Wide Angle Adapter

Dave Largent · April 6th, 2004, 02:17 PM

You're right, they do look identical.

http://www.exco.it/pagine/cavision/video/dwc05x58.htm

So what problems did you have with the 0.5X Cavisions?
Was there really a wider angle of view than the
Tecpro S? Would you recommend I just stick
with the S and forget about the Z?

Bryan Beasleigh · April 6th, 2004, 07:01 PM

I do know that Cavision changed their source after Tom tested them.

Dave Largent · April 6th, 2004, 07:19 PM

How long ago was this change, Bryan?

It looks like the only distributor is the
Cavision company, atleast outside of Europe.
I'm gonna try to get a price on that lens.
Probably isn't cheap.

Bryan Beasleigh · April 6th, 2004, 08:04 PM

I asked them about the lens last may. The price list is on it's way, check your email.

Tom Hardwick · April 6th, 2004, 11:43 PM

At the Video Forum in London in February I was told that Cavision no longer had a distributer in the UK, but I must admit that I haven't done a search to find out if it's true. I would suggest that the Tecpro 0.5s might very well suit you Dave. Two other guys have bought the lens on my recommendation and both were very pleased. Mind you - you have to rather like barrel distortion, and I'm not one of those.

Cavision do make some good lens hoods though (as shown on the link you posted Dave). Strange thing is I found the deeper and more efficient hood made for their 0.65x converter worked well on the 0.5x and didn't vignette the image at all.

tom.

Dave Largent · April 8th, 2004, 04:36 PM

So here's what I know.
Cavision never sent me the requested price list, but
Bryan sent a copy. The price on the 0.5X wide is
$200. With a lens hood it's $250. With a lens hood
and a pouch it's $300.
I did receive a correspondance from someone at
Cavision. I had asked if the vignetting would be viewable on a TV. Here's what I got:

"We have not had any problems with vignetting
with 0.5X w.a. adapter with the PD150. Could you
elaborate on vignetting on a TV screen?"

So I've heard about three different stories about
the vignetting with the "Z". What is appealing to
me is that the Z "0.5X" supposedly gives a much wider
angle of view than the S "0.5X", with less distortion.

Tom Hardwick · April 10th, 2004, 03:22 PM

Dave - although there are production tolerances at work here - if a lens calls itself a 0.5x converter then it should be just that. Maybe we can accept a + /- tolerance of (say) 0.05x, so a 0.5x lens could in fact be a 0.45x or a 0.55x and still be legally sold under the 0.5x label.

But unless the manufacturer is lying, all 0.5x converters will give viewfinder pictures that look the same. The Z and the S will ''see as wide'' but one may distort more that the other.

tom.

Dave Largent · May 7th, 2004, 01:29 PM

Anyone know a way I could get this lens? I'm in the USA.

Bryan Beasleigh · May 7th, 2004, 04:14 PM

Dave
The person you've been talking with at cavision is Jason. He has very little experience in video . The Company owners don't speak english very well either. John Anthony used to work there but he's gone on to bigger and better things. He was well versed in all segments of the industry.

Bob Anderson · May 9th, 2004, 11:24 AM

I have the TecPro .5S lens here in the US. It does not vingette and is fully zoom through unless you put it on in addition to another filter between the lens and camera then it is slightly soft at the max zoomed in only. It most definately is not the same lens as the Cavision! It does not even look the same. Email me at AndysCam@aol.com if you are interested in obtaining one.

Dave Largent · May 10th, 2004, 12:40 PM

Well, I took the plunge and decided to go with the
0.5S.

Tom Hardwick · May 11th, 2004, 12:54 AM

I'm sure you'll like it Dave. For the money it's good and powerful and very sharp. Being a two element means there's less likelihood of internal flares, though it's still worth getting the Cavision LH-100P 3:4 lens hood for it, which fits a treat.

Unlike Bob (above) I've not seen the slight softness he refers to when using the Tecpro on top of my 58mm skylight filter. If you unscrew it to leave the powerful macro lens on your camera, be shure to shoot at pretty small apertures to bring the corners of the frame up to scratch.

tom.

Dave Largent · May 11th, 2004, 01:29 AM

So for you, Tom, it maintains sharpness on full zoom in?

Tom Hardwick · May 11th, 2004, 01:41 AM

Yes. Of course when fully zoomed in you're effectively shooting at a focal length of 36mm if you have the Tecpro in place. If you now remove the Tecpro and shoot at the same focal length (now in the middle of your 12x zoom's range) the pictures will be even better. Less distortion, chromatic aberation, flare and even greater sharpness. This is the same for all add-on lenses of course, and is not a criticism of the Tecpro alone.

tom.

Dave Largent · May 11th, 2004, 02:31 AM

How are the coatings on that S? Is the lens
prone to flare, or not too bad?

May 7th, 2004, 04:14 PM	#249
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	Dave The person you've been talking with at cavision is Jason. He has very little experience in video . The Company owners don't speak english very well either. John Anthony used to work there but he's gone on to bigger and better things. He was well versed in all segments of the industry. __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ".......holy smokin rubber lips...what a ride!"

April 6th, 2004, 02:17 PM	#241
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	You're right, they do look identical. http://www.exco.it/pagine/cavision/video/dwc05x58.htm So what problems did you have with the 0.5X Cavisions? Was there really a wider angle of view than the Tecpro S? Would you recommend I just stick with the S and forget about the Z?

April 6th, 2004, 07:01 PM	#242
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	I do know that Cavision changed their source after Tom tested them.

April 6th, 2004, 07:19 PM	#243
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	How long ago was this change, Bryan? It looks like the only distributor is the Cavision company, atleast outside of Europe. I'm gonna try to get a price on that lens. Probably isn't cheap.

April 6th, 2004, 08:04 PM	#244
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	I asked them about the lens last may. The price list is on it's way, check your email.

April 6th, 2004, 11:43 PM	#245
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	At the Video Forum in London in February I was told that Cavision no longer had a distributer in the UK, but I must admit that I haven't done a search to find out if it's true. I would suggest that the Tecpro 0.5s might very well suit you Dave. Two other guys have bought the lens on my recommendation and both were very pleased. Mind you - you have to rather like barrel distortion, and I'm not one of those. Cavision do make some good lens hoods though (as shown on the link you posted Dave). Strange thing is I found the deeper and more efficient hood made for their 0.65x converter worked well on the 0.5x and didn't vignette the image at all. tom.

April 8th, 2004, 04:36 PM	#246
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	So here's what I know. Cavision never sent me the requested price list, but Bryan sent a copy. The price on the 0.5X wide is $200. With a lens hood it's $250. With a lens hood and a pouch it's $300. I did receive a correspondance from someone at Cavision. I had asked if the vignetting would be viewable on a TV. Here's what I got: "We have not had any problems with vignetting with 0.5X w.a. adapter with the PD150. Could you elaborate on vignetting on a TV screen?" So I've heard about three different stories about the vignetting with the "Z". What is appealing to me is that the Z "0.5X" supposedly gives a much wider angle of view than the S "0.5X", with less distortion.

April 10th, 2004, 03:22 PM	#247
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Dave - although there are production tolerances at work here - if a lens calls itself a 0.5x converter then it should be just that. Maybe we can accept a + /- tolerance of (say) 0.05x, so a 0.5x lens could in fact be a 0.45x or a 0.55x and still be legally sold under the 0.5x label. But unless the manufacturer is lying, all 0.5x converters will give viewfinder pictures that look the same. The Z and the S will ''see as wide'' but one may distort more that the other. tom.

May 7th, 2004, 01:29 PM	#248
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Anyone know a way I could get this lens? I'm in the USA.

May 9th, 2004, 11:24 AM	#250
Bob Anderson New Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MA Posts: 15	I have the TecPro .5S lens here in the US. It does not vingette and is fully zoom through unless you put it on in addition to another filter between the lens and camera then it is slightly soft at the max zoomed in only. It most definately is not the same lens as the Cavision! It does not even look the same. Email me at AndysCam@aol.com if you are interested in obtaining one.

May 10th, 2004, 12:40 PM	#251
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Well, I took the plunge and decided to go with the 0.5S.

May 11th, 2004, 12:54 AM	#252
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I'm sure you'll like it Dave. For the money it's good and powerful and very sharp. Being a two element means there's less likelihood of internal flares, though it's still worth getting the Cavision LH-100P 3:4 lens hood for it, which fits a treat. Unlike Bob (above) I've not seen the slight softness he refers to when using the Tecpro on top of my 58mm skylight filter. If you unscrew it to leave the powerful macro lens on your camera, be shure to shoot at pretty small apertures to bring the corners of the frame up to scratch. tom.

May 11th, 2004, 01:29 AM	#253
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	So for you, Tom, it maintains sharpness on full zoom in?

May 11th, 2004, 01:41 AM	#254
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Yes. Of course when fully zoomed in you're effectively shooting at a focal length of 36mm if you have the Tecpro in place. If you now remove the Tecpro and shoot at the same focal length (now in the middle of your 12x zoom's range) the pictures will be even better. Less distortion, chromatic aberation, flare and even greater sharpness. This is the same for all add-on lenses of course, and is not a criticism of the Tecpro alone. tom.

May 11th, 2004, 02:31 AM	#255
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	How are the coatings on that S? Is the lens prone to flare, or not too bad?