Technical Question About Wide Angle and 16:9

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

MAYBE he was asking about the use of 16×9 “Converter Lens” adapter (which IS a type of Wide angle adapter) and NOT just a “standard” Wide Angle lens adapter.

The Century Optics (for example) 16×9 adapter will create an anamorphic (squeezed) image on a standard 4×3 camcorder that can be “stretched-back” to re-create the intended 16×9 aspect ratio in playback.

This allows a greater utilization of a camcorder’s “full” CCD image-area compared to just “cropping the 4×3 image with black bars” for the 16×9 look (which “loses” much of the effective CCD area).

There are so many methods and adaptations of 4×3 aspect to 16×9 aspect (and the reverse) that the confusion will not subside for many years to come.

As to “standard” WA adapters (say 0.5-0.7)… they do their “work” independently of any aspect ratio.
(A 4×3 camcorder or a 16×9 camcorder can utilize a WA adapter for similar reasons).
These adapters allow for shooting a wider shot without having to back the camera farther away (great for shooting in small rooms).
WA adapters can create a mild-to-strong “fish-eye” or barrel-distortion and some shooters find they “like” that look.
Some say it is more “film-like”, but I don’t see how they can make that claim, as I have seen millions film scenes… and very few have any barrel-distortion.

[Jim Zito]

Thanks Thax. That clears it up for me. Yeah, I wouldn’t say a WA lens technically makes things more “film-like” either. I think people just see that it looks different and automatically associate it with film.