Add on wide angle adapter

**mgvh** · 12-11-2012, 03:36 PM

I have used a Raynox DCR-720 Wide Angle Conversion Lens. This provides a .72x widening of the pic. It's a screw-on type of lens for a 52mm mount.
Raynox provides good quality, so there is very little loss of detail. I would say it is insignificant. There will be some, however, simply because you are asking the lens to handle more view/data, and there are only so many pixels to go around!
Here is an example from my K-x using the 18-55 kit lens both without and with the Raynox. It's not the greatest of shots since it wasn't very bright in the room, but you can get a sense of what it can do.
Pics at 18mm w/out and w/ Raynox
You can see the vignetting, but you can also see how you could crop the photo and still end up with a rather wide angle view. (The 18mm effectually becomes a 13mm. Mulitply by 1.5 to get 35mm equivalents.) Some barrel distortion, but that's fairly easy to correct.
Here's another example at 28mm, and now the vignetting is not an issue. Of course now, w/ the Raynox on, the 28mm is giving a 20mm view, but that's not as wide as the 18mm the lens is capable of. I've also had good luck stitching photos together to get the wide angle effect.
So why would you use this lens?
If I'm trying to go light, it's easy to add this lens to the bag. (The Raynox is about the size of a 50mm lens.) So, let's say I'm just using my lovely F 35-70 lens on the camera. If I don't want to stitch photos, and I don't want to carry along another lens, I just use the Raynox, and now it's a 25-50mm lens.

Last edited by mgvh; 12-12-2012 at 09:53 AM.

SpecialK · 12-11-2012, 08:08 PM

Originally posted by jlaubza

Good day, does anyone know of a wide angle adapter screw on lens that can be used on the 18-55mm kit lens?

There are some advertised on Amazon but I can't find images taken with these screw on adapters. I've seen 0.5x adapters advertised but I expect too much distortion from these. A 0.7x adapter seems like the right value.

Thanks.

I had a few. They make excellent paperweights, though paperweights are cheaper. I wish I had not given them all away - one of them could be useful as a small-print magnifying glass.

thoughton · 12-12-2012, 04:23 AM

I've also had one of these (the Digital King 0.7x), and took some test shots with it a while back:

Pentax DA 18-55 lens @ 18mm without adapter:

Pentax DA 18-55 @ 18mm with 0.7x adapter (approx 14mm equivalent):

The adapter is okay, but not great. Very soft at the edges and some barrel distortion (which is easily correctable).

In my opinion not worth the £70 they go for new, but if you have a chance to pick up a used one (mine cost £20) it's not entirely useless.

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12-11-2012, 03:36 PM	#16
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,030	I have used a Raynox DCR-720 Wide Angle Conversion Lens. This provides a .72x widening of the pic. It's a screw-on type of lens for a 52mm mount. Raynox provides good quality, so there is very little loss of detail. I would say it is insignificant. There will be some, however, simply because you are asking the lens to handle more view/data, and there are only so many pixels to go around! Here is an example from my K-x using the 18-55 kit lens both without and with the Raynox. It's not the greatest of shots since it wasn't very bright in the room, but you can get a sense of what it can do. Pics at 18mm w/out and w/ Raynox You can see the vignetting, but you can also see how you could crop the photo and still end up with a rather wide angle view. (The 18mm effectually becomes a 13mm. Mulitply by 1.5 to get 35mm equivalents.) Some barrel distortion, but that's fairly easy to correct. Here's another example at 28mm, and now the vignetting is not an issue. Of course now, w/ the Raynox on, the 28mm is giving a 20mm view, but that's not as wide as the 18mm the lens is capable of. I've also had good luck stitching photos together to get the wide angle effect. So why would you use this lens? If I'm trying to go light, it's easy to add this lens to the bag. (The Raynox is about the size of a 50mm lens.) So, let's say I'm just using my lovely F 35-70 lens on the camera. If I don't want to stitch photos, and I don't want to carry along another lens, I just use the Raynox, and now it's a 25-50mm lens. Last edited by mgvh; 12-12-2012 at 09:53 AM.

12-11-2012, 08:08 PM	#17
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	Originally posted by jlaubza Good day, does anyone know of a wide angle adapter screw on lens that can be used on the 18-55mm kit lens? There are some advertised on Amazon but I can't find images taken with these screw on adapters. I've seen 0.5x adapters advertised but I expect too much distortion from these. A 0.7x adapter seems like the right value. Thanks. I had a few. They make excellent paperweights, though paperweights are cheaper. I wish I had not given them all away - one of them could be useful as a small-print magnifying glass.

12-12-2012, 04:23 AM	#18
thoughton Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Saffron Walden, Essex Photos: Gallery Posts: 362	I've also had one of these (the Digital King 0.7x), and took some test shots with it a while back: Pentax DA 18-55 lens @ 18mm without adapter: Pentax DA 18-55 @ 18mm with 0.7x adapter (approx 14mm equivalent): The adapter is okay, but not great. Very soft at the edges and some barrel distortion (which is easily correctable). In my opinion not worth the £70 they go for new, but if you have a chance to pick up a used one (mine cost £20) it's not entirely useless.