A KIT W/15MM SONY/CANON $1,630.00 EA


Diopters

0AD-7220-00 72MM +2.0 ACHRO DIOPTER $415.00 EA

0AD-7235-00 72MM +3.5 ACHRO DIOPTER $415.00 EA

...and a Raynox HD-FXR180 High Vision 180-degree (diagonal) Fish-Eye Conversion Lens (which was designed for the Sony HD cams such as the Z1 but is apparently compatible with all 72mm mount threads) - apparently Raynox are the oft over-looked but good quality lens manufacturers. Has anyone had any experience with Raynox, or indeed the two lenses I have just mentioned?

Mark or anyone else,

How does the Raynox HD-FXR180 work on the A1? I am thinking of picking one up. I like the fish eye look for some shot I get at weddings.

jeff

I agree with Tom; if you're going to shoot
in a car you'll need a wider lens.

I have the Canon wide lens and it is zoom-through,
and is a very good piece of glass for the price.
It is also quite heavy and makes the camera
very front-end heavy. But there's nothing like a good
wide angle lens when you need it...

I have owned Century wide adapters in the past
with other camera's and never liked not being able
to zoom through them...at least the one I had didn't
allow it, maybe they have changed. For the cost, they
certainly should be able to zoom through imho.

David

I'm not with you on this one David. When I fit a wide-angle converter I want to shoot *wide*, and losing the ability to zoom-through is of secondary importance to quality.

I have lots of converters, but the very best one with the least distortion and flare is a non zoom-through. It still zooms to 6X on my 12x Sony, but other zoom-throughs I own just barrel distort too much for my liking. Not that this is particually noticeable inside a car with all its curves and soft edges, but in a building it's immediately and painfully obvious.

tom.

Tom,

You misread what I said.
The "being with you" part that I was talking about was
simply that " if you shoot inside a car, you will need a wider lens".

I still think that is the case.

The other thoughts on the Canon w/a lens vs adapter w/a's,
is a matter of experience and preference.

David

always choose canon over century when you have the option. period.

regarding other cams, i never had much luck with "zoom through" on any century product.

the worst being the bayonet wide angle by century for the xl1-s. yuck.

however, if you put the century bayonet on the 3X, you get a pretty unique fish-eye effect.
if i ever shoot a beastie boys video, i will upload the results.

I just talked with Century Optics today and they say 45-60 days for Canon A1 adapters.

i personally find that centry optics adapters degrade the quality of the canon glass.

beacuse i got tired of switching lenses, i bought a 72mm century bayonet wa for my xl1-s. it's a paper weight now. it does not zoom through, softens the entire image, and produces serious vignetting at the edge.

the canon wa 58mm for my gl2 never comes off. it's just amazing.

i will be buying the canon wa for the a1 too.

no experience with red-eye..but if there is a canon option, i always suggest going with that.

Do you know if Canon makes a fisheye that will work for the A1? Also does Canon make a .7x wide angle that will work for the A1?

For the A1 - Canon WDH72 72mm 0.75x Wide Angle Lens

I don't think they make a fish eye.

Thanks Eric I will give the Canon WDH72 a try since I can't wait two months.

As for a fisheye I need to keep searching since it is used on most of my jobs.

i'm sure you will be happy with the canon. i also think it's the least expensive option. look around on the boards if you want to see samples with it.

as for fish eye, i don't use it. they can get very pricey. i don't think there are many options in the 72mm range either. find someone with a liberal return policy to purchase from.

if you are on a tight budget, check out Demon Fish Eye Lens .com. the rvws on this are really split..some people say "really great!" others "total garbage!"
it's $80. not a reccomendation..just a heads up.

I see that Century has modified their line of 0.6x for the Canon XH/XL lines. They are now consolidated under one stock number, the one announcd for the XH series, and they are a bit wider in front and a bit heavier (3 ozs more) than they were. Possibly to answer the issues about the original XL1 adapter vignetting when full wide wide on the XH series.

I've noticed on the Century Optics webpage (now Schneider Optics) they're listing the long awaited .6x wide angle for the Canon HD.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=1385&IID=6219

But I can't find it on the B&H website, they've got one listed at

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=194448&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

but this one says it's for the XL1 and XL2.

Anybody know when B&H will start selling the new lens? (I'm going to wait for the century version opposed to any others)

I believe that Century has just modified their product line within the past week or so. Up until ~last week they listed different 72mm 0.6x models for the XL series and the XH series camcorders. The XL series model is now overtaken.

There were some user reports that the older model for the XL1 would vignette on the new wide angle models and that it did not do well with HDV. This might be Century's response. I note that the new model is 3 ozs heavier than the former 0.6x for the XL1 (10 ozs. vs. 7 ozs.).

B&H is closed until next week for Passover, so likely there will be little to no news from there until then.

With a bit of manipuilation you can fit the XL1 0.6X on a XH A1, but I've not tested it yet to see how good/bad it is compared to use on the XL1. There is substantial barrel distortion even in SD mode, when mounted on the A1.

The old Century 0.6X adapter I have was designed for use on the XL1, which had a 5.5mm minimum focal length. (And it probably worked on the XL H1 with 5.4mm minimum focal length.) However, the XH A1 minimum focal length is 4.5mm, so it is possible there was an issue with vignetting and other effects, especially when the zoom setting dropped below 5.5mm focal length and wide open aperture. Also, the bayonet mount is slightly different (bottom lug a bit larger) on the A1.

This change will allow Century to have a common adapter for all models now, a cost savings for them, and it simplifies life for XL/XH owners as well.

I am curious if this is the same lens element as the previous .6x adapters. I have had long conversations with the tech guys at CO and they informed me that the .6x wide that is used in all of their .6x HD adapters is the same glass that is used on the original .6x adapters for the XL1 and XL2. So I purchased a used .6x for $125 off of Ebay and I use it on my H1. Is it perfect? No. There is obviously some bowing at the edges and there is a little softness. But overall I am happy for a $125 adapter. I don't think I would pay
full retail however. It tends to take away a llittle sharpness for HD. IMHO. I only use it when I absolutely need the FOV to be as wide as possible.

Century is well known for being at the top of the hill for add on adapters for existing lenses. Still, anytime you put extra glass in front of the lens you are going to degrade the image somewhat. And this happens with CO lenses too. I can only imagine how bad it would be with cheap generic adapters.

Our posts crossed in the ether. The new mount appears to be a bit larger/heavier, probably to allow for the wider view/shorter focal lengths.

Our posts crossed in the ether. The new mount appears to be a bit larger/heavier, probably to allow for the wider view/shorter focal lengths.

I still see a seperate model for the XL series listed. Where do you see that they have been consolidated? Also, do you think it is a different lens element or do you think the new mount just brings it closer to the lens to compensate for the wider FOV of the A1?

It would be great if it was new glass. But as of December I was told that all of their .6x used the same optical element......just a different mount based on the camera. Even the HD adapter used the same glass.

Thanks!

The Century site. The old XL series product links to the XH series product; i,.e,:
"The stock code for this item has changed. Please see the 0HD-06WA-XLH."

And that item is 83 grams heavier, ~1 mm thicker, and has a 10 mm larger front ring diameter than the specs on the older one. It also takes 102mm filters.

You can read the specs for the old adapter in the brochure pdf for the XL series camcorders at: http://www.schneideroptics.com/century/dv/xl-h1/xl-h1.htm.

The 10mm additional diameter has to be for a larger hunk of glass beause the mount end is the same size.

Looks like they might have changed it! D*#n! Now I have to figure out if it is indeed a better quality piece of glass in there. The current .6x is barely acceptable to me so a new better one is intriguing! Still, the $125 I paid for it is worth it at this point.

I bought the Canon Wide Angle lens for my XH A1.

The instructions say that the lens cap will fit onto the supplied lens hood.

It does fit, but there is no way I'd trust it to stay on. It sits on there very loosely and comes off too easy. Anyone else have this same issue.

Yes, ive just bought it too. I found the same problem. Really incredible! Anyone found out a solution to solve this?
Is this happening only in some of the Canon WD, or is it a case of bad design of the product?
Should i change it for another WD -Century Optics..?

Thanks!

Please people, somebody using the Canon wide angle, is the cap so loosely attached to the end of the lense hood too?

Or should i change the item (ive just bought it, just checked this issue when i arrived home)

Please people, somebody using the Canon wide angle, is the cap so loosely attached to the end of the lense hood too?

Or should i change the item (ive just bought it, just checked this issue when i arrived home)

No it's loose on mine too!

Mine too. I thought about putting a few layers of tape on the inside of the cap. My concern with that is when it gets warm I'll get "sticky stuff" where I don't want it!

try a little slice of velcro tape

OK. At least we know it's not us. The lens cap is loose on the lens hood.

Canon is a multi billion dollar company. Maybe they did it on purpose or have some other reason.

Regardless, I'm thinking they blew this one. Either bad reasoning or bad quality control. Can't think of a reason to make it fit so poorly.

I might try and put a little black silicone in 2-4 spots and see if I can force a tighter fit. If not, maybe some Velcro.

If anyone else comes up with a jury-rigged solution, let us know.

My lens cap is loose too,

Jim,
I like that dots-of-silicone idea,
I'm going to do that.

David

It's not just the WA adapter. My cap fits much looser over my UV filter than my A1 by itself.