The promise of widescreen video is here, but that's a problem for DV shooters using their in-camera DV Widescreen switching.

Now you can capture 16:9 images without sacrificing resolution or angle of view. Some switchable camcorders work by effectively masking the top and bottom of the chip, utilizing only 75% of the original scan lines, resulting in lost resolution and lost angle of view! The Century Precision 16:9 is a true anamorphic adapter that captures the full 16:9 image onto the 4:3 chip, utilizing every pixel for a full resolution image.

In-camera switching from 4:3 to 16:9 works by cropping into the existing frame (top & bottom), so the resulting widescreen view is only as wide as the 4:3 image. Century's adapter can reach to a full 33% wider angle of view, delivering true widescreen.

The attachment is used with the camera in 4:3 mode, and the resulting image appears stretched vertically when viewed in the finder or on a 4:3 monitor. Yet when displayed on a 16:9 monitor, the image automatically spreads out to fill the frame.

Available in popular bayonet and 58mm screw mount, the Century 16:9 Widescreen Adapter allows for partial zooming — one-half to two-thirds of the range (from wide toward telephoto) depending on available light.

The Widescreen Adapter is ideal for companies as they move into the 16:9 format. The BBC has incorporated the Century 16:9 Adapter into general production. Andy Benjamin of the BBC reports that "with the Adapter, we're able to do low-cost shooting for our new digital widescreen channels." The Widescreen Adapter allows the network to use their VX2000s to shoot widescreen in situations that require smaller, handheld cameras — such as producer-shot interviews or underwater shooting.