Wide Angle Lens Test
by Carroll Lam
Dec. 15 2000

I have just finished some preliminary tests of a new (at least to me) wide angle adapter suitable for the VX2000/PD150. It is the "Pro Wide O.65X" by Kenko. It would appear to offer us users another option in addition to the Canon WD58 0.7X adapter and the Sony and Century Optics models. There's a technical description of it at http://www.thkphoto.com/catalog/kenko2.html. I bought mine at Adoroma Camera for about $180.

The lens has full zoom-through on the PD150. It is a 58 mm screw-on mount. Resolution tests indicate little, if any, loss in image resolution compared to that without the adapter mounted.

A Tiffen "standard"-thickness polarizer (82 mm) results in just a bit of vignetting at the full wide zoom position, but one of the new Hoya "thin" polarizers (The Filter Connection) has no vignetting at all. Here are test photos (jpeg) from PD150 memory stick, using the Kenko 0.65x lens: wide shot and zoomed in.

I use one of the CAVision 3 x 3 matte boxes and when mounted on the Pro Wide, there is only the slightest vignetting in the upper corners at full wide. So far I am quite pleased with the adapter.