wide-angle lens question (Sony, Zunow, Schneider?) | Thread profile

Hi there, Here's my situation in a nutshell: after twenty years as a producer, standing next to a cameraman who always shot with a beautiful wide-angle lens on his Sony betacam (he was often just a foot from the subject, so a face would almost fill half the frame), and who got the most wonderful footage - - now I'm operating a camera myself (the EX1), and I want the same look... ...

At Alex Kubalsky's suggestion, I'm wondering if I might be better off with a wide-angle adapter, such as the Red-Eye (which I think comes in a .65x). This isn't a zoom-through lens, though, so I'd like to know how versatile it is. Could I, for example, with it on, still use macro, and get a really tight shot (someone writing some letters, for example)? Thanks, Malcolm

You should turn Macro on. That way you can focus on really close objects - like, say, your hand up against the lens hood.

thanks for the note, Gabriel. Here's my worry about using a wide-angle adapter... a note I got from Ryan, kindly explaining its strengths and weaknesses: "you can gain a very close focus. Shooting a piece of paper will technically focus at certain distances but it will appear very small and the page will be distorted in the sense that the vertical lines and words will curve inward. If you...

Hi Malcolm, I worked with another EX1 owner today who has the Century .6 Wide Angle we spoke about. I think it is just what you need. He uses it for interviews in places like passenger seat of a car and he says it works great. You can get up close, don't know exactly how close though he said right up to macro I didnt check this. Very short zoom through ability but I don't think it matters. The ...

I use the Sony 0.8 and it works very well for me. I have had no issues with the lens at all. As the EX1 is pretty wide anyway adding a 0.8 adapter gives a surprisingly wide view. There is some barrel distortion, but then almost all wide angles will have some, it's the nature of wide lenses.

Thanks for the note, Alexander - - I'll see if I can try out the Century or the Red Eye... I want to be really careful about making the right decision, because I've pretty well used up my budget at this point, and this wide-angle whatever will be my last purchase for a while. and thanks for your reply, Alister. I might see if I can take the Sony w.a. for a test drive too. I guess the ...

Quote: Originally Posted by Malcolm Hamilton Thanks for the note, Alexander - - I'll see if I can try out the Century or the Red Eye... I want to be really careful about making the right decision, because I've pretty well used up my budget at this point, and this wide-angle whatever will be my last purchase for a while. and ...

Hi Malcolm, I own & shoot with the EX1 here in NZ and I very rarely take the Sony 0.8 off the camera! It's an extremely versatile lens and while there's certainly some barrel distortion it's part & parcel of the W/A look. In my opinion the Sony 0.8 is a very good compromise. It's zoom through - meaning it will hold focus throughout it's range so you can zoom in and focus on far away objects, ...

Hi Mal, that's very useful information for me. I'll pop into a shop in town that carries the Sony w.a. and give it a try. I'm curious, though, that as happy as you seem to be with it, you want a .7 instead of a .8. Does it make that much of a difference? Now, about that Century/Schneider .7 (or .75): Ryan Avery told me in an email (I can't think he'd mind me passing this on; it can't be ...