Customer Reviews

DCR-6600Pro 0.66x HD Wide Angel Conversion Lens (52mm) [Camera]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a fan of landscape photography and this is the perfect accessory for my Canon PS S3IS. It is good because it has a front thread (72 mm) to put filters on. I often use this with a Linear Polarizer and it produces a slight vignetting that can be eliminated with a small push in the zoom rocker (from 1x to 1.1x) so it is not really something I regret. It converts my 36 mm Equivalent focal length into 24 mm, which broadens the field of view substantially. Barrel distortion with this converter is negligible when compared to the camera's own performance and to other Wide Angle Converters. I totally recommend it.

This lens is excellent on the front of my HV30. BUT I also have a $30 Merkury wide angle lens and IMO frankly the $100 price difference is not even remotely justified. See Merkury Innovations CL-52WB 52mm High Definition 0.45X Wide Angle Lens - it has slightly soft outside edges (can be cropped in your NLE) , but otherwise is fantastic.

I think that the eye is not as aware (or at all) of outstanding technical specifications as we would hope on a TV. Perhaps this is THE lens to get if you are showing your footage on the side of a barn, but on a TV...save the $$$. Really - you won't notice at all.

update Sept 06 2008: After editing a good few hours of HDV footage and comparing the cheap and the $$$ Raynox 6600 WA lenses close up, the Raynox is a more consistent and reliable bet than the Merkury. I eat my words. DANG! I wanted to sell it.

I wanted to take wide-angle photographs with my Canon Powershot S1 IS, and so I looked around for the best bang for the buck, and I came across this. This fits right on to my camera (with the Canon lens adapter which ends in 52mm male threads) with a solid, tight fit. The end of the lens has a grip that at first made me think I could turn it, but you can't, which was not a problem. I guess it's just there to help you steady the camera.

The lens comes with two lens caps, in a plastic case with foam padding in the bottom. In short, it oozes class and quality. The pictures you can get from it are excellent; depending on how much you zoom, you can even get a slight fisheye effect. Now I'm not a camera pro, but I didn't notice problems with vignetting or softer areas in my pictures.

There are two things you should look out for, though. The first: make sure your camera case is large enough to hold this on your camera! Taking the lens off and putting it back on is a real pain. The second: the auto-focus feature on your camera doesn't quite know what to do with this lens, so it may not focus correctly (occasionally) or it may take longer to focus (usually). That's not a problem exclusive to this particular lens, but to add-on lenses as a whole.

If you're looking for a quality wide-angle 52mm lens, this is it.

An older sony TRV series camcorder I had was equipped with a wide angle lens that made you seasick when watching the footage. Since then, I've been weary of going with these types of lenses. However, after reading lots of comments on various forums, I opted to give this lens a try as the increased field of view was something I desired.

First time I used it, I was blown away at how much more I could see and how little bending/curving there was to the image. Zooming in increases the curve but still, it's very tolerable.

Solid lens, you won't be disappointed with it!

I have Canon WA and this one ... the Canon is heavier than my HV-30 and not as good then this Raynox.
That was a shocker to me.... but there it is.
I can zoom through this lens and NOT the Canon.... but not a FULL ZOOM. I never use that anyway, so it's not a big loss.

Am getting rid of my more expensive canon WA and keeping this one :)

I was somehow frustrated with the wide end of my otherwise satisfying Canon Powershot IS S3. I decided to go with the Raynox lens which was a tad more expensive than the Canon x0.7 wide angle converter but offered better performance (see lensmateonline for comparison shots).
The Raynox changes my S3's focal length from 36mm to 24mm in film equivalent and its negligible barrel distortion and 72mm front thread gave me the opportunity to consider getting a Cokin P Filter holder system which makes a great companion if you feel creative and want to invest in material that you will be able to use when moving up to a DSLR.
The good: very solid build, great angle opener for tight spaces, good optics, no vignetting or so little with the S3 at the widest angle if you attach a regular Cokin P filter holder. Great for landscape, indoor shots and architecture (lines won't look too bent).
The less than stellar: image softness if you zoom in (I usually don't), requires a special 52mm adapter tube, doesn't focus right if you set the S3 to wide angle converter mode, does not have a macro mode.

I was very happy with my new camcorder and kept wanting the shot to be "just a little bit wider." The zoom is built-in however and I thought my problem would just remain my problem. Then I read several articles on-line that spoke highly of the Raynox and Amazon was the place to find the best price. My experience was totally satisfactory and the Raynox is easy to use and switch out, which is important for field work. I'm not using it as much as I thought, but when I do, the resolution is very good edge-to-edge, which is important with HDTV work.

Length:: 4:54 Mins

Great lens for the price. I use this 52mm version on a 43mm threaded Canon HV30 with a 43-52mm adapter ring. If I try to use a lens shade or matte box, I have to zoom in a little so that the black around the edges disappears, which is a minor inconvenience -- you just have to remember to do it. I personally go without any shade for the most part, but do use a polarizing filter when outdoors or in bright light due to the lens flare. The optical quality of the lens is good, definitely not excellent though as you will lose some sharpness when using it. For the price its probably the best out there. The 52mm size is great; it allows plenty of light in and works well indoors. On a sunny day, lens flare is a real problem (which I help out with the circular polarizing filter I mentioned). In this Video, the close up shots were done with 35mm SLR. Overall, this is a great lens for the price. I attached a sample video, and you can see more at BlackPawPhoto.com. Feel free to email us with any questions.

I have owned the S3, and now own the S5. The S5 isn't a DSLR, and this is not a $400 piece of glass. That said, this pairing is an exceptional match.

I keep this lens on my camera most of the time. It's easy to take on and off with the bayonet adapter ring.

The only drawback is using the on-camera flash with the wide-angle lens. The lens will cast a shadow on the image. Best to not use this lens indoors in low light. If you must use the lens in low light, make sure the flash is down/closed so the camera will adjust the ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and aperture settings in auto mode. The image will be noisier without a flash. Use a tripod if you can. An external flash (E-TTL or E-TTL II) would also solve this problem.

Anything over .66x wide-angle, and it gets close to a fisheye image. That's not what I want in a wide-angle lens. Overall, this lens lets you take great shots and you can fit more in the frame without compromising quality. Perfect for group photos and landscape shots.