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beatcreation

0.3 Wide Anlge Lens Option (heard of opteka?)

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Hey all, just wanted to get some quick input before I purchase yet another lens. Im looking at getting the raynox 3032 but have some slight hesitations due to it sticking out so much. I dont really want to drop $300 buck on the century 0.3 baby death either. Has anyone tried these lenses (opteka)? Im assuming that they are probably just crap or at least no better than waycool or royal lenses. I have an HC5 top mounted and I need some thing very wide for close flying head down 2-3 ways.


http://www.opteka.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=155

http://www.opteka.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=156

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UV filters degrade your image, ;)



Evidence?


Plenty, look at any photography website (except those trying to sell you UV filters LOL). Also in our case they add to lensflare so even if you get a good filter (the multicoated ones, from a good brand like B+W, Nikon or Hoya) it can show in your video, plus the good filters are as expensive as the raynox lenses are so why even bother :S Should you scratch the lens, buy a new one ;) Or be more careful ;)

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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I know what the websites say. I know what my own experience is with color charts, resolution charts, and real-world use.
Yes, there are UV filters that CAN degrade your image. Even with those, I challenge you to a comparison and tell me which of two photos has and has not a UV filter.
Yes, it will create a flare at the appropriate angle. Some people like this effect. Some people encourage this effect.

Making a blanket statement like "UV Filters degrade your image" is strong, and not necessarily correct. For the amount of degradation they do, most folks would prefer to protect their lens investment if they've got more than 50.00-100.00 in their glass. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Merely using a lens adapter degrades your image. Far moreso than does a UV or Sky filter.
Using a lens adapter also can cause flaring (and given the lenses most skydivers seem to buy, it's quite common).
CCD's cause flaring too.

So, until someone builds a CMOS camera with a 15mm lens (35mm equivalent) video camera... many will rightfully continue to use a UV or Sky1A on the front of their camera. Me? I use an ND to accomplish the same thing.
The shot that won Scotty Burns the USA Today contest had a Sky on the lens, the video that is #15 on CNN.com has a Sky on the lens, all of my skydiving footage has a filter on it.

Photoshop degrades your images too. I've seen your photos that are heavily cropped. Cropping seriously degrades images. So does recompression.

Virtually anything on the front of the actual camera lens, any electronic image processing in camera, and any post processing "degrades" the image.
Me? I'd much rather "degrade" the image in glass than in post.

Back to the OP.
Opteka is a jobber that buys OEM product and stamps their name on it. Some of it's decent, some of it is not. I haven't jumped their lenses, but am very familiar with their flashes and photoframes. I'll look at their glass at NAB if you'd like.

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I glued a 72mm - 77mm step up ring on the end of my raynox 0.3 to add a filter. It was more for the fact that the lens seemed to fog up a lot in the UK (its cold here!) than for protection. In certain conditions I do see a lot of flare but it doesn't fog up now.
http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

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Anyone else think that the lense shown in the Prod=155 link looks an awful lot like the .3 Babydeath lense? what are the chances it is a rebranded babydeath lense? I'm seriously considering dropping the $100 to find out.



Thats kinda what I was thinking myself. Be awesome to risk the 100 and find out its basically the same but would suck to get stuck with a 100$ piece of crap. Does anyone have any experience with this brand?

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I have the Century in front of me and looks pretty much the same, but with 2 differences:

-The Opteka has a rigid hood, and even comes with the screwdriver to adjust it after put the lens in the camera. The Century has a crapy soft one, which need to be gaffertaped to not come off. And a crapy lens cap too.

-and for 1/3 of the price is a no brainer.

If you want a real fish eye, buy it, but remember is big and heavy in an CX100...

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Back to the OP.
Opteka is a jobber that buys OEM product and stamps their name on it. Some of it's decent, some of it is not. I haven't jumped their lenses, but am very familiar with their flashes and photoframes. I'll look at their glass at NAB if you'd like.



This would be nice.

What is NAB?
:P

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Any more input with regards to the Opteka Baby Death quality and the century baby death?

Is it just a re-brand with a smaller price tab or is it a poorer version?

Gustavo, didn't see you last weekend when I visited, but I saw Kuri's century 0.3x on his camera and it looks a nice set up. You think it's too heavy for the CX105 as implied by an earlier post?

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I was cave diving in Palma de Mallorca last week...
The Century is heavier, but better quality than any 0.3. and the cx105 lighter anyway, to compensate ;)
As allways is down to personal needs...for me is extra work to have that big chunk of glass which need to take care off all the time, to not scratch it...

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Thanks for the reference DSE, although that doesn't say much about the quality comparison, except for speculation.

I've attached a comparison I found elsewhere.

If you're interested and have lots of time to read, a friend pointed me here:
16 Pages: http://forums.skateperception.com/index.php?showtopic=217875
54 Pages: http://forums.skateperception.com/index.php?showtopic=209966

There's some good information there, don't mind the annoying repetitive posts.

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