You don't need to shoot a building to check out the barrel distortion - your TV will do perfectly. See:

http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/v/tom...test+.jpg.html

This thread might interest you you wide-angle freaks:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...t=80666&page=4

tom.

So, in conclusion:

If you fit a Raynox HD-5050 to a Sony HC7 without the 37mm-to-37mm adapter, does the back of the HD-5050 touch the front of the HC7's lens? Or does it just touch the HC7's lens *cover*? Or does the HD-5050 fit perfectly on the HC7 without the 37mm-to-37mm adapter?

Thanks,
Jack

Is it feasible to leave the 5050Pro WA adapter on the HV10 at all times? I'll be traveling to China in a month and I want to know if I can leave it on or do I have to go thru the hassel of mounting/unmounting constantly?

You can leave it on all the time Yang but then you can leave your pyjamas on all the time too. If you're shooting at 50 mm (say) then the HV20 will give better performance (less flare and distortions and greater sharpness) if you take the 5050 off. It is after all an extra 3 elements (6 surfaces) of very slightly de-centred glass.

tom.

Bert,

We here at Schneider have experienced a few of the HV10 cameras with the same problems you have had. The quality on your sample images is the worst I've seen by far. I would reccomend that you send the lens into our service department for a check up. On the whole, we have not had many issues compared to the number of these lenses being used on the HV10. The major issue is also related to the placement of the CCD in this camera. Canon has about a 5% variable in placement of the CCD on this camera. This means that performance of our lens varies from camera to camera.

Please send in your adapter and we will fix or replace it.

Ryan Avery
Regional Sales Representative
Schneider Optics

Hello Ryan,

I appreciate your offer, but I've already sold my CO 0.65x adapter (at a sustantial loss), and replaced it with a Sony 0.7x adapter which I'm very happy with. As you pointed out, maybe there was some incompatibility between my camera and your product. Thanks again for the offer.

Given the timing of your last post, I don't blame you. Information is only useful at the right time. I hope you continue to try Century products in the future.

Ryan Avery
Regional Sales Representative
Schneider Optics

Do you or anyone know which WA lens is actually better for the HV10. I'm trying to figure out which to get.

Sony VCL-DH0730
or
Raynox HD-5050

also, is it too much to see a sample of your results with the Sony Bert?

I have the newer Sony WA adapter, VCL-HG0737C, which is marketed as being designed for HD video cameras. It's a fairly large lens compared to the Schneider Optics lens and it doesn't have filter threads, but it does deliver excellent image quality with no resolution loss at the sides and corners of the frame. Distortion is also very well controlled. Below is a comparison between the 2 lenses.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4...optsonyrx3.jpg

Thanks for the correction and pictures. That Sony image clearly looks sharper and wider at that.

Ryan, I know you're watching. Has Century any plans to update the Schneider Kreutznach (UW II) single element wide-angle aspherics that they produced in the 70s and 80s? I ask because I've found these are very effective on video cameras, offering half zoom-through while at the same time giving almost zero barrel distortion for a large increase in view.

The only reason I don't recommend them more often is the fact that they're uncoated optics, and this limits their use out there in the real world. Quick - get these into production before RedEye beats you.

tom.

At this time we have no plans to reintroduce those optics because we make our own single element attachments. See the below link for an idea of what we make for the 58mm that we will also be making for the 43mm.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecomm...D=1070&IID=883

An aspherical single element lens would be excellent for video but the marketability of this piece to a mass audience would likely be poorly recieved due to cost. Our attachments are already at the top end of price and arguably worth it. How much I want to spend arguing aspherical single elements and their increased cost is unlikely.

Ryan Avery
Regional Sales Representative
Schneider Optics

Don't BUY Raynox HD 5050PRO Lens !!!!!!!!!
 

It is a very bad lense. If "Lee Wilson' had not written that it is a good lense, I had not bought this lense. Without the adaptor ring, at full wide it still makes vignetting, the middle of the image is clear, but close to the edge, it is very fuzzy and unclear.


http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...t=75774&page=4

Here is my example :
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...1&d=1198449453
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...2&d=1198449453