Boyd and Tom, that's very helpful indeed. Now I know that the Z1 will only be a tad narrower (horizontally at least) than my VX with 0.7x Canon converter. I think I'll pass on the converter for now and spend the dosh on other accessories.

Tom, do you have a 0.5x converter? If so, which one?

Yes, I have a few 0.5x wide-angle converters, but the best one by far is the single element Bolex Aspheron. It's an aspheric so is not full zoom through - but it still allows you a 6x zoom whih isn't bad. It's T* coated and best of all adds not a single blip of barrel distortion to the mix.

Available new from Bolex in Switzerland. I know, because my second one arrived just last week. It's a lot of money for a single elemet lens, but then you can also spend a lot of money on a multi-elemet lens and get the barrel distortion included for free. In 35 mm terms you're now using a 17 mm lens - and this looks and acts seriously wide.

I've got some pictures here:

http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/v/tom-s-photo-album/

tom.

You got one with a 72mm thread Tom? Can't see any of them on their site. Their Aspheron page is offline. Do you mind me asking how much it was before I email them?

Ah, that's the problem, see. I got an engineering firm (SRB) here in the UK to make me an adapter going from the Bolex's 85 mm thread down to a 72 mm. It has to be a 'special' because of the position of the Aspheron's thread. Now with an off-the-shelf 72>58 adapter the Aspheron can be used on the VX2k as well.

A friend in Australia has had a bayonet adapter made. It cost a lot more money, but how neat! His engineer simply copied the ins and outs of the bayonet-on lens hood.

I paid UKP 418 to have it delivered to my door, but then Bolex had sale prices up all last month. That's less than a bendy Century.

tom.

If you can find someone to make the adapter, the Aspheron is GREAT. I use mine with my XL2 stock lens and it looks wonderful.

I've been trying for about a year to find someone who can make me an adapter with a bayonet mount (using the threading on the canon lens makes the aspheron sit farther away from your glass) but everyone I've found either doesn't have the tools for the fine threading work, or they want to charge upwards of $400.

In the meantime I have been using gaffers tape to secure the Aspheron to my lens, which works, but it makes me VERY nervous every time I do it.

I too have felt this nervousness. Before I designed the threaded adapter and had it made I used to hold my Aspheron on with friction (and quite a bit of it). But I remember doing some overhead shots of a Chinese Dragon dance from an upstairs balcony. Great viewpoint and wonderful to have the Aspheron in place, but I felt like you do when you look over the edge of the Eifel Tower. You feel for some inexplicabe reason that your shades are going to fall 50 metres, when you're fine looking at your feet in the street.

tom.

I got a reply from Bolex about the lens.

Guys, can I just check that this is the right lens before I order it? I'm not sure how the 6.5mm relates to 0.5x or 0.52x etc..

Cheers,

Nick

If you decide not to order through bolex, I have been trying to sell mine for a while...there's a post about it in the classifieds if you search.

Nick - The Aspheron is a perfectly normal 0.52x wide-angle converter, the 6.5 mm figure just telling Vario Switar owners what the focal length will be when they attach it to their Kern zoom.

I say perfectly normal, but it's not of course - it's totally devoid of barrel distortion - unlike lenses from Century, Optex, Kenko, Raynox, Tecpro, Cavision, Red Eye. I could go on, you know.

You'll need a special 85 mm adapter though as the attachment thread isn't right at the rear of the lens (for Kern fitting).

tom.

Chris - I can't even find classified listed.

Chris, I found your 2 ads and I might be interested. First I need to do a bit of research because I really want to get a bayonet mount made this time around (my wide adaptors go on and off a lot, often in a rush) and I need to know I can get one made somewhere or cobble one together myself without totally breaking the bank.

Does anyone know how much a spare FX1/Z1 lens hood costs? Probably silly money. I'm thinking of butchering one to use as the basis of a bayonet mount.

Also does any ring or fitting in existence come with an 85mm female thread that would mate with the Aspheron thread, or is this really something that needs custom machining (I don't mean 85 to 72, I know that doesn't exist)? If some sort of off-the-shelf ring is available then it could be screwed/glued to a butchered FX1 lens hood.

Tom, do you reckon that Cavision LH100W P/M 4:3 hood is still the best bet for shading the Aspheron on a Z1?

Nick

I had thought about using a lens hood as a basis for a bayonet mount at one point. They seem to run about $60 USD on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/CANON-LENS-HOOD-...QQcmdZViewItem
I wasn't able to find a 85mm threaded ring to fit the aspheron, so I scrapped the idea....but if you happen to find one let me know.

Tom: Are you unable to see the Private Classifieds forum on the main index page? If so, are you logged in or just browsing as a guest (it should say "Welcome back, Tom Hardwick!" on the upper right side of the screen). If you see that message but not the Classifieds forum then let me know and I'll look into it.

New members are not allowed access to the Classifieds for the first few months, but you should certainly not have that problem!

The closest I get is Private Messages, and Private Classified doesn't appear anywhere Boyd. So I'd be mighty pleased if you'd look into it as I have some good manfrotto kit to sell.

tom.

Nick - I'm interested to see you looking longingly at the FX1's hood, as I did exactly that with my VX2k. I bought a new Sony hood and butchered it about in an effort to attach the bayonet to the Aspheron. No-go. But go ahead - hack at the FX1 hood and let me know how you get on.

If you email me off list I can send you the drawing the lathe operator will need to make the special 85 mm > 72 mm adapter.
I never found the 85 mm ring you're looking for, but a correspondent of mine has had a bayonet adapter made for him in Australia. No, he wouldn't make me one, it took so damn long to machine.

The Cavision hood is pretty useless on the Aspheron, and that's simply because the Aspheron sees so wide that the very corners of the frame are actually *just* picking up the Aspheron's front ring. I use mine unhooded now, thanking the lord for T* Zeiss multi-coating. Another point: The Cavision hood is 4:3 and you really need a 16:9 hood. Anyone know of one?

tom.