Rated 2.000000 out of 5 Stars
Reviewer:
mytwocents
Date
22-Apr-2010
I've had this product forless than a month
10of10
people found this helpful
Pros:
adds zoom to some of the settings
Cons:
does not work with movie mode
Lens works well for photos by slightly increasing the zoom level but did not work during movie recording. I filmed the same thing with and without the lens on (and conversion set to tele in menu) and both videos came out exactly the same distance away recorded at 20x. No addtional zooming occured. So with that in mind, I just didn't think the lens was worth the price. I can crop the photos for a closer look without this lens. I can't crop the movies and that's what I wanted the lens for.
The camera is awesome though.
Rated 5.000000 out of 5 Stars
Reviewer:
BigTex
(McKinney, Texas)
Date
21-May-2009
I've had this product forless than a month
117of130
people found this helpful
Pros:
Excellent Clarity
Cons:
Connection
NICE 1.7x lens for that long shot. Extends the 20x zoom without degradation of quality. Only setback is the threaded connection but after all, it IS a fixed lens Point-n-shoot. Spend a little extra for an nice compatible tripod. The extra length and weight does add some instability to the shot. I definitely recommend this lens for extended range image capturing with the DSC-HX1, which I also love BTW…
Rated 3.000000 out of 5 Stars
Reviewer:
Photonian
(Franklin, TN)
Date
16-Jun-2010
I've had this product for3-6 months
15of15
people found this helpful
Pros:
Clear optics, lightwieight, size makes you look like a real photographer if that is good
Cons:
Size is large compared to HX1, no threads for filters etc, is not advantageous in some conditions
I bought this lens thinking I would essentially have the equivalent of the Hubble Space Telescope after mounting. It seemed incredible that for less than $500 I could have a camera with a 20 x high quality optical zoom lens with image stabilization and then increase its already high magnification capability by another 70% for less than another $200. Well, it did not work out the way I expected. The additional telephoto lens made auto focusing a much longer process that would only work if you were taking a picture of something that was virtually motionless. Occasionally, even with image stabilization, I was unable to hold the camera steady enough at full magnification to take a clear picture. It seemed as if the only time I could get good performance from the lens was outdoors with good light with a tripod or by carefully holding the camera in high light situations. When the right conditions were existent, the pictures were very good. I am not a professional photographer or even a good amateur so I could live with the demands of the lens so long as I knew them in advance. More than 50% of the time I use the camera as a point and shoot where the built in qualities and capabilities of the camera were greater than many of the SLRs I have had in the past.
The one real insight I got from the purchase of the telephoto lens was that it made me realize what a fantastic camera the HX1 is without further magnification. Its built in lens that zooms from wide angle to 20 x optical magnification is something most photographers never have the convenience of working with, and while the lens on the HX1 may not be the absolute best across the magnification band, it is as good as anything most of us would ever need. If you use this camera in any light and/or speed circumstances, nobody will ever think that you are a good photographer that has been limited by your equipment. More likely they would say what a good photographer you have become. To summarized, I think the VCL-DH1757 Telephoto Lens is a nice thing to have, but really is not necessary given the built in power of the HX1's existing optical systems.
Rated 4.000000 out of 5 Stars
Reviewer:
FPPC
(Southern CA)
Date
10-Feb-2011
I've had this product forless than a month
1of1
people found this helpful
Pros:
Improves telephoto ability without distortion, easy to install, comes with own case, great for point & shoot lens additi
Cons:
Heavy, no quick changability, must fiddle with settings for clear pictures
If you don't want the complexity of a DSLR camera the HX1 is the best point and shoot on the market. The addition of this telephoto lens makes it that much better. The additional magnification allows for that picture you just can't get otherwise. I was surprised at the bulk and wieght of the lens considering how technically great the camera is, I would think Sony could improve on this area. As far as my purchase, I would do it again in a heartbeat. This lens turned what is an amazing point and shoot camera into an even more amazing camera. Short of purchasing a DLSR with extra lenses and then learning how to use it you can't do better.
I would tell anyone who is thinking about this lens for thier DSC-HX1 to proceed and they will be satisfied that the money was well spent. If you expect this lens to transform your camera to an SLR type capability then move on.
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