Report on Nikon WC-E 68 with GX100

[praktinafan]

I wanted more field of view for panoramic photography than the original 19mm Ricoh Adapter. There were some hints in the web that the Nikon WC-E68 would be fine with the Ricoh but there would be some vignetting or dark corners.

I got the WC-E68 for an affordable price second hand. I needed an Step-Down-Ring for the Adapter because the Ricoh tube has 43 mm, the Nikon WC-E 68 has 46 mm.
The Hama was the right one because it is quite thin.

Connecting all the three things with the camera showed annoying dark corners but the FOW was great. What I had to do is shorten the distance between the WC-E68 and the GX100.

- First removed the burr (?) on the backside of the WC-E68. That was about 1-2 mm and now the WC-E68 and the Hama were thight.

WC-E 68 "destroyed"

WCE68_GX1005.jpg (34.49 KiB) Viewed 2009 times

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EXIF-Data

Image taken on: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:33 pm

Focus length: 7.3 mm

Shutter speed: 1/5 Sec

F-number: F/4.1

ISO speed rating: 80

Whitebalance: Auto

Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode

Camera-model: Caplio GX100

Exposure program: Aperture priority

Exposure bias: -7/10 EV

Metering mode: Pattern

- Second I shortened the original tube HA-2 on the front around 2 mm. It was exactly the ring that holds the rubber lens shade.

I connected again and - voila: no more dark corners.

WC-E 68 and HA-2

WCE68_GX1004.jpg (27.41 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

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EXIF-Data

Image taken on: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:32 pm

Focus length: 7.3 mm

Shutter speed: 1/5 Sec

F-number: F/4.1

ISO speed rating: 80

Whitebalance: Auto

Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode

Camera-model: Caplio GX100

Exposure program: Aperture priority

Exposure bias: -7/10 EV

Metering mode: Pattern

All over quality is quite good. There is some CA near the corners and the corners are a little bit blurry.

16 mm:

16 mm

WCE68_GX1001.jpg (40.88 KiB) Viewed 2010 times

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EXIF-Data

Image taken on: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:18 am

Focus length: 4 mm

Shutter speed: 1/500 Sec

F-number: F/5.1

ISO speed rating: 80

Whitebalance: Auto

Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode

Camera-model: Caplio GX100

Exposure program: Manual

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Metering mode: Pattern

More pictures here:
http://www.dslr-forum.de/showpost.php?p ... stcount=32

And in my gallery:
http://gallery.mac.com/willibauer#10014 ... lack&sel=1

[praktinafan]

Comparision picture original 24 mm:

WCE68_GX1002.jpg (32.51 KiB) Viewed 2008 times

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EXIF-Data

Image taken on: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:18 am

Focus length: 5.1 mm

Shutter speed: 1/500 Sec

F-number: F/5.1

ISO speed rating: 80

Whitebalance: Auto

Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode

Camera-model: Caplio GX100

Exposure program: Manual

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Metering mode: Pattern

[odklizec]

Very nice and creative work! Well done! I'm personally not very interested in extreme wide angle photography, mainly because of distorted perspective. But I thought of how useful would be Nikon TC-E2 (2x) or TC-E3ED (3x) with GX100 but mainly GRD? I'm about to buy and cannibalize the TC-E2, which can be obtained very cheep from ebay. TC-E3ED is unfortunately not so cheep, so I'm not sure about buying and "adapting" this one

[pollobarca]

Praktina fan-
I will be using the same adapter-i have a WCE68 which i use on my Olympus c5050z.Same step up ring 43-46,mine is a cheepo ,very thin,from India.Found on E bay.

Question-does the Ricoh lens crash into the modified Nikon WCE68?I think Nikon put that spacer (Burr) on the lens to distance the glass on a Nikoncamera.

I am not so sure I will remove the spacer as with my c5050 (which will share the adapter with the Ricoh GX100) there will be problems.The Oly lens comes out proud and returns a fraction.

Vignetting,I find that it depends on the light angle using the Nikon wce68 with my oly.Its only small shakes ,which if they annoy can be processed out.
I hope its the same with the Ricoh.
Now to get that adapter Ha-2,boy its expensive and no cheapies about even on e bay.My CLA-1 Olympus cost about 15 euro including post from canada to Italy.

Nikon on my Oly:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollobarca ... 247083920/

Nice work you've done by the way!What courage to file away so near the glass.

[praktinafan]

hi pollobarca,

thank you for your acknowledgment of my work

yes indeed it was not easy to start work. I have no professional equipment so I tried to work careful. I closed the lens hood with some stripes so no metal could reach the front lens. I tried to protect the rear lens with the FINGERS only and remove metal dust very carefully. It worked.

The distance between GX100 and WC E68 is more than enough, still over 4 mm.

The WC-E68 should not be put on the rear surface, the spacer (burr) is for protection in this case.

Vignetting or shading the corners was a real issue for me, see my example of the original combi:

crop from top

vignettierung1.jpg (37.42 KiB) Viewed 2116 times

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EXIF-Data

Image taken on: Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:59 pm

Focus length: 5.1 mm

Shutter speed: 1/40 Sec

F-number: F/2.5

ISO speed rating: 100

Whitebalance: Auto

Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode

Camera-model: Caplio GX100

Exposure program: Normal program

Exposure bias: -7/10 EV

Metering mode: Pattern

Willi

[praktinafan]

Very nice and creative work! Well done! I'm personally not very interested in extreme wide angle photography, mainly because of distorted perspective. But I thought of how useful would be Nikon TC-E2 (2x) or TC-E3ED (3x) with GX100 but mainly GRD? I'm about to buy and cannibalize the TC-E2, which can be obtained very cheep from ebay. TC-E3ED is unfortunately not so cheep, so I'm not sure about buying and "adapting" this one

hello odklizec,

thank you too for acknowledgment

I needed wide angle for panoramic photography. With the combination of GX100 and WC-E68 I can make a 360° panorama with only 6 shots in portrait orientation.

And a full 360° x 180° with only 13 shots ( 6 + 3 up + 3 down + 1 nadir shot) in very good quality.
I had a NIKON CP5000 before with the WC-E68 (19mm) and IQ was far behind the GX100.

The Tele-option is is worth a consideration. I think I will be in that boat!