This lens has been mentioned but I cannot find any information on it (only their XL1 Wide Angle adapter). Can someone post a part number or a URL pointing to this product? Thanks.

jason

p.s. Are there any current feature films that have been shot using the XL1's 16:9 option and transferred to film??

-- Jason G. (jasong_27@yahoo.com), September 20, 1999

Answers

You can find information at the Century Optics web site. www.centuryoptics.com

Hope that helps, Gerald

-- Gerald Rasmussen (g707ras@digitaldune.net), September 21, 1999.

Gerald,

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I found out that this lens is only for Sony and Panasonic DV cameras. The lens offers true widescreen to cameras that "fake" it by masking the frame with black bars. Where does the XL1's 16:9 feature fit in?? It isn't a black bar "fake" but it isn't a true optical anamorphic squeeze either. ????

thanks.

jason

-- Jason G. (jasong_27@yahoo.com), September 21, 1999.

If you shoot with a XL-1 and you're located in the US your best option is to shoot in the regular 4:3 NTSC mode and adjust for the 16:9 (1:85) frame with a Broadcast monitor. We taped the top and bottom of the monitor frame. The 13" Sony broadcast monitor is crucial because under dark interiors I was not able to do critical focusing with the standard viewfinder. It was with us from begining to end. Apparently, Canon is about to release a high resolution B&W finder to replace the standard color finder. This could possibly be a good thing if it works.

Good Luck,

Jim Fielder Junkmein@earthl

-- Jim Fielder (junkmein@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.

Jim,

Makes sense to tape off the monitor, but aren't you losing a significant amount of resolution by transferring a cropped 4:3 image to film rather than a compressed 16:9 image?? If shooting in 16:9, does one need a widescreen broadcast monitor to just focus??

Thanks.

jason

-- (jasong_27@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.

Absolutely. You will definitely be losing resolution. However, remember that even cropped you will still be working with slightly more resolution than the 16:9 mode on a dv camera which actually electronically stretches your signal to widescreen. This is why we are seeing a lot of talk about the 16:9 anamorphic adapters that that optically squeeze the 4:3 image therefore using all 4:3 ccds resolution. No it's not as high a resolution as a camera with true 16:9 ccds but it's a workable solution. Unfortunately, no anamorphic adapter is available for the vaunted Xl-1. More importantly, you're pretty much hooked into what your transfer(35mm) house can handle. In the good ol' US of A that means plan ol' 4:3 Ntsc. Thusly, our choice of going with a taped off monitor. It will all (dv material)be grainy after transferring to 35mm anyway.

Good Luck guy,

Jim Fielder Junkmein@e

-- Jim Fielder (junkmein@earthlink.net), September 24, 1999.

Also, after checking into the different choices for anamorphic adapters another poster on the dv-l list seems to like the Optex adapter much better than the Centuryn for use with a TRV900. I also forgot to tell you that we shot using the optional Optex Fujinon 14x zoom with a 7x/5x combo Optex wide angle adapter(big piece of glass). There is a pronounced difference between resolving power of the Optex zoom(much better according to my monitor) and the standard lens specifically on closeups(skin details).

Food for thought,

Jim Fielder Junkmein@earthli

-- Jim Fielder (junkmein@earthlink.net), September 24, 1999.

I purchased the optex 16:9 adapter for my VX2000 and I'm not very happy with the results. The are several things wrong with the lens, the adapter ring is exposed in the shot (vinetting)if the in camera zoom is wide, if you zoom beyond 75% then the image becomes blur and is unusable. I'm temped to send it back, but the images at 1/4 zoom are better then can be achived with the in camera 16:9 setting at this range. The optex web site warns of the the vinetting issue due to the adapter ring needed for the VX2000, but it is VERY MUCH in the image area contrary to what they suggest. I hear the blurring is even worse on the century wide lens. Anyone have any other experiences with these lenses?

-- Neal N. (nnellans@ea.com), November 13, 2000.

I have the Century Optics 16x9 converter on my Sony VX2000. From 75% zoom and up, the image is extemely unuseable (blurred). Also, there is barrel distortion at it's widest setting. :( This makes it very hard to control focus (manual or auto). I don't believe auto focus works correctly with this lens on.

-- dave (foo@bar.com), November 04, 2002.

I'm a student filmmaker working on my senior thesis/short film. I'm specifically deciding between a Sony PD150 or a Canon XL1s. I am obviously shooting in 4:3, but i want the final film to be in 16:9 widescreen format. The video will probably never be transferred to film, only submitted to film festivals on tape. Anyone have any suggestions on: (1) Using a WIDE ANGLE adapter for the PD150 or the XL1s (2) Will it be good to shoot in 4:3 and then crop to 16:9 in editing on Final Cut Pro 3. (3) Or is it good to use a 16:90 Anamorphic Lens for the PD150, using a broadcast monitor with 16:9 viewing capability, and can this be edited with no problems. (4) and what's the difference between Century Optics' and Optex anamorphic lenses? can you zoom? can you focus?

Thanks for your help!

Efrain Gomez :)

-- efrain G (ianthegr8@yahoo.com), November 16, 2002.