Raynox HD-6600 Pro 43mm 0.66x HQ WA Lens

A while back there was a thread concerning this WA lens. I purchased one as I needed WA for indoor use, and decided on this one as it was recommended over the Pana lens as the Raynox has "Zoom Through".

I did some test shoots with it and hey, not bad. It puts the scene right where I wanted, and without the curves on the side. The previous camera and WA lens (Canon OpturaXI) worked ok in this regard but curved the edges enough to be quite noticable.. Not so with the Raynox.

It comes in a nice little padded plastic box to protect it when being stored in the camera bag.

it doesn't appear to take a lot of light to push through the extra lens. The previous setup I had, I would have to push up the lighting to compensate for the extra lens.

I have my first production shoot tomorrow night with it so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

First impressions? Impressed and happy. More later.

That sounds cool Seaking... The thread you mentioned was mine, and I'm glad that lens worked out via your test... About my previous thread and the various selections that I was/am going to purchase,-- roughly 3 weeks ago when I was going to purchase my DVC30 w/XLR and the WA you mention, the cam went out of stock at BH... I waited, got busy with work,-- it came back in stock last week, but I was still busy with other projects... Anyway, this morning, I went to the BH website to place my order and OMG...! Out of stock again...;(

I filled in the [notify me when this product is back in stock] deal at the BH site, so as soon as it's back, well, no more delays here...;) I'm going to have that puppy shipped [next day air] too... Can't wait...!

Looking forward to hearing about your next shoot with that new Raynox...

sconi
http://www.sconi.com

That sounds cool Seaking... The thread you mentioned was mine, and I'm glad that lens worked out via your test... About my previous thread and the various selections that I was/am going to purchase,-- roughly 3 weeks ago when I was going to purchase my DVC30 w/XLR and the WA you mention, the cam went out of stock at BH... I waited, got busy with work,-- it came back in stock last week, but I was still busy with other projects... Anyway, this morning, I went to the BH website to place my order and OMG...! Out of stock again...;(

I filled in the [notify me when this product is back in stock] deal at the BH site, so as soon as it's back, well, no more delays here...;) I'm going to have that puppy shipped [next day air] too... Can't wait...!

Looking forward to hearing about your next shoot with that new Raynox...

sconi
http://www.sconi.com

I bought my DVC30 from www.vistek.ca as they recieved a number of the very last production run of DVC30s ever going to be made. (so the story goes). I too had to wait a month for those to get in stock but the wait was well worth it. Yeah, so the camera's technology is several years old and probably 'obsolete' in many people's eyes.. But after owning the Olympus C2100Z digital camera, this isn't always the case that OLD is obsolete..

I'm still not 100% what the "zoom through" feature is all about but because it had been advised as a "ooh gotta have THAT feature" over the Panasonic WA lens, I got the Raynox. I think, basically that it allows you to zoom and not see any distortions along the zoom travel, near or far.

One note, you can't put a lens hood on this WA, or not one that I could find. I don't know how much this will affect the shoot tonight with the lighting though. We'll see.

Understood, yes I know it's been around a while but it's more than I need for my [in studio] shooting and I haven't seen anything better... So I'll have to hope that a few more end up at BH soon... That's simply where I've decided to purchase it. If they don't get anymore in, well, my loss I guess. As for [zoom through], yes [I think, basically that it allows you to zoom and not see any distortions along the zoom travel, near or far.] -- from everything I've read, that's exactly what it means...

Look forward to hearing how your shoot goes...

sconi

As for [zoom through], yes [I think, basically that it allows you to zoom and not see any distortions along the zoom travel, near or far.] -- from everything I've read, that's exactly what it means... Look forward to hearing how your shoot goes...sconi

Yep and that's exactly what it did, you can zoom through it and there is no noticeable distortion anywhere in the viewing area. I haven't edited the video (not till friday or saturday) but from the quick tests around the room it was perfectly vertical walls on the edges. Wheras the previous WA lens on the Canon camera would show some bowing, this Raynox didn't at all. For all intended purposes, you'd hardly notice you had the WA lens on except that you can get in closer to the action... Instead of being out into the other room shooting into the scene room, with the WA I can be deep inside the scene room. Neat..

Which brought up another funny problem where the cameraman kept getting hit with the action as I was in a lot closer than before. When I shoot our videos, I seldom ever zoom in or out, I prefer to 'ninja walk' to or away from the scene. I ended up getting nailed every once in a while. Something new to get used to.

Overall, heck yeah, I'm impressed. Since I shoot indoors 90% of the time, the lens will be sitting on the camera most of the time.

Zoom Through.. the only way to go ; )

I too always have the Wide Lens (the Panasonic Lens) on or at least 98% of the time. I like shoot close to my subjects for excellent audio and minimized handheld shaking.

...Angelo

I too always have the Wide Lens (the Panasonic Lens) on or at least 98% of the time. I like shoot close to my subjects for excellent audio and minimized handheld shaking.
...Angelo

That was the other thing I wanted to check out was the reduced hand shake effect.. I have another shoot tonight (busy weekend of editing) and will see if it actually does make a bit of diff.

I did notice that the more zoom you have on the standard lens, the more noticeable the shake was or that return off shift effect was noticable.. ( I noticed that the shot image would wander off to the side and return quickly. Most wouldn't notice it but I saw it right away. I'll have to check it this weekend.)

Fun and games.

That's great Seaking... Sounds like money well spent...!

Funny,-- you're getting hit now... Maybe the lens should come with a warning,-- [objects may be closer than they appear]...;)

sconi

That was the other thing I wanted to check out was the reduced hand shake effect.. I have another shoot tonight (busy weekend of editing) and will see if it actually does make a bit of diff.

I did notice that the more zoom you have on the standard lens, the more noticeable the shake was or that return off shift effect was noticable.. ( I noticed that the shot image would wander off to the side and return quickly. Most wouldn't notice it but I saw it right away. I'll have to check it this weekend.)

Fun and games.

I one thing that is very weak with cam is the OIS. Sometimes the OIS will cause a jump in the picture and the only solution is to disable the OIS and stay very still or use a tripod. I wonder if Panasonic has a firmware update of fix for the OIS?? :( Currently I use a handle that mounts/screws under the cam for more comfortable handheld work with a Zoe-DVX controller mounted on the bottom handle for zoom and recording control.

But, yes a wider shot with a Wide-Angle Lens will reduce the video shakes/movement.

...Angelo

I haven't used the OIS in some time. it just doesn't work great. the best OIS i've seen is canon's. Oh well.

I one thing that is very weak with cam is the OIS. Sometimes the OIS will cause a jump in the picture and the only solution is to disable the OIS and stay very still or use a tripod. I wonder if Panasonic has a firmware update of fix for the OIS?? :( Currently I use a handle that mounts/screws under the cam for more comfortable handheld work with a Zoe-DVX controller mounted on the bottom handle for zoom and recording control.But, yes a wider shot with a Wide-Angle Lens will reduce the video shakes/movement.
...Angelo

Agree, after two shoots indoors with it doing action shots, I found the shake and 'realigning' shift to be very reduced, almost not noticeable.. and NO distortion on the edges.. impressive and VERY little light requirement change at all..

VERY impressed, money well spent!

I haven't used the OIS in some time. it just doesn't work great. the best OIS i've seen is canon's. Oh well.

The OIS on the Canon OpturaXI worked extremely well..

The DVC30's will work well but as soon as you hold it steady by hand that's when you notice the shift to centre effect..

But with the WA it works really well.. Another added bonus I wasn't expecting =)

Hey Seaking & TurtleTone2,-- I just ordered my Dvc30 with XLR adapter, Panasonic AGMC200G SUPER-DIRECTIONAL PHANTOM POWERED MIC, and the Raynox HD-6600 Pro 43mm 0.66x High Quality Wide Angle Converter Lens... :D

Having BH ship that puppy next day air,-- just thought I'd let you guys know... And hey, many thanks for your input... ;)

I didn't order any tapes though, honestly, I forgot lol... But I can get them here at Bestbuy or office depot. Question though, I'm seeing things like; [see blue text below, does it matter?]

Panasonic 60-Minute MiniDV Digital Videocassettes (2-Pack)
Continuous Varying Incidence (CVI) for improved picture quality
Diamond-like (DL), carbon-coated thin film provides quality images
Reduced tape friction for stable performance.

And;

Panasonic MiniDV Digital Video Cassettes (6-Pack)
Up to 60 minutes recording time in SP mode; 90 minutes in LP mode
Plenty of space to store home videos and digital photos
Reduced tape friction.

And lastly;

Sony 60-Minute MiniDV Tapes (5-Pack)
Each tape holds 60 minutes of high-quality video
Metal evaporated technology provides higher output and higher carrier-to-noise ratio.

A little help on that? *I'll stick with panasonic tapes, I know that much, and the same type always...

Can't wait,

sconi

Sony 60-Minute MiniDV Tapes (5-Pack)
Each tape holds 60 minutes of high-quality video
Metal evaporated technology provides higher output and higher carrier-to-noise ratio.
A little help on that? *I'll stick with panasonic tapes, I know that much, and the same type always...
Can't wait,
sconi

Congrats, you're gonna love this camera, just take the time to play with it and learn all that it has.. I'm a single content shooter so I haven't had much occasion to play with it like the other guys.. soon though..

As for tape, I'm using the Sony Premium tapes (blue package label). I'm able to find these online at quite the low price which makes it quite affordable since I go through a lot of tape (and hence why I purchased the FireStore)

I checked out a lot of the articles in the forums and this tape, buck for buck was the best for what I need. If you're doing high end work, you'd be better off with the more expensive professional tapes.

But the most important thing anyone will tell you is to NOT mix dry and wet lube tapes to avoid gumming up the works.

Thanks Seaking... I'll do so and never mix tapes... Should have it by wednesday... :)

sconi

Thanks Seaking... I'll do so and never mix tapes... Should have it by wednesday... :)
sconi

Ahh the anticipation of waiting! I bought a larger capacity battery with mine, supposed to go 10 hours though I've only run it up to 8 hours without it draining thus far. Can't have enough batts on hand.

As far as settings go, I've found that using the Custom White Balance is a godsend on this camera, it actually works well compared to the other camera I had. I've set the ped to a certain level to give better black and contrast for the type of scenes I shoot. I also use the gain a lot just to fine adjust the lighting requirements as I move around the scene. It took some practice but I think I have it nailed down well enough that you don't see a shift from dark to bright and vice-versa, it only takes a little change so it's a lot of finess on the wheel.

Best thing to do with the camera when you get it, is to read the docs, familiarize yourself with the camera, know where all the buttons are, and what they do, read as many of the articles in this message board in regards to frame rates, shutter speed, profiles, etc. Practice with the camera.

What I had done was basically set up static lighting and scene and had a person sit there waving their arms back and forth (to see how motion is affected) and then shoot the scene with a variety of settings, saying them out loud so that I can see/hear what the settings do within that given shot. Then I go back and reread the book, refer back to some of the articles here to see if it all makes sense. Of course, it never makes sense to me but at least I get a better understanding of what I'm trying to accomplish with my work ;)

Don't rush it, take your time, learn as you go, and have fun. There is so much more to learn on this camera that I haven't had the time or opportunity to try out yet.. Like a fat kid in a candy store.. so much to do, so little time to try it all out in one sitting.

Cheers

That's exactly what I plan to do... Read, then read some more,-- then test for my specific needs. Like I said at the start, most of my shooting will be in my studio [of me painting/speaking] so I assume/hope that once I find the correct settings, I should be able to assign most to the user buttons... Well, I hope... ;)

Anyway, I just tracked it and it should be here at noon today...!

sconi

Got it, carefully assembled it, and currently admiring it sitting on my desk... :D

Wow, BH got it here in just 25 hours after purchase... [from NY to Cal] Now, it's time to do some more reading before I turn it on. It may be a while before I post up anything here or to my site because I'm working a deadline on 2 paintings...

Sure looks sweet... Thanks again dudes...

sconi
www.sconi.com (http://www.sconi.com)

Got it, carefully assembled it, and currently admiring it sitting on my desk... :D
Wow, BH got it here in just 25 hours after purchase... [from NY to Cal] Now, it's time to do some more reading before I turn it on. It may be a while before I post up anything here or to my site because I'm working a deadline on 2 paintings...
Sure looks sweet... Thanks again dudes...
sconi
www.sconi.com (http://www.sconi.com)

I can almost hear the 'school girl giggles' coming out of your studio by now lol.. (not to say that's what you heard coming out of my studio when I got mine.. that came later lol)

Check out the lighting forum here for 3 light studio work.. There's a link somewhere on this taking you to an online tute that shows you how well the technique works.. You have your typical fill, main and rim (highlight, slightly behind to put accent lighting on the back of your head and shoulders). In your situation, this would work out nicely if you're doing the waist up demos of painting. Lighting your paintings should work well with the 45' off set lighting. This works well for photography, I think it should work well with videography though I've never tried it.

Again, keep shooting until your sick of it (if that's possible) trying out the various profiles (settings) until you find one you like best. One thing of note I noticed, is that what you see in the flip screen isn't quite what you see in the finished product. You have to adjust the brightness so that it matches what comes off on tape. In the begining, I found that I had the screen too bright and would adjust my lighting too low for the finished producted when it came to edit time. Once I got it set right, everything looks like it should. What I see is now what I 'should' get. The other thing I noticed is that the width of the scene you see in the flip screen is either narrower or wider (can't remember) than what is actually put out in the finished video. In other words, if you stand to the side of the scene so that in the flip screen you can see yourself JUST at the edge of it, you may be more out or more in than you originally thought you would be. This does make a difference in the end product.. In my case, the same video I shoot goes to DVD and WMV for downloads, and the DVD is a lot narrower in size when seen on your TV than it is seen as a WMV download etc. Check that out also.. This happened to me before I got the WA lens. I had to shoot from inside another room to catch a scene in the other room and purposely made sure the door edge wasn't seen in the view finder.. but when editing, you saw the door edge to the side.

All little things you'll find out as you go along with exploring this impressive camera. ;)

Best of luck, it's all fun!

Yes the LCD is underscanned and doesn't show everything that you are recording. that got me a couple of times. I don't know why some cams do this. you would think that it would show everything. You think that boom pole or light is not in the shot and then you load it in and there it is.

Yes the LCD is underscanned and doesn't show everything that you are recording. that got me a couple of times. I don't know why some cams do this. you would think that it would show everything. You think that boom pole or light is not in the shot and then you load it in and there it is.

I think I worked it out that if your shoot is going to DVD, what you see in the LCD is close to what you're going to see on the DVD. But as we know, when you author to DVD it crops inwards from the full scene a bit to show it on the TV.. showing it on a PC DVD player is slightly larger.. (right?).. so I always fudge factor in a little more space than what you would normally expect..