I briefly owned a Sanyo HD1000 camcorder. This camera has a particularly narrow field of vision so I also bought a wide angle lens attachment for it. It turns out that the lens was dreadful as objects off to the sides were totally out of focus. This was my first taste of separate lenses as I’ve always bought cameras that don’t accommodate lenses. (No SLR’s, DSLRs in my history). Despite the poor results this experience made me more aware of the potential of lenses and how they can be very useful under the correct circumstances.
When I recently bought the Sony TG3 I was aware that due to it’s design this camera couldn’t accommodate any lens accessories – but that’s a small price to pay for a beautiful tiny camera with a built in lens cap (unlike the HD1000). The field of vision of the TG3 is considerably better than the HD1000 and pretty much on a par with all the other compact camcorders.
However, inspired by my experiences I made it my mission to seek out a way of getting a wide angle lens to fit the Sony TG3. I only intend to use this when absolutely necessary, when there is no other way to get the shot I desire. I have this niggling concern that on my holiday I will be stood in front of the colosseum in Rome and my camera will only manage to get two or three pillars in shot at once and I’ll have no option but to pan left and right to give an impression of the majesty of the thing.
I only want to use a wide angle lens on very very rare occasions, just the odd shot here and there. The main reason for getting a TG3 was pocketability and I don’t want to compromise this.
Anyway, I managed to find a 0.45x wide angle lens that is supposed to attach magnetically to a digital compact stills camera. It arrived today. Its not exactly professional quality – but it’s good enough. The Lens comes in a small bag, and has two lens caps, one for each sides of the lens (these fall off a bit too easy) and a lanyard to attach it to your camera or camera strap. Also in the bag are two self adhesive magnetic hoops and the rear portion of the lens itself is magnetic. The idea is that you stick a magnetic loop to the lens on a camera and then magnetically attach the lens to this loop when required.
The first problem I encountered is that the area surrounding the lens on the Sony is slightly recessed from the front. The base of the lens was just a couple of mm too wide to fit in the recess and therefore would be unable to touch the magnetic loop. I solved this by stacking both loops on top of each other so that they were now level with the front of the camera.
The only other problem is that the camera shows slightly less on the LCD screen than what is actually recorded. So when recording I can’t see any lens infringement on the corners of the image – but when it comes to editing the vignetting is quite apparent in the corners if the lens isn’t lined up absolutely perfectly. The solution is to zoom in a bit when using the lens .
The operation of the camera is un-infringed by the magnetic metal loop and the flash bulb is still visible (although it gets blocked if the lens is attached). I believe that the camera’s aesthetics remain pretty much intact and the extra flexibility afforded by this modification is worth the slight disruption in the neat design. It is completely reversible too, the metal loop can be peeled off and the camera restored to it’s normal state.
I wouldn’t call it a 100% success due to the lens being visible in the corners of the image unless extra special care is taken. However I do think it’s as near as I can get given the limited space available to mount a lens. It’ll be good enough for me for the handful of times I’ll need to use it.
TG3 Without Wide Angle Lens
TG3 With Wide Angle Lens
HD1000 With & Without Wide Angle Lens (for comparison)
Click to Download a Sony HDR-TG3 video of Wigan Park with and without the lens attached
(I slightly cropped this video in iMovie08 to get rid of the visible lens in the right hand corner- this was very easy to do).
I’ve now uploaded this to youtube and have embedded this below – but I suggest you double click on it then select the ‘Watch In High Quality’ button on Youtube to get a better image.
So now when I am off on my trip I can pop the lens in a pocket and if the situation requires it attach it on the camera to take in a wider vista. I’ll probably also take a panning shot of the same scene without the lens and then decide which clip I prefer when I get back and start editing the footage together.
The lens was bought via Ebay and cost about £22 (a number of sellers have them at various prices). The lens is an M-Power Wide Lens 0.45x”
Nice work. Does the image stabilization still work properly after the conversion? I’ve heard others reported wierd motions after attachment of a wide angle in earlier models of Sony camcorders.
Thanks.
By: Jackie on June 15, 2008
at 5:15 pm
Hi Jackie.
I’m currently out of the country heading towards Gibraltar on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas (hence the delay in replying). I haven’t noticed any negative effects on the image stabilisation, it seems to function as it should. The TG3/TG1 uses a different type of stabilisation to the other Sony Cameras (a new variant of Digital rather than Optical)and therefore might not be affected in the same way. If I notice any weirdness, I’ll report back.
By: Techmoan on June 16, 2008
at 1:14 pm
Hi There!
Just got a TG3 and I’m looking to get the lens you got.
However, when I do a search, I find that it comes in 2 different varieties –
Large – 17mm-27mm
and
Small – 10mm-17mm
Which one do you have?
I don’t want to buy the wrong thing.
Thanks!
By: Sid Scott on June 25, 2008
at 7:08 pm
Hi Sid – The lens I got was the 27mm outer ring size lens. This was the Ebay Auction I got it from
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330238270171
It has come in very useful on my holidays. It was the only way to get all of some of the sites in Rome in the shot – the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain especially.
By: Techmoan on June 26, 2008
at 12:37 pm
Thanks!
Wow..that’s spooky! Before I got your reply that’s the EXACT same lens and company that I was eyeing to buy from!
What do you edit using? I’ve just got the camera and it’s great…alas not so great for editing and filming in low-light (I like to film at gigs and whatnot).
I noticed that in the supplied Sony PMB software the movies get cut down in size quite a lot from the original when you convert to MPEG? Is this normal?
By: Sid Scott on June 26, 2008
at 2:10 pm
Also,
Have you tried any other lenses or accessories on the camera?
I notice that the Battery Light is listed as a supported accessory on Sony’s site, but how do you attach it?!
By: Sid Scott on June 26, 2008
at 2:14 pm
Also, again…sorry!
I just bought the lens off ebay.
How long did it take to get to you? Cos I noticed from the sellers feedback that although he’s stated as being in Glasgow, he posts from Poland???
Just wondered how long the wait is!
By: Sid Scott on June 26, 2008
at 3:22 pm
OK – In reverse order.
Postage:
It took about a week – I forgot about the Poland/Glasgow issue. Yes there is something weird going on with his profile – but it took about a week if memory serves me right. I was expecting it in two days from Glasgow so I emailed him to ask where it was and he responded immediately – but it turned up the next day anyway.
Other Accessories:
Other than the official case and the two spare batteries that I carry around (essential) – I haven’t tried anything else myself.
The Light that attaches to the TG3/TG1 is the HVL-10NH – it sticks out from the camera attached to a bracket screwed into the tripod screw – it looks awful. http://tinyurl.com/2zotxq
Editing:
Editing AVCHD is a nightmare at the moment and I have struggled to find an ideal solution. I haven’t tried the stuff in the box.
Imovie08 is simple to use – but lacks some of the features I need. I bought Sony Vegas Studio because its one of the few programs that will keep the DD 5.1 track produced by this camera. It will however only output in a max resolution of 1440×1080 and it runs like an absolute dog on my 2.2Ghz Macbook running under Fusion.
I have therefore moved to Final Cut express on the Mac – it uses loads of disc space and takes its sweet time to render – but its my best Mac Based solution. I believe that Pinnacle Movie Studio on the PC is very good too. I have just got back from my European Cruise with about 5 hours of AVCHD footage to edit down – so I’ll no doubt be an expert by the time I finish.
By: Techmoan on June 28, 2008
at 11:36 am
Thanks for the advice!
Yeah,having that problem too with editing.
On a PC at the moment but getting a Macbook Pro soon with Final Cut Studio but the issue of 5.1 Surround (or lack of) when converting does concern me.
Let me know how you get on?
One question I think you missed..I know I know, there were lots..was the issue of low-light and/or event and concert filming?
I’ve found low-light and indoor and night shooting to be HORRIBLE!
Any hints?
Thanks!
By: Sid Scott on June 28, 2008
at 11:48 am
Sorry Sid – I did miss that one…
I’m the opposite of you I only really film outdoors.
You’ve probably already tried manually turning up the exposure a couple of clicks as well as trying the Twilight Scene setting – I think that dark footage is not really this camera’s forte.
The 5.1 sound will of course down mix into stereo in software that doesn’t support it. Most camcorders only shoot in Stereo anyway. I don’t think that it’s too much of a handicap – but it would be preferable to keep the soundtrack in 5.1. Presumably this will come in the next version of Final Cut.
By: Techmoan on June 28, 2008
at 2:11 pm
About wide angle lens of HDR-TG3
Hello,
Where can this be bought?
Please tell me the webshop site that can be bought.
Please give the information to my E-mail address.
I would be grateful for your help.
Thank you in advance.
By: Chao on June 30, 2008
at 9:36 am
Well I got mine from a chap in Poland on Ebay. Search Ebay.co.uk for item number 330248397329
By: Techmoan on June 30, 2008
at 9:10 pm
Techmoan, Thank you very much!
Also it was possible to find it by “EBay.com”.
But I live in Tokyo in Japan.
Therefore, whether it is possible to send it to Japan is uncertain. I don’t know it…;-(
By: Chao on July 2, 2008
at 6:30 am
I don’t think that you should have any trouble finding it it Japan.
Check out http://www.toda-seikoh.jp/products_digitalcamera_magnet.html
By: Techmoan on July 2, 2008
at 8:11 am
You can get them in Japan from here,
http://psearch.yahoo.co.jp/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&p=804-LW&meta=vc%3D&cop=mss&X=2
By: Techmoan on July 2, 2008
at 8:17 am
I had found the lens on the Yahoo store before seeing your message.
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/keitai/290-804-l.html
It was a product of Toda-Seiko by chance.
Size of magnet ring. Inside diameter:23mm and Outside diameter:27mm
I think whether this lens can be worn to “TG-3″.
Thank you anyway!
By: Chao on July 4, 2008
at 3:16 am
Hi – How well does the magnetic attachment of the lens work – can it get knocked off easily and is there a possibility of the magnetic field affecting the electronics of the camera- I am so pleased there is a solution to getting a wide angle lens for this amazing camera- I also travel to Poland a lot – do you have details of the supplier or retail outlet for this lens other than the ebay details you have given
By: Dick on September 30, 2008
at 4:34 pm
I haven’t really got anything to add about the online seller – other than recommending you get one delivered rather than trying to find the chap in Poland, after all he’s just getting them from China anyway.
The lens holds to the camera well – but I generally only use it for the odd shot here or there so it’s only attached for a few mins at a time.
I can’t 100% say that it won’t damage your camera – but everything on mine is functioning as normal. After all, these magnetic rings are designed to attach to the front of compact cameras without affecting them.
The only thing I’d add is that that the magnetic ring does partially cover the flash – so if you intend taking lots of flash shots you might want to think twice about doing this mod.
By: Techmoan on September 30, 2008
at 8:37 pm
hi, I tried searching on ebay for “M-Power Wide Lens 0.45x”, but can’t find any
By: zbjsy on November 11, 2008
at 2:58 pm
If you search for magnetic lens, and you will find them. Here for example
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magnetic-WIDE-ANGLE-LENS-for-Pentax-T30-E30-M30-A20_W0QQitemZ350114262089QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item350114262089&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177
By: Jon Sykes on December 6, 2008
at 11:30 am
Hi Mat,
Thanks for this topic. I will give it a shot as well.
Is this the one you’re referring to: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110318045721&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:Watchlink:middle:uk
Frank
By: frank on December 21, 2008
at 10:18 am
I’m pretty sure that’s the same one.
As far as I know they only make two different sizes of 0.45x Magnetic lens (rebadged under various names)
The instructions for these lenses state “measure the lens opening on your camera. If it is between 10mm and 17mm you need a Small size lens. If it is between 17mm and 27mm you need a Large size lens.”
The lens size on the TG3 dictates that you buy the LARGE lens. So any LARGE 0.45x Magnetic lens should be correct.
The only other hint I would give, is to make sure you mount the ring high on the camera so it obscures quite a bit of the flash – the TG3 seems to look upwards, therefore if you were to mount the lens dead-centre, the top corners would infringe on the frame.
By: Techmoan on December 21, 2008
at 11:33 am
Hi Mat,
Thanks. BTW I did see a 0.38 lens for 46 dollar (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120351863697&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:Watchlink:middle:us). Do you think the bit wider look is worth the extra money (the .45 is 18 pounds)?
I want to attach the camera on my helmet while snowboarding; within a kind of tupperware box. And filming by holding it in my hands.
A comparison regarding the lenses can be found at http://www.cookiecomposites.com/shop/blackbox/67/index.htm
By: frank on December 21, 2008
at 7:22 pm
I’m not an expert – but I think that will give you more of a fish-eye style of view, which might be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.
I noticed the Cookie Composites box when the crazy guys from the Dropzone forum linked back to this page.
They might be good people for you to talk to for more detailed advice, they seem pretty into extreme filming…
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3286328
Good luck – and thanks for looking in.
By: Techmoan on December 21, 2008
at 11:32 pm
[...] for a wide angle lens. Mat demonstrated using magnetic lenses, but doesn’t seem to look rock solid (Sony HDR-TG3 with a Wide Angle Lens « TECHMOAN: Gadgets, Tech and General Moaning). Cookie Composites has lenses, but they are way out of my budget (Cookie Composites). Ideas? I [...]
By: NEW : Sony HDR-TG3/TG1 - New Smallest 1080i camcorder Pt 2 - Page 9 - AVForums.com on December 26, 2008
at 11:02 pm
Hi Mat,
I received the lens and attached it even higher as you hinted. The text “Carl Zeiss” is completely visible. And there is NO vignette visible.
The image is quite well. But I have to say the 3M glue stuff is very loose here (it comes loose when unplugging the lens). Did you use the original or some superglue?
Frank
By: frank on January 5, 2009
at 6:45 pm
The glue was weak to start with on mine too – but it seemed to strengthen over time when given time to set. To be on the safe side I found it better to slide the lens down off the ring rather than pull it straight out and risk unsticking the mounting ring.
By: Techmoan on January 5, 2009
at 8:47 pm
hi and let me explain to you what nightmare means:nightmare 1-shooting in low-light conditions with tg3
nightmare 2-editing tg3’s fullhd video in any pc(any)and i mean full editing.
any other meanings of nightmare with tg3?please let me know if you got any…thanks
By: dinos on January 18, 2009
at 7:46 am
[...] made a post about my attempts to attach a magnetic lens to the camera in June 2008. This post has been read over twenty thousand times, the majority of views coming from [...]
By: Sony Unveils TG5 Camcorder with Magnetic Lens Attachment! « TECHMOAN: Gadgets, Tech and General Moaning on April 2, 2009
at 8:11 am
Just got my M-Power wide angle lens with metal hoops. Seems to work pretty good. Thanks Techmoan for your suggestion. Sony should give you some development money or something for nicking your idea with the new TG5 camcorder and compatible wide angle lens. Great work techmoan!
By: Rayvis on June 2, 2009
at 10:39 am
[...] [...]
By: NEW : Sony HDR-TG3/TG1 - New Smallest 1080i camcorder Pt 2 - Page 20 - AVForums.com on June 17, 2009
at 2:11 pm
[...] In the video I label the footage as Normal, Magnetic Lens or Sony Lens – hopefully that’s self explanatory. For earlier posts about the magnetic lens and the Sony TG camera click here. [...]
By: Sony TG3 wide angle lens comparison « TECHMOAN: Gadgets, Tech and General Moaning on July 14, 2009
at 9:08 pm