Wide Angle Lens Converter for GL / XM

Bill Wilson · May 2nd, 2006, 07:32 AM

Yes I would advise you to leave it on the camera for weddings. I think you wil like the results.

Janice DeMille · May 2nd, 2006, 08:33 AM

Thanks Bill

Graham Bernard · May 2nd, 2006, 11:09 AM

Well kinda.

You just gotta be sure that when you frame a church and you have the spire to one side, just be sure it aint bent too much. I am not joking. It WILL be the most important BIG shots where you are fully wide angled WI(DE that any peripheral IMPORTANT verticals will be noticed as bent. Otherwise I leave mine on all the time - I don't do weddings - but I do do big buildings. Any important verticals come away from the edge of the frame - oh yes!! And watch out for bowing/praying lampposts!!

Grazie

Prech Marton · May 5th, 2006, 02:13 AM

Nobody's have a wide lens?
The wedding season just begins, and i cannot make a decision which wide lens should i buy. Cokin/Kenko, etc..?
Please send me a picture!
I dont want to see outside a bended church.

John Laird · May 5th, 2006, 09:58 AM

Use your wide angle where it makes sense. There are noticably visible tradeoffs to using it so be aware that it has its place. For bridal preps it works great and is almost a must in tight quarters of dressing rooms. Reception halls also work good as they can be cramped for space as well. As Graham mentioned though, wide shots during the ceremony can be comprimised by barrel distortion. Bright spots from the ceiling can also reflect in the wide angle lens and create interesting, although unwanted effects. I've seen this several times before. My philosophy is the less glass you need to use the better.

John

Janice DeMille · May 5th, 2006, 10:04 AM

I have been playing with the lens at the site of my next wedding and have seen some of the good and bad you all have described.

Thanks so much for your input

Darko Flajpan · May 6th, 2006, 09:14 AM

First, sorry Pretch for not posting or mailing for quite some time. I'm working hard abroad for the last 5 weeks and will be back at the end of this month. I am living near Hungarian border and often going to Pecs (very nice restaurants!) so if you are near I can bring you Cokin wide angle or if you aren't in hurry I will work in Budapest in the end of summer. BTW, nice pics on your website...Those lakes are gorgeous, aren't they? I recently worked with friends XM2 and he's got an WD58. It's really great piece of glass, but honestly I can't see any difference in pic quality compared to Cokin, except in 16-20x range, but, like I said I can live with it, especially considering price difference. I will also send you tommorow some pictures captured with wide angle.

Len Imbery · May 7th, 2006, 10:01 PM

I bought a used Century.65 wide angle lens off Ebay....They're $350 new at B&H....got it for $165....but I'm not really sure I'm noticing any greater picture quality than any other cheaper lens that I've had before....except the fact that you can still use the zoom with this lens on....
Len

Richard Rouillard · May 8th, 2006, 04:15 PM

I used a Canon 1014XLS Super 8 cine camera before going on to video with a Pal Canon XMI (GLI in america). I still have it and the Canon 0.5x wide angle and 1.4x Telephoto adaptors. I have found that with a 58mm to 67mm step-up ring (the cine camera had a 67mm filter size) they both work work well on the XMI.
It may be worth trying to get hold of used examples of these. As they are designed to fit on a lens with a larger front diameter they are not prone to vignetting.

Prech Marton · May 8th, 2006, 11:34 PM

Thanks Darko.
I dont' care the 16-20x range, just the widest range.
The pictures on my website, well, you know every place, right? :)
I'm waiting your email.

Marton

Prech Marton · June 25th, 2006, 11:48 PM

Darko Flajpan:
Can you send me some pics?
thx

Tom Hardwick · June 26th, 2006, 12:06 AM

I think the genuine Canon WD58 has got to be the safest bet, but there will be an increase in barrel distortion and you'll get 'bendy churches' Prech. But the lens is a zoom-through that you may find handy, and the multi-coating is superb.

If you want to avoid the barrel distortion yet get an even wider field of view then you'll need to fit an aspheric single element. You'll limit your zoom range to about 10x (still not bad) and you'll need to hood the lens carefully as some of these elements aren't coated.

Go here for a look-see.

http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/ka...a/b_optike.php

You can see some of my lens tests using conventional sperical and unconventional aspherical wide-angles here:

http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/v/tom-s-photo-album/

tom.

Graham Bernard · June 26th, 2006, 02:53 AM

Tom!! - I didnt know about your site? Superb ideas you have there. I esp like the Velcro on the zoom/gear flat space area. I've got one of those on my XM2 . .. great idea. I just adore the MD and senni kit AND the Rycote to accessory shoe thing! Excellent!

Grazie

Patrick Smith · July 18th, 2006, 01:34 PM

wd-58 is the an awesoem lens!

Tom Hardwick · July 18th, 2006, 01:46 PM

Glad you liked my pictures Graham - they really do show how awful barrel distortion can look. Yes, your XM2 has the same VAP OIS mechanism as my VX2k (the activating pistons for the prism are housed in that 'lens box'). It's an ideal place to attach the radio receiver.

Richard - I too have the Canon 1.4x telephoto (67 mm thread) and I use it on my Z1. It works beautifully, and helps claw back some of the telephoto reach lost when Sony changed their VX2000 12x zoom to a more wide-angle zoom for the Z1 and FX1. Shame the 1.4x Canon isn't coated at all, but even so, it's easy to hood effectively being a telephoto.

tom.

May 2nd, 2006, 07:32 AM	#421
Bill Wilson Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Leesburg, Fla Posts: 86	Wide Angle for Weddings Yes I would advise you to leave it on the camera for weddings. I think you wil like the results.

May 5th, 2006, 02:13 AM	#424
Prech Marton Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: hungary Posts: 462	Nobody's have a wide lens? The wedding season just begins, and i cannot make a decision which wide lens should i buy. Cokin/Kenko, etc..? Please send me a picture! I dont want to see outside a bended church. __________________ Relaxing clips with waterfalls and music, 3D photos, 3D videos: www.3d-video.hu

May 5th, 2006, 10:04 AM	#426
Janice DeMille Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nebo, NC Posts: 111	thanks I have been playing with the lens at the site of my next wedding and have seen some of the good and bad you all have described. Thanks so much for your input

May 6th, 2006, 09:14 AM	#427
Darko Flajpan Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Bjelovar, Croatia Posts: 153	First, sorry Pretch for not posting or mailing for quite some time. I'm working hard abroad for the last 5 weeks and will be back at the end of this month. I am living near Hungarian border and often going to Pecs (very nice restaurants!) so if you are near I can bring you Cokin wide angle or if you aren't in hurry I will work in Budapest in the end of summer. BTW, nice pics on your website...Those lakes are gorgeous, aren't they? I recently worked with friends XM2 and he's got an WD58. It's really great piece of glass, but honestly I can't see any difference in pic quality compared to Cokin, except in 16-20x range, but, like I said I can live with it, especially considering price difference. I will also send you tommorow some pictures captured with wide angle. __________________ XM2 Sony DXC637P BetaSP

May 7th, 2006, 10:01 PM	#428
Len Imbery Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 106	wide angle lens I bought a used Century.65 wide angle lens off Ebay....They're $350 new at B&H....got it for $165....but I'm not really sure I'm noticing any greater picture quality than any other cheaper lens that I've had before....except the fact that you can still use the zoom with this lens on.... Len

May 2nd, 2006, 08:33 AM	#422
Janice DeMille Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nebo, NC Posts: 111	Thanks Bill

May 2nd, 2006, 11:09 AM	#423
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Well kinda. You just gotta be sure that when you frame a church and you have the spire to one side, just be sure it aint bent too much. I am not joking. It WILL be the most important BIG shots where you are fully wide angled WI(DE that any peripheral IMPORTANT verticals will be noticed as bent. Otherwise I leave mine on all the time - I don't do weddings - but I do do big buildings. Any important verticals come away from the edge of the frame - oh yes!! And watch out for bowing/praying lampposts!! Grazie

May 5th, 2006, 09:58 AM	#425
John Laird Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Waterloo, IA Posts: 32	Use your wide angle where it makes sense. There are noticably visible tradeoffs to using it so be aware that it has its place. For bridal preps it works great and is almost a must in tight quarters of dressing rooms. Reception halls also work good as they can be cramped for space as well. As Graham mentioned though, wide shots during the ceremony can be comprimised by barrel distortion. Bright spots from the ceiling can also reflect in the wide angle lens and create interesting, although unwanted effects. I've seen this several times before. My philosophy is the less glass you need to use the better. John

May 8th, 2006, 04:15 PM	#429
Richard Rouillard New Boot Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Guernsey, Channel Islands, Great Britain Posts: 12	Wide angle adaptors for Canon GL2. I used a Canon 1014XLS Super 8 cine camera before going on to video with a Pal Canon XMI (GLI in america). I still have it and the Canon 0.5x wide angle and 1.4x Telephoto adaptors. I have found that with a 58mm to 67mm step-up ring (the cine camera had a 67mm filter size) they both work work well on the XMI. It may be worth trying to get hold of used examples of these. As they are designed to fit on a lens with a larger front diameter they are not prone to vignetting.

May 8th, 2006, 11:34 PM	#430
Prech Marton Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: hungary Posts: 462	Thanks Darko. I dont' care the 16-20x range, just the widest range. The pictures on my website, well, you know every place, right? :) I'm waiting your email. Marton __________________ Relaxing clips with waterfalls and music, 3D photos, 3D videos: www.3d-video.hu

June 25th, 2006, 11:48 PM	#431
Prech Marton Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: hungary Posts: 462	Darko Flajpan: Can you send me some pics? thx __________________ Relaxing clips with waterfalls and music, 3D photos, 3D videos: www.3d-video.hu

June 26th, 2006, 12:06 AM	#432
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I think the genuine Canon WD58 has got to be the safest bet, but there will be an increase in barrel distortion and you'll get 'bendy churches' Prech. But the lens is a zoom-through that you may find handy, and the multi-coating is superb. If you want to avoid the barrel distortion yet get an even wider field of view then you'll need to fit an aspheric single element. You'll limit your zoom range to about 10x (still not bad) and you'll need to hood the lens carefully as some of these elements aren't coated. Go here for a look-see. http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/ka...a/b_optike.php You can see some of my lens tests using conventional sperical and unconventional aspherical wide-angles here: http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/v/tom-s-photo-album/ tom.

June 26th, 2006, 02:53 AM	#433
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Tom!! - I didnt know about your site? Superb ideas you have there. I esp like the Velcro on the zoom/gear flat space area. I've got one of those on my XM2 . .. great idea. I just adore the MD and senni kit AND the Rycote to accessory shoe thing! Excellent! Grazie

July 18th, 2006, 01:34 PM	#434
Patrick Smith Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Utah Posts: 208	wd-58 is the an awesoem lens! __________________ patricksmith04@hotmail.com

July 18th, 2006, 01:46 PM	#435
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Glad you liked my pictures Graham - they really do show how awful barrel distortion can look. Yes, your XM2 has the same VAP OIS mechanism as my VX2k (the activating pistons for the prism are housed in that 'lens box'). It's an ideal place to attach the radio receiver. Richard - I too have the Canon 1.4x telephoto (67 mm thread) and I use it on my Z1. It works beautifully, and helps claw back some of the telephoto reach lost when Sony changed their VX2000 12x zoom to a more wide-angle zoom for the Z1 and FX1. Shame the 1.4x Canon isn't coated at all, but even so, it's easy to hood effectively being a telephoto. tom.