.3 or .5 lens for tandem video

[iflyfree 0]

I was wondering if i should get a .3x or a .5x lens for tandem video

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

You really don't need anything tighter than a .5 for tandem video. I jump a .3, but zoom it out to about .45 for the skydive portion of the video.

[flow 1]

I've used .42 and .3 and prefer the .42. Most of the time I fly in the grip distance but .42 gives better view of the passenger.

Why? My .3 is a fisheye lens and I like the clearer and not so bent image .42 produces for tandems...

[Canuck 0]

Go .5 (or something equivalent) for tandems. I've used a .3 on a few tandems and didn't care for it much. It's just wider than it needs to be for the job.

A big problem with a video lens that wide is that it becomes very difficult to match a still lens (without spending a gagillion dollars) and having incompatible lenses really sucks. If you're not shooting stills, then it's less important, but there is still no reason to go that wide for tandems.

Canuck

[EricTheRed 0]

My vote is also .5x

Less distortion, plenty wide for tandems and 4 way IMO

illegible usually

[garywainwright 0]

Also remember that a conversion lens does exactly that - converts what you already have. My Old PC10 is significantly wider than my PC101

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[pcalandra 0]

I also recomend a .5, I don't like the distortion of the .3.

[riggerrob 558]

No distortion on www.royal-lens.com's 0.3 wide-angle lenses and only a tiny amount of distortion on their 0.2 lenses.
0.2 and 0.3 work great for Handy-Mount, however, those lenses are too wide for outside videographers.
Outside videographers are better off with 0.4 or 0.5 lenses.

[AndyMan 7]

I use the Sony .6, which is actually wider than my Kenko .5.

Your mileage may vary.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Canuck 0]

Quote

No distortion on www.royal-lens.com's 0.3 wide-angle lenses

The most perpetuated un-truth in the lens industry...

I think the Roayl .3 is an OK lens, but there is very obvious distortion and bluriness around the edges of the images it produces.

Canuck

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

Quote

No distortion on www.royal-lens.com's 0.3 wide-angle lenses

The most perpetuated un-truth in the lens industry...

It's more than just an "un-truth", it's absurd.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Canuck 0]

I was just being gentle...

Canuck

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

If you're gonna do tandemvideo, you're gonna want to do stills as well.
Figure out a good combination.
I have a .5 and a .45 (Hama) on my sony PC-7 (can't figure out why it doesn't die on me, but I'm not fixing untill something is broken)

The .45 works best for me, and I use it in combination with a .22 lens on a Canon rebel (analogue, we are still handing the rollsto the passengers...)

The choice of the .45 has one main reason for me: little distortion, bu to get a screen filler, I need to be quite close, and I find it a lot easier to react to movements of the tandem pair when flying close to them. It also makes it (in comparison to the .5) easier for me to get the drogue in the shot, if you'll be sit- or backflying that shouldn't be a problem, but since I fly tandemvideos with a belly-down videosuit with wings I like the extra range.

I have 2 main reasons why I don't go smaller (to something like the .3)
1) distortion
2) even if I get blown away a bit on exit, or if the drogue doesn't come out as fast as you would expect, the tandempair isn't a tiny dot on the screen.
The smaller the number on your lens, the smaller things will appear on the screen when you're a bit further than where youu want to be.

Two shots below are with the .22 lens, nearly no distortion.

"Don't make me come down there" - God.

My site:http://www.skystudio.nl/video.html
Some of my vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomSkyStudio

[FreeflyKiwi 0]

Dead right, figure out a good combo.

I use a Kenko .42 and a Canon Fisheye 15mm combo

Be aware that not only do some of the wider lenses distort, but some tanem instructers may not like you flying closer to compensate for the lense.

I love my combo, my .42 is a fisheye and does distort but I like the effect and my 15mm takes amazing pictures and adds an artistic toach.

Exit can look terrible if not flown tight.

I have used a .5 in the past and thought is was a great size for tandem, in my opinion and from the other posters looks like the way you should go.

Pictures are from my canon 15mm, shots are similar on my video cam.

Dale

two time New Zealand gumboot throwing champ.