New 16x9 Wide Angle Converter for HVR-V1U
 

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/8797.html

Is anyone planning on giving this a test, or does everyone still agree that the VCLHG0862K is the best option for a wide angle converter?

There is no universal agreement that the Sony WA converter is the "best option", because people's needs are different. It's a good lens, no question about that. Only .8x, some people, (including me), find that insufficient.

16x9inc. usually makes good stuff. This new converter is a .7x, which IMHO is good. I purchased a Raynox HD7062, which I'm quite happy with for my uses. With the money I saved, I'm on the lookout for a redeye .5x converter, which is also very handy for some of my work (non-zoom-through, but *wide*!)

Your mileage will vary, because your needs and style are unique!

What are you expecting from the RedEye .5x in comparison to the Raynox .7x ?

I ask because I bought the Raynox .7x 1st, then the RedEye .5x. I was expecting the RedEye to be as good as the Raynox, but with a wider view. I sent the RedEye back the day after I got it.

I've not had personal experience with the redeye. I'd expect the wide view with some barrel distortion? What was your experience?

I'd previously used a Century .5 or .55x on my PD150, which has been good for event coverage (dance events) when I have to show a whole room and don't have a place to put the camera for a wide enough shot. I am hoping that the redeye will perform equivalently - no zooming, just full wide.

???

IMHO, the Raynox 7062 is a very good lens for the price. I find barrel distortion to be low and at full wide, the picture to be pretty sharp, even into the corners.

I ordered a .5x RedEye. The lens I received was not labelled. I used a brick wall to test area covered, distortion and sharpness. The .5x RedEye covered the same amount of area as the Raynox .7x. I figured, RedEye mistakenly sent me a .7x. The RedEye had much greater barrel distortion and corner softness compared to the Raynox. I figured if this was really a .7x RedEye, a .5x RedEye would be even worse in barrel distortion and softness, so I sent it back.

The biggest strengths of the RedEye are it's size and weight, not it's picture quality.

Ron, thanks for sharing your impressions of the redeye. Oh well, other solutions will come up for a .5 or .55x. The Century is a sweet little lens, unfortunately it is a bayonet mount for the 150 & similar, so I won't be adapting it to the V1.

Here are two clips using the Raynox 7062, high morning sun gave me a couple of spots but otherwise good

HVR V1 Clips

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Around Newport beach on a very hot November day. Trying a Raynox 7062 HD WA lens. Morning sun gave me a few spots

Clip 1 is you tube setting 352x240 QT 1 mb 24mb clip http://www.hughmobley.com/beach%20QT.html

Clip2 is 640x480 QT 3mb 74 mb clip
http://www.hughmobley.com/beach%20640QT.html

Thanks Hugh. Very nice.

Mike

here are two snap shots of with and without the raynox 7062, both were full zoom, its obvious with the raynox on the zoom has to be limited

appalling! how about full wide?

leslie

This is from the Raynox site:

**The lens is made compatible in using with a 20X zoom lens. However, when zoomed up to the end of the telephoto with the lens on, the image quality of the picture will be lowered except the center area, and the deterioration of resolution power at corners will occur.

so my snapshots are to be expected, I didn't expect it as bad as it was. My recent clips at about 70% zoom were very good

Schneider Optics manufactures a Century .65x wide angle zoom through converter for the Sony V1U. It tests well and has a high line pairs per millimeter. We have experienced a few (very limited few) who find our .65x to be less than sharp at the corners which is a direct result of the 5% variance in placement of CCDs from the Sony factory. Overall, this is a highly well reviewed wide angle and uses the bayonet lock ring on where the factory shade goes. This creates a solid lock ensuring proper optical fomula and no wear on your threads like other screw-in attachments.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecomm...=1386&IID=6225

Ryan Avery
Regional Sales Representative
Schneider Optics