Century Optics lens
 

I'm interested in a wide angle lens, and saw the Century Precision optics .6 for around $330. Is that a complete set up for the xl2?
Thanks in advance
Bruce yarock

related question (two for one!)

Can this converter be screwed onto the 14x or 16x manual as well as the automatic 20X?

I have it for the manual 16x lens. I like it, but it's not perfect. Probably a little softer overall than the main lens, and I definitely see softness near the sides of the frame, getting sharper toward the center. Noticable about of barrel distortion too.

how about the 0.7x wide Convertor?
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Josh Bass : I have it for the manual 16x lens. I like it, but it's not perfect. Probably a little softer overall than the main lens, and I definitely see softness near the sides of the frame, getting sharper toward the center. Noticable about of barrel distortion too. -->>>

Really? Have you had a chance to use the .7x Century Wide? I am debating between the .6 and the .7 right now. I'm liking the .6 price and extra wide angle area. The zoom-through capability of the .7 is not an issue for me. However if the .6 edges are soft thats bad.

Oliver

I know nothing personally of the .7x . I stand by the soft edge comments. If you really want wide, with good resolution, you gotta, you know, fork up for the 3x. I think. Unless there's another option I don't know about.

<<<-- Originally posted by Josh Bass : I have it for the manual 16x lens. I like it, but it's not perfect. -->>>

Josh-
Which 0.6x do you have? It appears there is one for the smart lens and one for the 16x manual lens.

VS-06WA-XL2 ,,,,Canon 16x auto lens or Canon 3X wide angle zoom.

VS-06WA-MXL ,,,,6x Wide Angle Adapter for the Canon XL1/XL1S, 16x manual lens

Wow this WA stuff is confusing! I'm about to start a thread just about it. WA is one of my favorite modes of shooting, not something to screw up! :)

Ok, wait. Let's get ourselves on the same page.

As far as I know, which may not be very far (haha), there are two .6x WA adapters (fixed focal length) for the XL1/XL1s, and now, XL2.

There is one for the ISII lens, and one for the 16x manual. I have it for the 16x manual. So, though my base lens is sharper, I still see softness at the edges. It's not super-blurry, but looks very slightly out of focus.

Jeff, you're right about that. Actually the story gets interesting when we introduce yet another lens: the Canon 14X manual.

For that lens, you'll need the VS-06WA-75! This is yet another .6 wide angle adapter for the Canon XL series of DV camcorder.

I emailed Century Optics for confirmation and that is the wide angle adapter for the 14X. It's been mentioned here in the past as well. Jean-Philippe Archibald did some research a while back, check this thread here.

So, three wide angle adapters so far: 1) VS-06WA-XL2 for the 16X IIS and XL2; 2) VS-06WA-MXL for the 16X manual; and 3) VS-06WA-75 for the Canon 14X manual.

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher Go : So, three wide angle adapters so far: 1) VS-06WA-XL2 for the 16X IIS and XL2; 2) VS-06WA-MXL for the 16X manual; and 3) VS-06WA-75 for the Canon 14X manual. -->>>

/me shakes head :D
Canon 3X wide, anyone? :)))

</me shakes head :D
Canon 3X wide, anyone? :)))>

My sentiments exactly.
Bruce yarock

The 3X is hardly the most capable combo but for those (like me) who've hardly touched the camera it sounds hard to go wrong. Take advantage of that interchangable lens capability.

Forget the fact that for the price of two converters and the filtershade you can buy the 3X

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Miller : The 3X is hardly the most capable combo but for those (like me) who've hardly touched the camera it sounds hard to go wrong. Take advantage of that interchangable lens capability.

Forget the fact that for the price of two converters and the filtershade you can buy the 3X -->>>

Sure, but if you still need the full manual capability and feel of the 14x and the 16x manual lens, then a wide angle adaptor/convertor is a better bet. And on a set, changing lens is down time, and down time = $.

Now if there were a 3x manual...:-)

Oliver

Can anyone confirm that the .7x wide angle Century converter suffers from the "softness" around the edges?

This may be slightly off topic, but can someone tell me the differrences between the two manual lenses? (14x and 16x).
Bruce yarock

<<<-- Originally posted by Oliver Power : <<<--
Sure, but if you still need the full manual capability and feel of the 14x and the 16x manual lens, then a wide angle adaptor/convertor is a better bet. And on a set, changing lens is down time, and down time = $.
Oliver -->>>
Oh yeah, there's nothing like the manual. We're probably talking about different shooting situations. I've wondered is changing the lens timely to do in the field? I just wonder what it's like. I don't care about down time, I'm unemployed :D

"Now if there were a 3x manual...:-)"
I would buy it without a thought!

"but can someone tell me the differrences between the two manual lenses? (14x and 16x)."

There's more to it then this, but I think the 16 has a power zoom, a servo so you can do slow creep ins and other cool stuff

I have not had time to try this but I notice that with my .6x adapter on the 20x lens I get varying results. IN other words some shots are crystal clear across the entire frame. Then other shots have a softness around the edges. It is inconsistent and I need to test to see what contributes to the softness.

Can anyone enlighten me on what circumstances/settings would add to the soft focus on the perimeter? I could then try to avoid those settings or situations.

Thanks

f stop?
light level?
content of the image?

Just throwing stuff out there. . .really no idea.

<<<-- Originally posted by Josh Bass : f stop?
light level?
content of the image?

Just throwing stuff out there. . .really no idea. -->>>

DUH!!!! Just kidding but I knew what parameters would be involved. I was hoping someone could say it occurs when fstop is at X and zoom is at X and shutter is a X. X being some currebtky unkown value.

So I need to find the combination of these settings that cause the perimeter focus problem.

Bruce, check out this great article Ken Tanaka wrote on the Canon 16X manual lens for differences between the 16X and 14X lenses: 16X Canon Manual Lens Review. Really good info there.

Thanks, Chris...ken's article is exce;llent. Clear enough for me to deceide to stick with the stock lens, and maybe think about the Canon WA.
bruce Yarock

Century has wide angle converters for all of the Canon XL1/2 lenses. The thing is that they are not all interchangeable. Due to the optics of the individual lens, they aren't interchangeable. For example the .7 W/A Converter for the 16x lens won't work on the 20x. Blame physics :~) .

The .7 wide angle converters allows zoom through all of the focal lengths. The .6 is wider, but only allows zooming out to around 5x or 8x from the widest, not the full range. There are different .6 and .7 converters for each different lens.

Here is the page for the info:

http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/prodv/xl1/xl1.htm

Here is the lens/converter chart

http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/prodv/xl1/chart.htm

I will be getting my XL2 in the next couple of days and will be doing some testing on the Century .7 wide angle converter. I opted for this over getting the 3x zoom lens since it will allow me to zoom through the all focal lengths on the 16x manual lens. Almost all of the time I will be at a particular focal length and stay there. I tend to shoot kinda wide, so I like the converter. We'll see what I say after I actually get and use it :~) .

There are several different .7 adapters, depending on which lens you have. I am getting my package from ZGC in NJ, USA, but the data is for current Century converters.

.7 W/A Converter
http://www.zgc.com/zgc.nsf/active/41358A6F80B7C64585256D8300500D7B

.6 W/A Converter
http://www.zgc.com/zgc.nsf/active/B7C378A12C4BA4A485256D83004C0F0B

Test Screen Shots & Footage with XL2 & .6X Wide
 

I just received my .6X Wide Adapter for the 16X Manual lens for my new XL2. Here are some screen shots and one video clip up-res'd to DV50 after color smoothing - (30MB).

http://www.holyzoo.com/111/video/XL2/

First surprise was that I had to focus the thing myself using Macro mode. Bummer. I was used to the Wide Converter on the GL1. That was a no-brainer. I think I just need to bring a resolution chart on shoots, and I know it will help to have a broadcast monitor as well.

I don't really see much softness on the edges particularly, but I wouldn't be surprised to know there's a little happening. It's a lot of glass at that point.

-steev
http://www.holyzoo.com

thanks for those tests Steev, that's really helpful. It concurs what Century Optics told me:

>>> Hi Oliver,

The .7x is going to be your best bet._ It allows for full zoom capability._ The .6x will distort, the .7x barely.

Best regards,

Robert Orlando

Schneider Optics - Century Division

--- Oliver Power <oliver@60-hz.com> 11/15/2004 2:04:22 PM ----

Hi Robert,

Thanks for getting back to me. Also, just wondering if there is any
edge softness with the 0.6x adapter on the 16x manual lens? If so,
would the 0.7x convertor be a better bet?

thanks,

Oliver >>>>>

I think there is some confusion. There are 2 potential problems using the WA adapter:

1> Distortion as in barrel distortion...the images will look kinda fisheyed on the sides and straight lines will be curved.

2> Focus issues....the image is not is perfect focus on the edges when it is in the center.

I guess I'd like to know what the Century OPtics guy is referring to specifically here. Cause I don't get the feeling it is the focus.