Wide angle lens for pool table camera

I'm a filmmaker and have some experience with the cheap screw on wide angle adapters.

As long as you don't get something too wide, you should be fine. Anything wider than 0.6x would probably result in noticeable distortion. The quality won't be the best but it's also not bad. Very acceptable for videos and internet uploads. What matters most is the lighting, and if you're shooting video on pool tables, lighting should be fine too. :)
 
Ordered new camera

Well I bit the bullet and just ordered a new flash based camcorder. Panasonic HC-V720. I got sick of waiting for export times.

I'm hoping the file sizes will be much more manageable in their native formats right off the camera, without having to spend hours and hours exporting from iMovie. I'm planning on recording in its lowest quality setting, and see how good that looks for the small file size.

I have been watching the camcorders for a while now, and when I came across this model, I knew it was the right one for me.

It uses Wifi to allow an iPad to control the camera, acting as both a remote control, and a viewfinder. This way, I can keep a similar setup to what I have now, with the iPad replacing the computer on my shelf.

The camera also is supposed to have a slightly wider view than the one I have now. So maybe I will be able to get closer to the table than before, possibly even directly overhead if I add the wide angle lens. We shall see.
 
The 16/9 image recording area should eliminate the need to use a wide angle for pool from the side of the table. Use 4/3 for shooting from the table end.
 
Changing the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 and vice versa does not really do much. I fooled around with that on my first SD DV camera.

It's the lens optics combined with the sensor size that determine the field of view.

For clarification I can get my whole table in the picture now, and it looks pretty good. I was exploring a wide angle lens in order to get a directly overhead view, like the accustats overhead view.
 
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