Many camera operators will tell you that a camera is only as good as the glass you put on the front of it. To get the very best images, good optics are a vital element of the camcorder's true performance.
In the professional video industry there are both fixed and interchangeable camera lenses. A standard fixed lens will allow you to add a wide angle or telephoto adapter. Interchangeable lenses allow much more flexibility with higher optical quality, macro facility, larger optical zoom and more precise control of zoom and focus.
Standard Zoom Camera Lenses
We look at a standard camcorder lens as an optic that replicates a perspective very closely to the human eye. For the most part, a standard or normal camera lens will suffice for general shooting situations. We often look at and measure a lens on the amount of zoom it contains, ranging in most cases from a standard 12x zoom up to 20x zoom. With interchangeable lenses you have many mount options, dependant on the manufacturer. There are three main mounts measuring 1/3", 1/2" and 2/3". All lenses differ but generally with a lens you can have two options - a standard professional grade zoom lens or a broadcast-quality zoom lens with an inbuilt x2 extender that doubles the zoom length.
Wide-Angle Camera Lenses
A wide-angle camera lens gives you a wider angle of view, offering a larger perspective enabling a better depth of field. They're best for covering large subject areas. We recommend you look for a wide-angle lens if you want to take footage of outdoor landscapes and outdoor scenes, or for tight indoor shots where space is limiting the coverage that your normal lens can provide. You will at some stage require a wide angle lens or adapter to enable you to get the shot that your current lens cannot.
Wide angle adapters attach to the front thread of the camcorder and are available in two forms, zoom through and non-zoom through. A zoom through version allows the camcorders manual or auto focus to function throughout the entire focal length of the lens while a non-zoom through will allow either no zooming or limited zooming before it loses focus. On professional interchangeable lenses a wide angle adapter is normally focussed with the macro setting and therefore has no zoom through capability. A wide angle lens, rather than an adapter, is a lens that has a wider than standard capability and has a servo zoom function. They are generally more expensive than standard lenses and sometimes replace the existing lens when required. The majority of broadcast camcorder operators have both normal and wide angle lenses available. Most camcorder packages from the manufacturers are supplied with a standard grade industrial lens option or without a lens allowing you to choose the type of lens that best suits your particular application.
Telephoto & Fisheye Camera Lenses
As opposed to the wide-angle camera lens, the telephoto camera lens is a narrow angle lens. It appears to narrow the image, which is important when you are not able to get close to your subject. Appropriate for long-distance situations, a telephoto camera lens is essential for photographing sporting events, animals in nature, and distant landscape features.
A fish-eye camera lens is an extremely wide-angle lens. It creates a distorted image that appears convex and most will provide an image 70% wider than your current lens.