Zoom through vs non zoom throuigh

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

What is the difference between a Wide Angle zoom through a Wide Angle non-zoom though lens?

 

[PurdueRy]

Do you mean a wide angle zoom vs. prime? If so...it's just that one can zoom and one cannot just as it sounds.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I don't even know exactly what either of them mean

 

[PurdueRy]

In the simplest of explanations:

Zoom = ability to "bring" your object closer without actually moving closer
Prime = no such ability

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Ok, so whats the difference between these two Wide Angle lenses A B

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
Ok, so whats the difference between these two Wide Angle lenses A B

They are converters that convert one lens to a different focal length. The Canon takes your lens focal length and multiplies it by .7. So if it was a 35mm it will be a 24.5 equivalent lens.

The other one has a lower multiplier meaning it will make the lens wider. It will turn the 35mm into a 17.5mm lens.

 

[996GT2]

Wait, what exactly are you asking?

Neither of the lenses you listed zoom. They're simply converter lenses you screw onto your camcorder to get a wider view. You can zoom your camcorder while you have one of those mounted, but whatever zoom setting it is set to will get multiplied by 0.7 or 0.5.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I don't know, I've just seen there is a description difference and I've seen it mentioned before some if must have some significance..

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
I don't know, I've just seen there is a description difference and I've seen it mentioned before some if must have some significance..

Those 2 converter lenses do the exact same thing. There is no huge functional difference except for how wide they make your view. The 0.5x converter obviously makes things a little bit wider than the 0.7x one, because it multiplies your camcorder's focal length by 0.5 rather than 0.7, and any focal length multiplied by 0.5 is less than the same focal length multiplied by 0.7.


Now, regarding the term "zoom-through"...all that means is that your camcorder's lens will still zoom and focus properly with the converter lens attached. With both of the converter lens you mentioned, your camcorder will still work fine. So that doesn't really make any difference as far as the converter lenses go. Now, as to whether spending $250 on a converter lens for your camcorder makes monetary sense, that's a different story...

 

[Fardringle]

I've never heard the term "Zoom Through" before so I'm not certain, but a few search results online say that it means that there is more than one element (lens) in the adapter instead of a single lens and that supposedly gives clearer results at different focal lengths when attached to a zoom lens.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

While we are on this topic I am having trouble figuring something out. I know I've asked this before on the camcorder thread but I am trying to find a wide angle lens equivalent to about the same size as the wide angle on my Panasonic LX3 which is a nice 24mm. I'm trying to get these numbers straight.

LX3 = 5.1-12.8mm (24-60mm equivalent)
HFS = 6.4-64mm (I think before you said it was a 35mm equivalent right?)

I gather from the numbers the Panny is a 24mm and the Canon is a 35mm ???

So basically if I bought a .7x wide angle lens for the Canon HFS that'll get me a 24mm equivalent starting focal length right?

EDIT: my references are here - the LX3 & here the HF S100

 

[Fardringle]

I can't find any official specs from Canon for the focal length, but a couple of review sites say that the HF S100 has a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 43.5mm - 435mm. If that is true, you would need a 0.55x wide angle adapter to have the same field of view as your LX3.

 

[gsellis]

Personally, I would consider a Raynox HD-5050 PRO. It can zoom through (you can use the zoom to go from its widest view to tighter) and it has minimal barrel distortion for the price (barrel distortion is the fish-eye look at the edges). Mine is 37mm thread and works on my Sony without the adapter ring (full zoom is not a good idea as I do get an optic contact - again, without the adapter ring - no issue with the ring, but barrel starts coming in).