Century optics sunshades? at DVinfo.net

Jeff Miller · December 8th, 2004, 08:53 PM

Is anyone using the Sunshade/Filterholder (VS-FA95)? I was thinking of getting one for my VS-07CV-XL2***
The reason I hesitate is that for some reason I think I've seen a picture of this shade on an XL, and it looked like it was the size of a dinner plate. I'm doing documentary and I don't want to intimidate people by making them look down what looks like the barrel of a bazooka. (having an XL2 in they're face for eight hours a day is bad enough)
Does anyone have a picture of they're rig, and/or the diameter of this sunshade? Thanks mush!

***Which by the way is an AWESOME lens... I was a bit leery of spending $600 but it is so worth it in my book.

Marty Hudzik · December 9th, 2004, 08:39 AM

Jeff,
I have that exact sunshade mounted on my XL2 with the century .6x adapter. It is freaking huge! IT works great and goes on very easy. It is, however, made out of formed rubber so it is completely flexible and bends when you apply pressure to it. So you couldn't use it to support the lens on say a table if you were trying to be creative and get a low angle with the surface of the table as a foreground object to show depth.

I don't have a photo of it but I would be willing to take one this evening and post it for you.

I would be interested in hearing your comments on the .7x zoom through lens? How much weight does it add? Is focusing easy? does it retain focus well through the entire range and hold it when you zoom out? Please let meknow all of your thoughts on this as I am still debating getting one. I just get tired of having to remove the .6x everytime I need to zoom in tight for something.

Thanks,
Marty

Jeff Miller · December 10th, 2004, 07:35 PM

I'd like to see a pic of that shade if it's easy to do. I'm afraid it might be more then what I want though, I might have to fabricate something. Have you used it's filter-holding capabilities?

So far I have nothing but praise for that adapter. I'll write a bit more later since I haven't tried the things you suggest yet. This wasn't smart, but literally the day after I unpacked the camera I was using for production stuff, I haven't had time to cuddle up and study it's output yet. Although I have watched some of the tapes. I don't have a great eye for video yet so I can't really make wise observations. Plus I'm doing runngun documentary, with no real setup or lighting so a lot of it looks like trash.

I can say though that it adds more then a hefty pound to the frontmost of the camera. Does this effect balance? Don't know, I haven't used the camera much w/o it, so I'm used to it being there.

I feel your pain with removing lenses for a zoom, I have a crappy wide for my GL2 that's 30% zoomthrough... it always has to be taken off and held onto, and when I let someone drive the camera they last a minute until "why's it all blurry?".
This wide though is %100, no bs, it zooms so far that it's almost to shaky to handhold. Wonder what it's like without the wide! :D

Anyhow, long post but I need to get the camera out tommarow (another member needs pics of it) and I'll toy scientifically with the wide and let you know what I find... ta!

December 8th, 2004, 08:53 PM	#1
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	Century optics sunshades? Is anyone using the Sunshade/Filterholder (VS-FA95)? I was thinking of getting one for my VS-07CV-XL2* The reason I hesitate is that for some reason I think I've seen a picture of this shade on an XL, and it looked like it was the size of a dinner plate. I'm doing documentary and I don't want to intimidate people by making them look down what looks like the barrel of a bazooka. (having an XL2 in they're face for eight hours a day is bad enough) Does anyone have a picture of they're rig, and/or the diameter of this sunshade? Thanks mush! *Which by the way is an AWESOME lens... I was a bit leery of spending $600 but it is so worth it in my book.

December 9th, 2004, 08:39 AM	#2
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Jeff, I have that exact sunshade mounted on my XL2 with the century .6x adapter. It is freaking huge! IT works great and goes on very easy. It is, however, made out of formed rubber so it is completely flexible and bends when you apply pressure to it. So you couldn't use it to support the lens on say a table if you were trying to be creative and get a low angle with the surface of the table as a foreground object to show depth. I don't have a photo of it but I would be willing to take one this evening and post it for you. I would be interested in hearing your comments on the .7x zoom through lens? How much weight does it add? Is focusing easy? does it retain focus well through the entire range and hold it when you zoom out? Please let meknow all of your thoughts on this as I am still debating getting one. I just get tired of having to remove the .6x everytime I need to zoom in tight for something. Thanks, Marty

December 10th, 2004, 07:35 PM	#3
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	I'd like to see a pic of that shade if it's easy to do. I'm afraid it might be more then what I want though, I might have to fabricate something. Have you used it's filter-holding capabilities? So far I have nothing but praise for that adapter. I'll write a bit more later since I haven't tried the things you suggest yet. This wasn't smart, but literally the day after I unpacked the camera I was using for production stuff, I haven't had time to cuddle up and study it's output yet. Although I have watched some of the tapes. I don't have a great eye for video yet so I can't really make wise observations. Plus I'm doing runngun documentary, with no real setup or lighting so a lot of it looks like trash. I can say though that it adds more then a hefty pound to the frontmost of the camera. Does this effect balance? Don't know, I haven't used the camera much w/o it, so I'm used to it being there. I feel your pain with removing lenses for a zoom, I have a crappy wide for my GL2 that's 30% zoomthrough... it always has to be taken off and held onto, and when I let someone drive the camera they last a minute until "why's it all blurry?". This wide though is %100, no bs, it zooms so far that it's almost to shaky to handhold. Wonder what it's like without the wide! :D Anyhow, long post but I need to get the camera out tommarow (another member needs pics of it) and I'll toy scientifically with the wide and let you know what I find... ta!