Zeikos ZE-WA58B 58mm 0.45X high definition Super Wide Angle lens with Macro attachment, includes lens pouch and cap covers (Life Time Warranty)

by Zeikos

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.2 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001EM9JXC
• Item model number: ZE-WA58B
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 20, 2008

Product Description

Zeikos 58mm professional, multi coated, high definition, 0.45X Wide Angle Lens. Includes a Macro adapter and a protective case. Adapters are available separately to step up or down for other sizes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice and inexpensive accessory for the Canon Vixia HFS10!, July 15, 2009

By 

Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Zeikos ZE-WA58B 58mm 0.45X high definition Super Wide Angle lens with Macro attachment, includes lens pouch and cap covers (Life Time Warranty) (Electronics)

Length:: 0:24 Mins

Ever since I picked up my Canon VIXIA HFS10 camcorder, I've wanted to add a wide angle lens converter. Of course, the macro converter that Canon sells (the WD-H58) is pretty expensive and since I wouldn't use it very often I couldn't justify the cost.

Then I noticed this Zeikos lens and thought at this price it was worth a try. I'm pretty happy with it.

First, it looks great on my camcorder. It doesn't look cheap, and matches the style and look of the Vixia HFS10 very nicely. It comes with a "fit on" cap for the Wide Angle end of the lens and a "screw on" cap for the attachment side.

It does what I was looking for, expanding a bit on the angle I can capture up close and extending the range of imagery that's in focus on a longer shot. The main thing I wanted was to be able to shoot a bit wider up close, since I sometimes use a green screen in my office and can't get my camera back very far from the screen. Though I was hoping it would go a bit wider than it does, this definitely helps.

I'm not exactly sure what the .45x means, since as far as I can tell (based on measuring the relative size of objects with and without the lens on) this really gives about .8x magnification. I assume it may have to do with the fact that what you really have here is a "Macro" lens + a .45 Wide Angle lens and the net effect is to give a .8 magnification. What I didn't know when I bought this is that the "Macro" component of the lens and the "Wide Angle" component are separable. With the "Macro" filter alone you can get VERY close to objects like flowers and insects - and you can ONLY focus on things that are very close (between an inch or so to about half a foot). If you wanted to fit only "Wide Angle" component onto the Vixia HFS10 you'd need another adapter. Anyhow, the roughly .8 magnification of the whole set up is not quite as wide as I'd hoped but it does mean there is pretty minimal curvature effects around the edge of the frame - if you look closely at the attached video you'll see there is SOME curvature at the edges, noticeable on the right and left hand sides when the converter is attached.

Anyhow, I wondered why Canon only sold a .7 converter when you could get an inexpensive .45 converter from another company - I assumed to begin with that was because .7 is as far as you can go without vignetting (change in light levels from the center to the periphery) or fisheye-like curvature, and so I worried a bit that this lens would show those effects. Luckily it doesn't show them to an unacceptable degree, but what my tests suggest is that this lens with its roughly .8 magnification is probably pretty close to what you actually get with Canon's own lens, and their numbers likely assess the "true" conversion rate of the lens as a whole, whereas the .45 only applies if you were to use only the "Wide Angle" portion of the lens. (If anyone knows more about this than I do I'd love to read about it in the comments.)

One thing that is probably evident from this footage is that with the lens on there seems to be a slight loss in the light levels. That's to be expected, but it's something you can compensate for in the settings. I can't compare this to Canon's own lens, but since I picked this up at less than 10% of the cost, and it does most of what I wanted from it, I'm not complaining.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great lens for $12.50 - you can't go wrong. Just buy it!, January 2, 2010

By 

Photo-Nerd.com (Seattle Area) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Zeikos ZE-WA58B 58mm 0.45X high definition Super Wide Angle lens with Macro attachment, includes lens pouch and cap covers (Life Time Warranty) (Electronics)

Length:: 2:32 Mins

For $12.50 I wasn't expecting much. This lens is awesome for the price... and it will get quite a bit of use... the optical quality is good and it doesn't feel cheap.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gotta take the good with the bad with this one..., December 5, 2009

By 

Christopher Vincelette - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zeikos ZE-WA58B 58mm 0.45X high definition Super Wide Angle lens with Macro attachment, includes lens pouch and cap covers (Life Time Warranty) (Electronics)

I have owned this for a few weeks now. I've used it a few times with my Canon HF S10. Just recently I used it for a 2 hour tour de force real estate shoot. I filmed indoors and outdoors, low light and bright light, fixed on a tripod and hands free with panning.

The final cut (10 minutes) can be viewed on youtube if you search for "Colonial Square Model Twin Home Complete!"

Issues I've noticed include dark shadows in the upper right and left corners when at full wide (zoomed out all the way). Chromatic aberration (red, green, and blue halos around things) is particularly bad. The barrel distortion (curve of straight lines near the edges) actually isn't too bad but blurring is very noticible everywhere except the dead center of the shot.

The lens is alo extremely suseptible to lens flaring. If there there is a light source in front of or above you... you will have lens flare garanteed. The wide lens is threaded so you can use a Multi Coated UV filter to kill the lens flare.

Overall I found the quality of the video captured with this lens on to be noticably degraded.

That all said I have to agree with the video review that the build quality is spectacular. It integrates and blends with the HF S10 body very naturally. It's solid metal and glass, built like a tank. The snap on lens cap is a great inclusion. And weird as it may sound it adds enough extra weight and viewing area to the camera that it substantially reduces the amount of perceivable camera shake in my shots. If you need to go wide in some hostile environments and need a lens that can take a beating but won't make you shed any tears if it dies this would be worth having in your arsenal.

All things considered for $10 I would buy this again without hesitation. It's alright as a fail safe in the event that I absolutely have to go wide and can live with the issues the lens brings with it. Or in situations where I'm afraid the camera and the lens may be taking one for the team in the name of extreme cinematography. It's also a fantasticly cheap way to play around with different lens styles without breaking the bank.

If you're not shooting in 1080p the chromatic aberration, blurring, etc, may not be noticable. But if you need to do a lot of professional HD grade wide angle filming look to the Raynox or Canon 58mm wide angle. And be prepared to pay A LOT more.