On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 15:00:00 -0700, "Paul Tauger" wrote:
>"Neuman - Ruether" wrote in message
>news:3dae7d04.7268315@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
>> On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 10:51:29 -0700, "Paul Tauger"
>> wrote:

>> >I've just picked up a Kenko .65 wide angle lens for my VX2000. I'm a
>little
>> >concerned about its performance. I've got another 5 days to evaluate it
>> >before I can no longer return it.
>> >
>> >I've got comparison frame grabs posted here:
>> >
>> >http://members.cox.net/tauger.paul/Video%20Page/Kenko%20Comparison.htm
>> >
>> >What do you think?

>> Return it.
>> The Kenko 58mm-thread .66X, Canon .7X WD-58, and
>> Sony .7X "HG" 58mm can all outperform this one in
>> the corners at WA, though the .66X shows the least
>> distortion, and also the worst tele performance
>> and flare of the three... See for more on VX2000
>> converters the comparison at
>> www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/WA-converters.htm.
>> BTW, the asymmetrical color-fringing tells me
>> something is amiss...

>I assume that's something amiss with the Kenko lens, and not my VX2000,
>right?

I would test for color-fringing with the VX2000
lens (ordinarily, there is none with this lens [see
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/diffraction.htm]), and also
lens centering on the CCD (generally very good with
the VX2000/PD150, but generally very poor with most
other camcorders - but this might account for the
asymmetry [unlikely for the cause, though, of the
fringing itself...]).

>I've read your evaluations of converters a number of times. I came very
>close to going with the Raynox, but was put off by the fact that it's not a
>full zoom through (even Raynox admits it on their website). I'd prefer to
>avoide a screw thread model, only because there's so much weight hanging off
>the lens.

I think the thread is more secure than depending on
those thin plastic bayonette wings. I'm always careful
to install a threaded converter by upending the camera,
placing the converter in place on top, then back-turning
it until it drops into the proper thread before
screwing it into place. With the Canon and Sony .7X
converters, you may never want to remove them
again...! ;-) The Raynox .66X has some advantages
at the short end, though, and the Sony VCL-ES06 is
wider than all and quite good, but it has only about
2:1 zooming range (oddly, I often find this enough,
if I'm shooting mostly WA material and want only the
occasional pan-zoom for variety). The frame-grabs you
have on your web site show (even in the small sized
grabs) that the converter you have is not an adequate
performer. I would return it. With a good WA converter
for the VX2000, the image quality looks about the
same to the corners (TV-area, not full-frame...) with
or without the converter on, even wide open...