WD-58H -- is it worth it?
 

Just wondering what the opinions were on the WD-58H wide angle adapter. how much of a difference does it make? am i going to spend $200+ only to find out the difference in picture isn't that dramatic. appreciate any help.

Adam,
The WD-58 wide-angle adapter for the GL1/Gl2 is a very good piece of add-on glass, as such adapters go. It will give you an approximately 15-20% wider/taller image with very little of the barrel distortion at the edges common to wide-angle lenses.

In my experience it's handiest for tight indoor and/or crowded close shots. By its wide nature, it will also help to further stabilize handheld shots. It's also handy for most shots where you think you may be cropping your footage down to 16:9. Just be careful to avoid the fun-house effect of subjects' noses being too close to the lens. (This is common to all wide-angles.)

So, in my opinion the WD-58 is a remarkably modestly-priced w-a adapter and should be part of most GL2 shooters' standard accessories.

Agreed. <eom>

How much difference does it make? I would say - just enough. Too much more and you start getting a fish-eye effect which is fine for some things but not for most shooting. You might note a bit of distortion if shooting straight lines like the edges of buildings but in general it is manageable.

Rick

Have used the Canon WD-58H in a "tight" pub music venue. Without it would not have been possible. No complaints. Zooming out, focus is solid too. You will not need it for everything, but it does give me that added "comfort" zone of options.

Hi there,

has anyone used the Raynox converters? The HD-6600PRO ( http://www.raynox.co.jp/english/video/egwidehdxl.htm ) should be the right one for the xm2/gl2. It's cheaper (170€/180$, WD-58H = 230€ ) but there's no hood like the one coming with the WD-58H. Is this hood necessary or do you think converters without will work fine?

Any ideas are welcome.

Chris

Interesting, Chris. No, I've not used one of these. One of the nice features of this adapter, not available on the Canon, is a 72mm front filter thread.

But, in the end, the quality of optics are all that count.

Re: hoods, yes they can be very handy particularly for wide-angle lenses which are prone to flare. Actually, Canon's WD-58 has only recently gotten a hood and is now dubbed the WD-58H.