Wonderful lens

The Sony VCL-HG0737 is a stunning wide-angle converter lens.

I was incredibly lucky enough to find one - as new - in a Cash Converters store in Sydney for just AU$89 (RRP $400!).

If you have any video camera, not just a Sony, with a 37mm filter mount, you can use this lens. Since the optics are so good you can get excellent pictures with virtually no edge-distortion or chromatic abberation - something that plagues much cheaper wide-angle converters.

This lens give the impression of taking a few steps away from your subject so you can get more in the picture, so it's great for family events, parties, weddings etc where you want to get everyone in the shot.

It feels reassuringly heavy, of a solid build - which, of course, it is.

My ONLY gripe is that it does NOT have a filter screw thread at the front for attaching additional filters or a lens hood. The lens is NOT 'hooded' in any way so outdoor shots in bright sunlight can show any dust or marks on the lens. This is a major omission for what is purported to be a professional quality lens.

That said, I bought one of the 77mm rubber lens hoods, detached the metal ring and slipped the rubber hood onto the VCL-HG0737. Works PERFECTLY!

Now I just have to figure out a way to add a neutral density filter...