Your dealer has obviously not called the Office yet. We can issue an RA# in 5 minutes. Please tell him to call us directly. I guarantee anything else is thier internal issues.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

I appreciate your concern. Unfortunately I have been extremely busy with NAB and I travel to over 27 states for Schneider. I post on this site as a courtesy to you. I have yet to be able to post the images and that is nothing more than a lack of hours in the day to do my job. We have nothing to hide and we deliver the highest quality optic we can for the price that you will pay. Nothing is perfect. The images in question are far below the standards of lenses that we produce and not typical of anything that has come out of our factory here in California to date. Without seeing the lens and performing testing in our lab, I cannot comment on that particular lens anymore.

I apologize for my lateness in posting images but please bear with me as I am extremely busy.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

Raymond,

See above post and also read the word "attempt". I am doing the best I can and I appreciate your patience.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

I recently purchased the .6x wide angle from Century for the EX1 and am also having problems. There is some really bad vignetting going on and the only way I am able to achieve focus is by switching the camera to macro. I have owned several Century lenses before and these issues never occurred. I have been trying to be in contact with Century support without luck. Is any one else experiencing these issues with this lens?

I'm pretty sure the Century 0.6x is a single spherical element in a mount Doug, and the only way you're going to be able to focus a camcorder through that is in its macro mode. Most camcorders don't have a macro mode as such these days (the EX1 is an exception) but they automatically focus in the macro mode when required to do so (as when a single negative dioptre element is placed in front of the zoom lens, for instance).

tom.

Tom,
Thanks for clearing that up. Looking at my other cameras you are correct about the absence of a macro mode. So this just leaves the issue of vignetting.

And that's quite an issue. You've not got any filters between the CO and your Fuji, have you? No step-up rings involved here? Vignettes with Steadyshot on or off?

Tom,
I have no other filters attached to the camera and no step-up rings. And the vignetting occurs regardless of the Steadyshot bring turned on or off.

Zunow Wide Angle Released in Japan.
 

Hey Guys, Here in Tokyo my local Shop now have a Wide Angle Lens made by Japanese Company called ZUNOW. Its supposed to be the first distortion free Wide Angle for the EX1. It was just released here last week. It retails here for 100,00 yen which is about $900 US I think.

The model Number is WEX-075a. Maybe ask your local dealer about getting some in. Its wider, distortion free, and has removable hood so you can attach Matte Box etc.

Looks good. These guys know what they're doing.

Great to hear Alexander, can you possibly post some screen grabs or vid of the same shot with it and without it? Yea, sorry for sounding like a broken record. =)

- Ray

A 0.75x wide-angle converter for the EX1 without barrel distortion Alex? Full zoom-through do you know? Should sell well, but pitty it isn't just a bit more powerful.

Doug,

Please post images of your vignette or email them to me. We have shipped hundreds of .6x attachments with no complaints including use on major feature films. If you wish, we can look at your lens for you but images would be faster to assess the problem to begin.

Ryan Avery
Schnieder Optics

Hi, Ryan!
Don't you know when the Schnieder Optics will ship semi-fisheye 0.55 and fisheye 0.3? I can't wait to purchase them! :)
Thanks!

Raymond, Tom, I'm told it is distortion free 0.75x wide angle with full zoom through. detachable hood. It weighs 840grams. The Sony weighs 630g. I didn't buy it because its a little more than I can afford at the moment. I have asked the shop to send me stills/screen grabs to pass on to the forum. I'm told that Zunow is a well respected small lens manufacturer here. I only know that one other wide angle lens they make for the z1 which can also be used with the HVX is a big seller in Japan.
They build all lenses in Akita, Nothern Japan.
They were at NAB this year but I cant believe that when you google them in English my post from yesterday is third in the list. Unknown outside Japan! Strange.
Will let you know if I hear any more.

Certainly known here in the UK. I took my Z1 to the Video Forum 18 months ago and attached it to the front, but didn't like the barrel distortion then. Hopefully it's improved.

Ryan,
Here is a still from the camera with the .6x lens attached. The camera is at full wide (5.6mm). Thanks.

Sometimes we experience vignetting in underscan but doesn't show in the final output to tape or webcast. Your issue seems a whole lot like CCD placement issues that we often expereince only from Sony (no knock on Sony intended, just facts).

Please bear with us as we formulate a solution to the unique challenges presented by this particular camera. We have never seen this much inconsistency from one model to the next in CCD placement. We will verify these issues and have an official solution in the coming weeks.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

Just got the 0.75 wide angle adapter from Schneider. Nice piece of glass, fits perfectly with the Vocas Mattebox but......There is a major distortion issue with it and the edges are really soft. For me it is totally unusable. I contacted the service department over a week ago. Got a reply saying they would look into it, but since then nothing......Sent a couple of emails...nothing. This is really frustrating especially since I returned my Sony adapter for this one.

1.6 tele
 

Hey Paul,

Any chance you have some examples from your tele? Would love to see full zoom without and with the 1.6.

From my calcs, it should be equivalent to about a 700mm 35mm still image at full zoom with edge crop beginning somewhere around 370mm 35mm equiv. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks in advance!

David if the weather clear this weekend I will be doing some shooting with the telephoto and will post some stills with and without. You are correct at 50% the image is full frame.

I'll see if I can't send you some of our sunny California weather. Looking forward to your tests. Cheers.

Ah yes that would be nice. Spring has sprung in Rhode Island but it is still New England.

just got a century 0.6x wide angle, and it vignettes like crazy. I'll post some stills later tonight when I have a chance, but in the zoom range where it normally would vignette, it is several times worse than it is without the adapter. It does seem as though this all goes back to sony's QC with sensor placement, I'm just bummed because I was hoping to use it on a job next week.

-Sean

Hey Guys, Has anyone heard anything more about the Zunow Wide Angle Lens yet? Not even a screen grab in Japan yet.

http://www.videoalpha.jp/news/2008/04/000131.php


Im curious to know if its any good, not that Im in a hurry to shell out a $1000 for it.

I had a redeye 0.7,bit of barrel distortion but no other problems apart from the fact it wouldn't quite fit under the lense hood.
So i returned it.
Nice lens though.And only £200.

Paul.

Same here Paul - I returned my RedEye 0.7x as although it claimed to be an aspherical element it wasn't aspherical enough, and the barrel distortion was too much for me. Beautifully coated and very light though.

That was with my VX2k. My friend seemed happy with his on the DVX100A, but that barrel distorted even more (perhaps because the Leica zoom went wider anyway).

tom.

David I have not forgotten you with the 1.6 Century. I will try and give it a go now and see what I can come up with for stills.

No worries Paul. Looking forward to what you come up with! By the way, do you use a mattebox with the tele?

I use a Century Sun Shade that I have had for years. It holds one 4x4 filter in a tray. Works nice and is a great price.

For my work a mattebox is too bulky and just gets in the way.

It is very gray out but if the phone stops ringing I will get a few clips with and with out now.

David thank you very much for getting me in gear to do this test. I have been very busy and had not taken the time to do a proper test with the Century 1.6 telephoto on the EX1.

Well the results are not good. The lens has the same problem I had with the wide angle and it is so bad I have asked for a RA# for the lens.

I did three test at full zoom with and with out the lens.

Stills:

well that's 2 strikes on century. i ordered the fisheye and waiting for delivery. these quality issues for the ex1 lenses is making me nervous about the fisheye.

Wow, I had such high hopes for this piece of glass. I thought the issues with the WA adapters wouldn't or couldn't manifest themselves in a tele but, sadly, I am dead wrong. This is really incredible that Century would have shipped such flawed products.

I am sorry, Paul, that were the guinea pig for us but thanks so much for posting the pics and doing the tests. Better to find out now than when you were out at sea though!

I would like to hear from Century now what is going on with these adapters. I for sure will not be ordering one and will begin to look at other makers.

I just got the century 0.6X and unfortunately it also vignettes just as described previously in this post - not useable. It is even worse as my camera is not a vignetter - and the vignetting with the Century 0.6X occurs perfectly evenly in all 4 corners between 6.5 and 15.

Asking for a return is going to be difficult as I live in Australia and ordered from B&H.

This is really dissapointing as I have other Century lenses that I am very happy with.

Ryan,

I know that you said that Century were working on an engineering fix - will this apply to lenses already shipped such as mine?

.

Graeme - are you sure this vignetting is reason enough to abandon your relationship with this lens? How does it fare in all other respects - in other words is is sharp, flare free, light, affordable, easy to carry, hood and fit, is the barrel distortion acceptable, does it allow enough zoom and so on? And if you return it, where else will you look for a replacement?

My super-wide vignettes the very corners on my Z1's frame at full wide, but if my clients are noticing this then my film has lost them good 'n' proper. But I have one thing on my side - I can zoom up a tad and the unlit pixels disappear. The optical design of the Fuji on the EX1 doesn't work this way.

tom.

Tom,

Have only just got the lens and tried it on the camera inside at night.

At the widest setting of the Fujinon lens (5.8) the lens "just vignettes at the corners" a little. Like you I have seen this on the Z1, and also like you I zoom in a tad to clear it up - works a treat and the lens is sharp. With this lens as you zoom in the vignette gets far worse - maybe 5% of the frame at 10mm - very ugly - and dissappears at 15mm (which is about equal to the widest setting on the stock lens). Can't really comment on sharpness yet, as I need to shoot outside to check it.

The lens is beautifully made as are all Century lenses, and it is nice and light and easy to use. Just wish that it was useable as a WA on my camera!

OK. Two options. 1) Treat it as a totally non zoom-through wide converter and accept the tiny amount of vignetting. 2) Return it for a refund.

Have you had a look-see what Raynox has on offer?

http://www.raynox.co.jp/english/vide...00ex/index.htm

tom.

Don I am also waiting on a Fisheye and hope they get on out of three right.

Graeme, I own the Sony .8 and aside from the weight, it works quite well. I do need a wider adapter for tight interior shots of rooms. I am planning on getting the Century .6 and would like your opinion. They tell me that it is "almost" fine when used in the extreme wide setting of the camera, but does vignette during the partial zoom. what is your take on this and would you suggest this lens if you were only planning on using it for extreme wide use? I do have several days before my possible shoot.
Thanks, Craig

I am very relieved to hear I am not the only one having this vignetting issue. I am really surprised that it is occurring so badly during the entire distance of 5.6 to 10mm. Hopefully we will hear back from Ryan or someone from Century soon. I find the amount of vignetting not acceptable.

Had a look at your stills from the telephoto and the only problem I see is a slight softening of the image.

I've done my own tests with my Century 1.6x that just arrived and I see a very subtle lose in sharpness but isn't this what you'd expect from a teleconverter and all that extra glass??

Let me know if I'm missing something. Adding extra glass is always going to sacrifice some sharpness - it's why in still photography primes are chosen over zooms.

Be good to hear what everyone thinks.
cheers
wes