Product Description

This 0.7x wide-angle lens lets you film groups, landscapes, and other extra-wide scenes without moving your camcorder from side to side. Features high-grade optics for outstanding video detail.

Product Details

• Color: Silver
• Brand: Sony
• Model: VCL-HGE07A
• Dimensions: 9.45" h x 1.77" w x 5.31" l, .20 pounds

Features

• 0.7x wide-angle converter lens for 37mm/30mm diameter camcorders
• Certified High Definition picture qualty
• Lightest conversion lens for HD
• 1 action attachment" concept

Customer Reviews

Excellent lens
Searching for a wide angle lens for my Sony HDR-SR12 was very frustrating. I could find nothing that had decent reviews, but I was needing it quickly so I took a chance and ordered this one. I'm glad I did. It is actually a very good product. I guess your opinion of it depends on what you are looking for.

As far as the blurring when you try to zoom, from what I understand, you are not supposed to zoom with a wide angle lens anyway. I am not an expert. Heck, I'm not even intermediate. But I did read the Digital Video for Dummies book, and it said that you should not zoom with a wide angle lens because it just won't work. And why would you want to? I don't leave this thing on all the time - just when I'm filming something in tight quarters.

This brings up another point. I at first thought the quick attach feature was pointless. However, it is so quick and easy to take on and off (once you screw on the adapter ring) that when I was using it and wanted to zoom in on something, I just popped the lens off while I was filming. Sure, there will be a slight blur on the video while I'm pulling it away, but hey, like I said, I'm an amateur. I will probably cut that blur out when I'm editing it anyway.

As for the lens cap, I can see that it might be important to some people, but not me. It's not something I am going to leave on and use all the time. In fact, it wouldn't really fit in my case very well with it on. I just pull it out and use it once in a while, and the case for it is very nice and compact.

To give a little more insight into the usefulness of this lens, the reason I bought it was to film the birth of my first born son. I set it on a tripod in the corner of the room (near the head end, not the business end :) ) and let it run during the delivery. Since we were confined in a room and I wanted to get as much of the action as possible, it worked flawlessly. Once my son was born, I removed the camera from the tripod, popped off the lens, and got some good close up video of him laying on mama's chest.

I am totally happy with this product, although it does seem a little pricey. Quality is good, and I see the shipping is free now. If you are looking for a wide angle lens, I would recommend this.

Not good with HDR-XR500V
This is lightweight and snaps on to the adapters that screw in place to fit either 30mm or 37mm threads. It feels cheap, but the major problem with this for me is the focusing when zooming in is either not working or very slow depending on how much I zoomed in. I was trying this on a Sony HDR-XR500V HD camcorder and used the setting for wide conversion lens and tried it with the setting off. It simply didn't work for me on either setting, so I returned it.

Does not include a lens cap!
You may be wondering how this newer VCL-HGE07A model stacks up to Sony's prior VCL-HG0737C. Both of them are 0.7x wide angle lenses that work with 37mm camcorder mounts.

Keep wondering. In its typical mode of arrogance, Sony's own materials (including all documentation, its Web sites and even a conversation I had at a SonyStyle retail store) fail to distinguish. In other words, they can't even convey what the difference is. (To make things stranger, Sony lists the retail price of this item at $229 though it's sold everywhere else -- including here -- for under $100, while the VCL-HG0737C remains at a retail price of $199.)

But you needn't even bother with the question, because the critical failing of this lens is a stunning oversight: There is no lens cap. That's right, no lens cap. Another bizarre almost-great-but-not-quite product release from Sony. Useless.