Worth buying a wide angle lens?

[Crimson_Fluid]

I know the HMC-150 is already wide but I was thinking of buying a Century Optic 0.6x wide angle lens or a 16x9 0.6x wide angle lens. I don't really want to zoom through I just want something wide that won't cause any vignetting. If it's not possible then I won't worry about it since the lens on the camera is already wide enough. I just want to see if I can get a little extra out of it with one of these lenses.

Also I'm not really looking for a fisheye but the opteka .4x fisheye doesn't look too bad eventhough it has that barrell look it does look kinda good. I just want more of a wide look with straight lines more than curves.

 

[ParrotEyes]

I just bought that one (Century) a few weeks ago from a forum member and had a chance to use it a lot on a trip I took. The wide angle does make a difference and is a nice tool to have. It is nice to have in tight quarters as well as capturing wider vistas.

One thing I noticed, there is a difference in the video quality. The lens adds more "grain" to the image, so keep that in mind. There is noticeable barrel distortion on the outer edges of the frame if you have objects with straight edges in it. Overall, for the price, I can live with the shortcomings.

 

[TheDingo]

I bought the Century Optics 0.6x wide angle ( 18mm equivalent in 35mm SLR terms ), which I find to be an excellent extreme wide angle lens. Very handy when you have to shoot in tight places, or wide panoramas.

Haven't noticed any more "grain" to the images I am shooting. HMC-150 "grain" ( in the mid-tone to dark-blacks range ) is a whole other issue, which can be greatly cleaned up with the NeatVideo.com plug-in. ( especially if you calibrate your settings to your specific camera settings ) Best $100 accessory you can buy for HMC-150 footage.

 

[abeas]

So there is definitely vignetting zoomed through? Also, I have a tiffen UV filter already threaded on my lens. Can I use that, and the Century Optics 0.6x wide angle and put the lens hood back on?

 

[TheDingo]

So there is definitely vignetting zoomed through?

I haven't noticed any real vignetting, but keep in mind that these sort of WA adapters will only hold focus for about 1/3 of the zoom range, so you are good from full wide to about 30-40 percent zoomed in.

I have a tiffen UV filter already threaded on my lens. Can I use that, and the Century Optics 0.6x wide angle and put the lens hood back on?

No. Both the filter and the Panasonic lens hood have to remain off the lens while you are using the WA adapter lens.