THE LATEST (AND LAST) LONG (AND WIDE) LIST

 UPDATED 21-03-2000 - 11 different adapters now (what happened to number 12?)

What's New ?

* Less different adapters on list: Vivanco 0,5 appears to be EXACTLY THE
SAME LENS as the HAMA 0,5 HR 52mm/76mm (identical twins except the name and
the cardboard box)

* Our High Priest was so kind to add the list to His Holy Pages (thanks John):
	http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/

* User feedback VCL-R0752: plastic lens version (thanks Dave)

* Buying second hand pays & old 8mm cam adapters work sometimes too... Take
your cam with you and play around. (I bought an almost new HAMA 0.5 for
30$, a Hama Teleconverter for 35$ and a great diopter for 2$.)

NB: All Notes/quality quotes are comments of users, so can be subjective.
    NB: The list is in random order!


* Kenko Macro Wide
- w/a factor: 0.7 (approx)
- price: ???
- zoom: use only for wide
- filter(back/front): back 52mm
                      front: ???
NOTES: spherical, coated


* HAMA 0.5 HR 52mm/72mm
(Hama makes loads of models: this the most "conic shaped" HAMA w/a adapter)
  Also sold under name: Vivanco
- NOT TO BE FOUND AT http://www.technikdirekt.de (maybe old model???)
- w/a factor: 0.5
- price:  Approx approx. 128 USD without tax/VAT /DFL 350 incl BTW )
  I bought one second hand for 30$ !!! Great!
- zoom: full zoom
- filter(back/front): back 52mm
                      front: 76 (77?) mm

NOTES: Very solid, three element, glass - but uncoated. I made some great
shots with it but quite sensitive to flare. Disadvantage: need big ($$)
filters!

* HAMA 0.5 HR 52mm/67 mm
(shape: a smaller and bigger cylinders stuck together)
- w/a factor: 0.5
- price: DM 219,- (approx. 110 USD)
- European supplier: http://www.technikdirekt.de
- zoom: full zoom
- filter(back/front): back 52mm
                      front: 67mm
NOTES:
Disadvantages: Heavy weight (250 grams). With an additional filter or a Cokin
adapter attached vignetting is visible at full wide angle.
Due to the multiple lens design the Hama WA is sensitive to flare

* Sony VCL-EC 0.6
- w/a factor: 0.6
- price:  in Amsterdam for DFl 199,-  (roughly USD 99:)
- zoom: NO full through zoom. It can be used from full wide angle to half
zoom.
- filter(back/front): no threads at all: back: snap in with plastic
converter to variou thread. comes with 52mm snap in adapter ring front: no
threads, no possibility to attach a hood
NOTES: Smaller wide, same barrel distortion as HAMA 0.5, but lighter (70
grams). A lot less flare than the Hama without hood.


* Canon WD55
- w/a factor: 0.7
- price: $95 in USA
- zoom: full zoom
- filter(back/front): back 55 mm(you need 52/55 step up ring to attach it).
No front thread
NOTES: there may be an ever so slight bending of the lines (slight fish
eye). This is barely noticeable. I used the same adopter with the 8x lens
on a Canon L1. "I think it looks GREAT".

* Kenko KNW 0.5 pro
- w/a factor: 0.5
- price: $130 in USA
- zoom:???
- filter mm (back/front):52/82
NOTES: 275 g, 54 mm long, 3 elements, multicoated.
I also ran across a post on the net that compared the Kenko with the WA
adaptor from Century Precision Optics, which costs 3x what the Kenko does.
The guy said that in an A/B comparison, the Century glass did show SLIGHTLY
better color than the Kenko, but in terms of price/performance, Kenko wins
by a mile.

* Vivanco: see HAMA 0,5
NOTES: Vivanco appears to be THE SAME LENS as HAMA 0,5 HR: badge engineering

* Sony VCL-0752H (glass version!)
- price:  approx $110-$145 in USA
- w/a factor 0.7
- zoom: full zoom
- quality: see notes
- filter mm (back/front): 52/no thread
NOTES: 	The Sony inexpensive R0752 wide angle lens which would not
work on the VX-1000, due to vignetting, necessitating the purchase of the
more expensive 0752H Sony wide angle lens, WORKS FINE on the TRV900 WITHOUT
vignetting! I purchased a 58mm rubber lens hood, separated it from the
plastic threaded piece and hot-melt glued it to the lens housing far enough
back on the lens body that I can still use the push-on lens cap that came
with the lens. I did, however, have to trim the "depth" of the lens cap in
half so that it would go on without hitting the rubber lens hood.

USER: I have the VCL-R0752  PLASTIC LENS version. I do not have the VCL-R0752H
GLASS lens to compare it to. I am not trained in optics or even in videography.
We use the TRV-900 for corporate & industrial video. I purchased the WA
adapter for home movies: most camcorder lenses don't go wide enough to give
you good results at home for birthday parties, living room romps, etc.

On my previous camcorder, I had a .5 WA adapter, which I felt was too wide.
Too much optical distortion around the edges at all zoom settings. The
VCL-R0752 is a .7 WA adapter, which seems just perfect: minimal optical
distortion noticed when zoomed all the way out, virtually none when zoomed
in a bit. I have observed no vignetting at any zoom setting. Regarding
image quality of the plastic WA adapter lens, since I seldom shoot at home
with other than ambient light and handheld support, it would be pretty hard
to blame the lens for any image problems! But I haven't seen any problems.
In short, the plastic lens works great for my application.


* Sony VCL-R0752 plastic version of VCL-0752H
- price:  approx $70 in USA
- w/a factor:0.7
- full zoom:?
- filter mm (back/front): 52/none
NOTES: Sony recommends for the TRV900 and higher end recorders
to use the glass lens eg the H version.

* Sony PD100 w/a adapter, only comes with camera, to order as part
- price: $268 in USA
- w/a factor: 0.7
- zoom: full zoom
- supposedly better than 0752H.
- filter mm (back/front): 52/82
NOTES: Q: Rumours is there's a notch that *prevents* it being fitted on the
tvr900. Is that true?

A1: the pd100 wide angle has a filter size on the large end of 82mm. the
end that screws into the 900's lens is 52mm.
the notch is on the large hood that comes with the pd100 (bought separate
for 900) therefore a standard 82mm filter works, but the sony hood does not.

A2: The wide angle lens does have a small indexing notch that mates with
a tab in the main camera lens.  I haven't seen the front of a TVR900,
so I can't say whether this notch would prevent using the lens on the
TVR900. Note that this "notch" is indeed the absence of a bit of material.
It does not stick out, it sticks in.  Hard to see how this would
prevent it's use on a camera that might be missing the indexing tab.

Reports it's available separately from Sony Professional Parts at
800-538-7550, ask for  Hood 305284901 $70.95 Wide Angle Lense 305285901
$268.16  (only part in stock as of 6/30/99) Lense cap. Narrow end. 58.5
Dia. 305354901 $17.86 Lense cap. Wide end. 82 Dia. 305355001 $22.25 Total:
$379.92 + tax + shipping.

* Century Optics DSC-65CV-58 .65 Wide Angle Converter
- price: $400 in USA
- w/a factor:0.65
- zoom: full zoom
- filter mm (back/front):?/?
NOTES including step-up ring. It's a beautiful lens with
full zoom through capability. Plus it really makes camera look cool. "very
good"

* Century Optics DS-55WA-58 Digital Series .55 reversible
- price: is $325,  for $280 at tri-state (B&H price $292)
- w/a factor:0.55
- full zoom:???
- filter mm (back/front):?/?
NOTES: One side is standard .55 wide angle, you unscrew lens element flip
and rescrew, and it is now a fisheye, with lots of barrel distortion, a
nice dream/music video/comedy effect.the field of view on the fisheye is
not tremendously wider, but it has a pronounced effect.

There is no vignetting (I always kill that word) on eitherside, which is
nice compared to the under $100 tunra/satter.5 wide I was using previously.
The Tundra went a bit wider, but as I mentioned there was vignetting (due
to the step up ring) forcing you to tighten up The Century is wider compared
to the zoomed in tundra.

The century is not zoom through, but gives you probably the outer 30-40% of
the zoom range, while the larger, heavier Tundra is zoom through, having
more elements in the lens.

* Century Optics 0.3x "ultra fisheye" converter
- price: 1800 DM in Germany.
- w/a factor: 0.3
- full zoom: ???
- filter mm ?/?
NOTES: The field of view is 180 degrees diagonally on a VX1000, but
somewhat less with a 1/4" CCD camera like the TRV900. Their website even
has a short video clip taken by a TRV900 using this lens. Their website
even has a short video clip taken by a TRV900 using this lens.
www.centuryoptics.com


*TOM HARDWICKS NON-ALPHABETICAL OPTICAL DICTIONARY*

- Vignetting is an uneveness of exposure across the frame, usually not
noticed untill the corners become really dark.

- Optical distortion is usually seen as a bending of straight lines
(although of course flare is a form of distortion). This distortion becomes
more noticeable the further the lines are fronm the centreline of the
image.  These lines will be distorted be they horizontal, vertical or
diagonal - it matters not.

* TOMS GENERAL TECH NOTES 

-The TRV900 has large amounts of barrel distortion at the wideangle end of
the zoom, and in most cases this is exagerated by the addition of a
wideangle converter.

- All add-on lenses (be they filters or single elements or multi
element converters) loose you information and generally add distortion.  The
best lens on the 900 is the lens that came with it - nothing more, nothing
less.  So I say when you need a wideangle, fit a wideangle.  If you need to
film at a focal length of 15mm, then set 15mm on the Sony zoom, don't add a
zoom through widie and zoom up to 15mm, the results WILL be degraded.

So - I use a Kenko Macro wide lens (that's all it says on it).  52mm thread,
glass, spherical, coated, about 0,7x. I also use a Eumig PM Aspheric.  This
removes all the barrel distortion but is uncoated;   a Schneider-Kreuznach
Ultrawide lens type Nizo II (ditto, but not as powerful);  an Astron
Superwider semi-fisheye, a lens taken from an underwater Nautica Super8
camera and various combination lenses I've made up.  One is a 2 element
spherical/aspherical combination that flares like crazy, but as I dolly
round the stage behind the dancers, the gobs of flare from all the
spotlights looks wonderful!