Need to get wider angles out of Sony’s PMW-EX3 XDCAM EX camcorder? New HD lens attachments from Schneider Optics and 16x9 will help you complete the picture with a 25 percent larger angle of view when attached to the EX3’s supplied ½-inch 14x Fujinon lens.
Schneider’s newly designed Century .75X HD Wide Angle Converter ($1235) is slated for availability in mid-November; 16x9’s EX 0.75X Aspheric Wide Converter ($1335) is expected to ship this month. They attach to the front of the lens with a bayonet mount.
16x9 said its converter uses an aspheric lens element to reduce distortion and chromatic aberration and improve off-axis performance, while also keeping the unit lightweight for handheld work. HD Studio checked with Schneider Optics, which said its engineers considered aspheres, but opted not to use them in this design. “We were able to achieve a very acceptable package size and weight and high level of performance in combination with the Sony lens in an all-spherical design,” said Bill Turner, senior vice president of Schneider Optics.
Both wide-angle adapters also work with the earlier PMW-EX1.
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