Any way to put ND filter on Canon wide angle adapter?

[Ron Hunter]

I have a Canon WD-H43 wide angle adapter for my HV30 camcorder. I would like to put an ND or skylight filter on it to protect the glass, but I don't see any threads on the outside of the adapter hood for such a filter. Any ideas on what I can try?

[hpharley90]

I would like to put an ND or skylight filter on it to protect the glass,

Protect it from what?
I have the same wide angle converter for my HV-40.
I never thought about a protecting the glass but I do have an Tiffen UV protector between camera and converter.

[Ron Hunter]

Why protect it? The same reason we protect any lens! I paid about $150 for that converter 8 years ago and it costs $200 from B&H Photo now. I don't want to have to replace it. Last time I used it at the beach it got some light salt spray on it. As I was cleaning the converter lens front it occurred to me that it should have a protective filter on it, but I don't know how to make that happen.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but again, that is not a cheap accessory.

[Greg mgm]

I have the same wide angle adapter and have looked around for ways to add a filter, but no luck.
Not saying it can't be done. Someone probably figured out a way.

"Protect it from what?"

[Bob]

If you or a friend have access to a machine shop, you could make a custom slip on adaptor. But, it would probably cost more than a replacement WD-H43 to hire a machinist to do it for you. Maybe your local high school has a machine shop that might be willing to do it.

Once upon a time, decades ago, you could buy slip on filter adaptors with set screws for this sort of thing. You might try searching ebay for a used adaptor of that type, you could get lucky.

You will most likely need to accommodate a larger filter size than the diameter of the H43 to minimize vignetting.

[hpharley90]

OK. I never thought of it but I can make what you need. I'll make myself one also.

Bob is this 77mm UV protector large enough? The converter OD is 74.549mm or 2.935 inches.

tiffen.jpg

[Bob]

is this 77mm UV protector large enough?

I'm not sure. How about a test. Make a cylinder 77mm in diameter out of cardboard, manila folder, index card, or similar. It needs to be opaque and preferably dark -- a black sharpie around the part that will be exposed to the lens would work great. When slipped over the wide angle adaptor mounted on the camera it should project just over 1/4" past the end ( to simulate where the end of the filter will be; take into account how you plan to make the adaptor). With the cylinder centered on the adaptor, take a photo of a wall or other uniform surface -- preferably mid-toned. Take another photo of the same thing without the cylinder. Compare one to the other in a photo editing application. If in the photo with the cylinder, the image is cut off around the edges or if vignetting is noticibly different, you'll need a larger diameter filter.

[hpharley90]

I'm not sure. How about a test. Make a cylinder 77mm in diameter out of cardboard, manila folder, index card, or similar. It needs to be opaque and preferably dark -- a black sharpie around the part that will be exposed to the lens would work great. When slipped over the wide angle adaptor mounted on the camera it should project just over 1/4" past the end ( to simulate where the end of the filter will be; take into account how you plan to make the adaptor). With the cylinder centered on the adaptor, take a photo of a wall or other uniform surface -- preferably mid-toned. Take another photo of the same thing without the cylinder. Compare one to the other in a photo editing application. If in the photo with the cylinder, the image is cut off around the edges or if vignetting is noticibly different, you'll need a larger diameter filter.

I'll try something this weekend.

[Dave McElderry]

There was a duct tape joke in here somewhere but I wasn't sure that it would be appreciated, especially since I didn't have anything constructive to add. Good luck with your project.

[hpharley90]

I just ordered this filter feeling very confident that it will work.

tiffen.jpg

I didn't try anything with cardboard or tape.
I'll be able to put a thread right over the outside diameter of converter and have lens butt up against converters lens face when screwed on.
7 to 8 days on free shipping. After receiving lens it will take about 7 days when I can squeeze it at work an know one will know the difference.
I'm going to use bar stock so there is a lot of material removal on the inside diameter.
But I need this lens first so I know what thread pitch it is.
I'll post later.

[momoffduty]

I can see using a filter for protection at the beach or a dirt track. I took my filters off a year ago and notice things are sharper. The only time I use a filter is for time lapse to get a slower shutter speed with a wider aperture.

[hpharley90]

I received the UV protector and I made an adapter out of 6061 aluminum.
After I mounted the converter to the camera in a tripod it made removal of my adapter so easy.
Is this what your looking for Ron?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An1gHy2BK4E[/youtube]

[Dave McElderry]

What a beautiful job Richard! I always use a good quality B+W ND filter on my camcorder, for no other reason than for the protection it provides the lens. I've never been able to see any difference in the video quality, and I don't see any in your video. There's a lot of people who do this. I think as long as it fits square you shouldn't have any problems.

[hpharley90]

What a beautiful job Richard!

Thank you.

ND filter on my camcorde

Does ND mean Neutral Density?

[Dave McElderry]

Does ND mean Neutral Density?

Exactly. They come in a wide variety, each letting through differing amounts of light, but without affecting the color. They correspond to f-stop values (aperture) and can be used to control depth of field and other factors in situations where the ambient light isn't conducive to the use of a particular f-stop (see Cheryl's post above). A value of 1 lets through (virtually) 100% of the light and should have no discernible effect on the recording (in theory). Those are often referred to as a UV filter, which is a little misleading since all glass acts as a UV filter, including the camera's lens. They're used by many folks simply to protect the lens, but of course they still have to have excellent optical properties. It doesn't pay to buy cheap ones, but at least if you scratch it it can be replaced easier and less expensively than a lens. I'm no expert in this field, but there's a ton of info available on the web.