Sony VCLSW04 Wide Angle Camcorder Conversion Lens

Rating:
Summary: The best piece in my camera bag!
Review: Originally, I purchased the Raynox DVR-5000 wide-angle, which, needless to say, I was unimpressed with. I had purchased it in order to save money, and literally ended up throwing it in the trash. So, I ordered this Sony lens to go on my Sony DCR-PC330. I love it so much, that I don't shoot anything without it. At .45X, it more than doubles the field of vision, and when shooting in 16:9 widescreen, it definitely makes my footage appear to be cinema-quality. Just as an example for the increase in field, I was at a football game this weekend. In the parking lot was an RV that took up exactly two parking spaces in length. Standing just one parking space away, I was able to fit the entire RV into my shot.
They call it a "semi-fisheye," which is accurate. When zoomed-out to the maximum, it does create, what I feel, is a very nice barrel-roll character to the sides, making the center of the image pop out to the viewer. Good films to see this technique applied would be Raising Arizona and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. However, if you do not want that distortion, then zooming in creates a more natural shot. And, when zoomed in, there is little or no distortion, as one will normally find with most lower-end wide angle lenses.
This lens is rather large, almost the size of my camera, and it definitely weighs more. I was suprised when I received my shipment from Amazon. Due to its size and weight, I can not set my camera down on a table unless I lay it on its side. But, the quality is such that I can easily overlook that minor inconvenience.
I highly recommend this lens to everyone. For family videos and photos, you never have to squeeze people in again. And for the independent film maker, it adds a character and quality that will separate your work from others and add a cinema-type quality. Sony scores on this one, and soon I hope to add their 3.0X telephoto lens to my kit.