"Jon Harris" <goldentully@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:bsd8pg$c0qs2$1@ID-210375.news.uni-berlin.de...

> I just purchased a Sony DCR-TRV27 Mini DV camcorder and am already finding I

> want to get wider shots. I'm looking at getting a wide angle adapter. Sony

> offers 2, the VCL-HG0730 ($190 list) and the VCL-0630 ($80). Since my

> camera cost <$600, I'm not too keen on spending nearly a third of that again

> for a WA adapter. I know that the HG0730 is supposed to have better image

> detail, especially on the edges, but is the price worth it? I'm mainly

> shooting family events, so my needs aren't the same as some of you who shoot

> professionally. But I am interested in getting decent quality.

>

> Is the HG0730 worth the extra money? Or are there other third party

> adapters I should be considering (30mm lens threads)?

You can also use 37mm threaded WA converters, with 30->37mm

step-up ring. The 0637 is good and cheap; the 0737HG is excellent

but large, heavy, and much more money. SK's advice is excellent (buy

at a good discounter that not only provides good prices and reliable

service, but accepts returns/exchanges with minimal hassels [my first

0737HG was defective, BTW, expensive as it was - ALWAYS test

gear before serious use!]). As for WAs in general: they can be

excellent/good/poor; some camera lenses are excellent/good/acceptable;

the combinations of these that work are not predictable (though the

better converters are more likely to work at least fairly well - but only

a *very* few WA converters work very well on most lenses [the

0737HG is one]); the best WAs degrade the image minimally, but

some; the worst WAs (or combinations) are unusable; some very

cheap moderate (.8X instead of .5-.6X) WAs often work very well,

and are usually light and compact; Sony, Canon, and Raynox generally

offer the best converters, though many cheap .42X fisheyes are

surprisingly sharp...

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com