Sony VCL-DH2630 Telephoto Conversion Lens for the DSC-P73 Digital Camera

Rating:
Summary: Not a zoom telephoto, works as a fixed 300mm lens
Review: Several things you need to know before you decide to buy this lens:

1. It requires the VAD-WA conversion adapter in order to fit onto the Sony DSCP73/93/100/150 & DSCW1 Digital Cameras for which it was designed. That's another $25 or so.

2. These Sony cameras have a zoom capability, but since the VCL-DH2630 telephoto conversion lens is attached to the adapter and not directly to the zoom lens itself, the view you get as the zoom lens pulls back into a wider field of view is that of a round porthole, not the full picture frame. You only get the full frame picture when the zoom lens is extended maximally. Thus, on my DSCW1 camera, the telephoto converter has an effective magnification of 3 x 2.6 or 7.8x total. This is equivalent to a 296.4mm telephoto lens for standard 35mm film cameras. So this is essentially a fixed 300mm telephoto lens. Note: shooting your camera at the maximum zoom will set the aperture at the smallest opening, which for the DSCW1 is an aperture of 5.2.

3. There are no threads on the 40mm front end of this telephoto lens. So no way to put a protective lens cover or lens filter on.

4. You also won't need any 30mm lens filters for the VAD-WA adapter. The VCL-DH2630 screws directly onto the VAD-WA. Unless you buy the whole set of three Sony lenses, you might as well keep the two pieces together.

5. The minimum focusable distance increases to approximately 10-12 feet (about 5-6 feet in Macro mode) with this telephoto lens attached.

On the plus side, this is about the only way to get a tiny palm sized point and shoot digital camera like the DSCW1 to shoot telephoto pictures. The photos are quite sharp with little distortion.

I used to love to shoot telephoto pictures with my Pentax 35mm SLR, using a Soligor 85-300mm zoom lens. Then one day I accidentally dropped the lens, and it didn't focus anymore. By then, with three kids in the family, it didn't make sense to lug a heavy camera around for family photos, and I got used to using this Olympus point and shoot 35mm camera that had a telephoto zoom lens.

You could certainly get one of the larger and more expensive digicams with interchangeable lenses, or something like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20K with 12x zoom. But, besides being larger and more expensive, all of these other digicams use proprietary lithium batteries, which I hate, because they are just death for spontaneous family photos (lithium batteries are never charged when you need them!).

First and foremost, I wanted to get the best point and shoot camera that runs on AA batteries currently on the market, and this, IMHO, is the Sony DSCW1. Second, I wanted the ability to take telephoto shots, and Sony is one of the few that even makes telephoto lenses for their point and shoot digicams. So for all of the flaws that I pointed out about this telephoto lens, it's still a pretty good accessory for the DSCW1.


Rating:
Summary: Nice Addition
Review: The telephoto lens adds a Great feature to the DSC W1. The pictures are VERY sharp and clean without any fringe wash out and or distortions. It is quick to mount and with the adapter
is not cumberson and does not off weight the unit like the large 35mm units tend to do. A nice feature of the adapter
is it opens a myriad of add on filters and lens options for the camera. If you have a need for a telephoto look no further espically for the sports/ nature events. This is one option well
worth the price.