Customer Reviews

Sony VCL-HG0730X 30mm 0.7x High Grade Wide Angle Conversion Lens for DCR-HC96, DVD92, 203, 403, 405, 505, SR100 & HDRSR1 Camcorders

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 1:47 Mins

I like the Sony VCL-HG0730 wide angle conversion lens. See my video review.

Overall I am very happy with this lens. I use it with an HDR-HC3 & it definitely widens the captured range with no distortion. It is especially useful if you are working in small areas or find yourself panning around frequently. I have 2 complaints on this lens though - it obstructs the flash on my HC3 so I can only take photos with this lens in good light. This is really more of a design fault on the camera than the lens but... Other thing is it does not allow you to use any filters - I would like to use some polarizing filters etc which this will not allow for. Otherwise good product & would recomend.

This is a must have for doing any close-up or indoor footage. If using on a HD 1080 video camera then you will notice a little blurriness along the edge of the frame. If you have a lot of camera motion in your video it will not be too noticeable, it's mainly when the camera is static does your eye tend to zone in on it. Over all it's a good product.

This is a good quality lens. I bought it because Sony recommended it for the HDR-HC3 I bought. I thought this would have a wider shot but I still rate it a 5 star because it's the best quality your going to get for these types of cameras unless you move up to the bigger cameras with bigger "mm" filter size. I recomend the Sony VCL-SW04 37mm 0.45X Wide Angle Lens for even wider shots if you can still find one. It's made for a 37mm camera but if you can still find one new it will come with adaptor rings to fit your 30mm. It looks like Sony doesn't make them anymore so you may just have to go with this one. Stick with Sony lenses for these smaller video cameras if you don't want the HD quality be distorted.

Good: The wide-angle lens works great. I've mostly been using my camera inside and my subjects have been so close I need to use this to fit everything in the screen.

Not so good: I can't leave it on - my camera bag is too small. The threads are a little small making it a little difficult to put on quickly but certainly not hard.

Nice wide angle adapter for Sony camcorder (Sony SR1). No backing up anymore. Great Quality and fair price. My opinion is 5 stars for that.

Happy with quality except should have had leash on lens cap and lens should have had threads for filters. This was a let down.

The Sony VCL-HG0730X Wide Angle Lens is solid and very well made with zero flaws in its build quality. The lens is clear with no fish eyes or other imperfections. The lens is heavier than I thought it would be, but does not seem to add much heft to the camera. The weight adds to the testament of a well made lens.
Having said that, the field of view was not increased as much as I would have liked. I don't believe the high price is worth the minimal increase that is gained in width.

I used this on a Sony MiniDV PC350

Advantages:
- The item fits well on the PC350, as expected.
- The pouch that comes with the lens is very handy.
- Clear image, even after zooming-in all the way. Did not notice any fish-eye like distortions
- Light weight. My camera can stay up if I place it on a desk without any other support with lens attached.

Disadvantages:
- The lens front cap can be lost very easily. Lost it within 20 minutes of first use. Attach the cap to the camera as soon as you receive this item (The cap doesn't snag very well on the lens and the lens sides are very smooth).
- Was kind of disappointed with the amount of increase in image size. I thought I'd be able to capture more with this lens. Maybe because this is my first wide angle lens?
- Price is a little bit high.

Conclusion:
Buy it if you have the extra cash. If you are so rich, buy a lens with wider angle (if available) but make sure it is lightweight and provides sharp image.

I've been looking at wide angle lenses for years. Finally got one and it's change videoing forever.

I use my camcorder for family pictures - especially with kids, and weddings, parties and other events. Before, it was impossible to get decent shots when in a close gathering, and at best I could only get a single person at a time. Now, half the shots I get these days could never have been done without it. This is especially true with the 16x9 aspect ratio I use now.

The lens itself works great. Pictures do not lose resolution, and the camera's zoom functions as before. In fact, I usually leave the lens on all the time, just removing it when I need to do an ocasional full zoom.