Defect in my A1U Lens
 

So, after shooting some steadicam stuff with my three day old A1U I go to do a quick edit and when I'm checking it on my HD monitor I notice a small black mark about 1/8th of an inch long and maybe 1/32 of an inch wide about 2/3rds of the way up on the right side of the image. I think it must be a speck of dust and try to clear it off. Well, it doesn't budge. So, upon further inspection I realize this is some kind of defect in the lens. So for anyone who just purchased an HDV camera, make sure you get some footage onto an HD monitor because the resolution of the viewfinder and LCD isn't high enough to pick up anything like this but you sure as hell can see it on a HD monitor. It looks like a twig on my 104inch projector.

Luckily, B&H is handling this for me but what a bummer. I was looking forward to practicing with my Merlin this weekend. :(

Not quite cheers today,

Bummer. Also, screw on some extra glass (UV filter) to protect the lens. Such a small camera is easily knocked around, or prone to mishap.

Can you recommend a UV filter for the A1U?

The problem with the A1U lens mounts etc is that if you screw a UV filter on, you cannot use the supplied lens hood and since that acts as a lens cap as well, you will need a lens cap that would fit onto your UV filter.

Yeah, you wonder if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing at Sony...

Well, actually, you can thread the UV lens filter onto the supplied hood. The hood is made of plastic and there are threads present, it just takes, uhm, a, er, 'a little force' to screw one on (the metals threads will dig in). It will fit if you are care (be warned you break it, it's not my fault).

Besides, it's a cheap hood and $20 UV filter, so I gave a shot and it works.

I found this out while on vacation on the beach. I saw the threads and my field fix was to force that puppy on there. The only issue is you'll have to zoom-in a bit if you want to take stills, as you'll see the filter in the very corners on the still images because your using the full sensor surface. However, in HDV it's cropped out.

Not everyone has access to a machine shop like I do, and there's enough 'meat' there to add 37mm threads. I may give it a shot.

http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=672&c=46

Ahh now i can answer why you will need a "little force" to screw in a filter onto the threads on the lens hood.
- It's because... they're not actually threads! they're concentric rings designed for the lens cap to 'clip' onto. They're not one long 'spiral' thread.

The solution for the 'can't attach filter with the lens hood' problem on HC1 or A1 is to do a lens-hood 'tabectomy'. Basically score the two tabs at the base of them, and flex them til they snap off. Go on be brave.
Then, you can fix a filter directly onto the camera and then fix the lens hood onto the filter. It works !

All right! More professional abuse! (Warning, if your still looking at your HC1 and thinking "but I paid $1400..." then don't do it). However, it'll work if you don't mind the lens hood being able to spin somewhat freely independant of the threaded fitting. (Not a big deal for me... Compromises).

The cheap sunpak UV lens hasn't enough front end threads to accept. I'll have to find another. What lens are you using?

After Stu's recommended "tabectomy", I removed the UV lens' retainer ring and there was enough threads to comfortably accept the lens hood.

The HC1 is recovering and doing well.

http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=674&c=33