Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens

  • Price: $121.00
  • B&H # SOVCLHG1737C
  • Mfr# VCLHG1737C

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The VCL-HG1737C High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens brings distant subjects closer. The 1.7X Telephoto extends the focal length of camcorder or digital camera lenses 1.7 times, bringing things twice as close, throughout the zoom range. This moderate converter allows you to double the optical range of your camera, and keeps you out of the digital telephoto range where pictures begin to lose resolution and pixelate.

Magnification 1.7x
Zoom Through Yes
Rear Mount Diameter 37mm
Front Mount Diameter No Front Filter Thread
Construction, Elements/Groups 5E/3G
Lens Diameter 2.6" (66.2mm)
Length 1.9" (46.5mm)
Weight 7.5 oz (212g)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens
 
4.5

(based on 32 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (21)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (9)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (1)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (1)

93%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Fast / accurate auto-focus (20)
  • Easily interchangeable (17)
  • Strong construction (17)
  • Durable (11)
  • Lightweight (9)

Cons

  • Heavy (6)

Best Uses

  • Sports/action (17)
  • Wildlife (14)
  • Wildlife photos (8)
  • Video (7)
  • Weddings (6)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Enthusiast (7), Semi-professional (6), Photo enthusiast (5), Semi-pro photographer (4), Professional (3)
    • Was this a gift?:
    • No (9)

Most Liked Positive Review

 

Good Tele-extender

Before purchasing this tele-extender I tried the less expensive Sony extender. My images were soft so I returned that one and bought this one from B&H. The additional elements brought back much shar...Read complete review

Before purchasing this tele-extender I tried the less expensive Sony extender. My images were soft so I returned that one and bought this one from B&H. The additional elements brought back much sharper images than the cheap extender. This one is a keeper. The extra quality comes at the expense of added weight and bulk. Added to my small HD camcorder the extender shifts the balance a bit but when you need the range optical extension beats digital enlargement by a long shot.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

 

Good but Beware of Vignetting!!

The good: exceptional clarity, no degradation compared to the built in lens on my hvr-a1u.

The bad: unless you are using the lens at about 75-100% zoom capacity, you ...Read complete review

The good: exceptional clarity, no degradation compared to the built in lens on my hvr-a1u.

The bad: unless you are using the lens at about 75-100% zoom capacity, you will have black vignetting on your image!! This is similar to the effect seen on tv when they are trying to suggest you are looking through a telescope. What's worse is the vignetting effect did NOT show on the LCD screen during shooting and it ruined a shoot for a high school football game.

If you can keep your zoom at 75% or greater, it's a great lens. But for any action sport where the subject is constantly moving, this is NOT acceptable.

Reviewed by 32 customers

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5.0

Works for Me!

By Allen

from Toronto, Canada

About Me Photo Enthusiast

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Sharpness

Cons

  • Flimsy Hood
  • Heavy
  • Not useful at wide angle

Best Uses

    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

    I expected and received Sony quality for my portable video camera. Nicely rendered colour, crisp and sharp lines from mid to full zoom.

    Rubber lens hood could be a little stiffer as it flattens & gets out of shape in the case.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    A DEFINATE PLUS

    By VIDEO ENTHUSIAST

    from BLAIR, NE

    About Me Semi-pro Photographer

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Consistent Output
    • Durable
    • Easily Interchangeable
    • Fast / accurate auto-focus
    • Lightweight
    • Rugged
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

    • HAVENT FOUND ANY

    Best Uses

    • Landscape/Scenery
    • Sports/Action
    • Video
    • Weddings/Events
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

    THIS COMPLIMENTS MY PJ10 WONDERFULLY! THE HANDYCAM IS NICE WITHOUT IT BUT WHEN VIDEOING WILDLIFE OR CHILDREN ETC THIS MAKES CATCHING ALL THE DETAILS SO EASY AND YOU CANT BEAT THE COST HERE ON B & H, I COMPARED PRICES FROM MANY ONLINE RETAILERS AND THIS WAS THE CHEAPEST I COULD FIND IT AND THE RETURN POLICY MAKES YOU EVEN MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ORDERING ONLINE!

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x Hi-Grade Telephoto

    By Matey

    from Upper Coomera, Australia

    About Me Photo Enthusiast

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Durable
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

    • Heavy

    Best Uses

    • Sports/Action
    • Video
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

    I can only say this is a fantastic telephoto for filming close ups if you can't get as close to the action as you would like to. I have used this for wildlife and sporting events. Does add to extra wieght and use it with a tripod for steadier results

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    Way better than I exspected

    By george

    from bowmanville ontario

    About Me Photo Enthusiast

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Easily Interchangeable
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

    • Heavy

    Best Uses

    • Landscape/Scenery
    • Sports/Action
    • Video
    • Weddings/Events
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

    Used it for my granddaughters tryathalon .we live with a great view of the water and marsh good for wild life pictures.
    It is an excellent lens for the money easy to install.Makes the camera a little heavy

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    Good quality

    By Kel

    from canberra australia

    About Me Casual Photographer

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Easily Interchangeable

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Sports/Action

      Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

      Exceptional lens that fits nicely onto my Sony HD 550 handycam

      • Was this a gift?:
      • No

      Share this review

       
      5.0

      A must for all videographers!

      By aloha jane

      from honolulu, hawaii

      About Me Photo Enthusiast

      Verified Buyer

      Pros

      • Easily Interchangeable
      • Fast / accurate auto-focus
      • Lightweight
      • Strong Construction

      Cons

      • No cons

      Best Uses

      • Sports/Action
      • Video
      • Weddings/Events
      • Wildlife Photos

      Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

      I film my sons when they surf. We live in Hawaii. Some breaks very far away and even though the zoom on my camcorder would handle the distance, with this telephoto converter the quality of my video is so much higher, than without it. Plus it makes it easier to see them.
      These telephoto lenses can be used on many different models. I bought one ten years ago for my older camcorder, when I upgraded my camcorder I had this and the battery with me and I used it on 3 different camcorders.

      • Was this a gift?:
      • No

      Share this review

       
      5.0

      nice, very nice! it did his job!

      By gibavideo

      from Paraná, Brasil

      About Me Pro Photographer

      Verified Buyer

      Pros

        Cons

          Best Uses

            Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

            i use for video and he gives me good options for shooting when tele is needed. And it is sharp, no blur on the edges. I use it on a hvr 1000u from sony, and works fine!

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

             
            5.0

            Great Addition to Gear Bag

            By Eternity Outdoors

            from Little Rock, AR

            About Me Semi-pro Photographer

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Consistent Output
            • Durable
            • Lightweight
            • Strong Construction

            Cons

            • Lens Creep
            • Poor in Low Light
            • Slow Focus
            • Tough To Attach

            Best Uses

              Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

              I needed something to get my view a little closer, and this did the trick. The only problem I have with it is that it takes a while to get it installed on the camera. I would like it if there was a quicker way to attach the lens.

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

              (0 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

               
              1.0

              not enough for me

              By Scott

              from Madison, CT

              About Me Semi-pro Photographer

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                    I don't even see the point to own this. It did nothing to add to my existing zoom capability.

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • No

                    Share this review

                    (0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                     
                    4.0

                    Great Lens

                    By ed

                    from calgary

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Consistent Output
                    • Durable
                    • Easily Interchangeable
                    • Lightweight
                    • Strong Construction

                    Cons

                      Best Uses

                      • Indoors/Low Light
                      • Landscape/Scenery
                      • Macro Photography
                      • Night Photography
                      • Sports/Action
                      • Video
                      • Weddings/Events
                      • Wildlife Photos

                      Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                      Clear images

                      Share this review

                       
                      5.0

                      Hi-Grade Telephoto Lens by Sony

                      By Skyhawk

                      from Vancouver

                      About Me Photo Enthusiast

                      Verified Buyer

                      Pros

                      • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                      • Strong Construction

                      Cons

                      • None really

                      Best Uses

                      • Landscape/Scenery
                      • Video
                      • Weddings/Events
                      • Wildlife Photos

                      Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                      Just work as expected i would definitely recommend it. Can't think of any thing that isn't great about the product.

                      Share this review

                      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                       
                      5.0

                      Works great, no problems.

                      By EJ Hummingbird

                      from Victoria, BC

                      About Me Semi-pro Photographer

                      Verified Buyer

                      Pros

                      • Consistent Output
                      • Durable
                      • Easily Interchangeable
                      • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                      • Lightweight
                      • Rugged
                      • Strong Construction

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • Macro Photography
                        • Wildlife Photos

                        Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                        I use this lens to video wildlife and find it very useful in getting just that extra bit closer. The clarity of it is what I expected from Sony and I am not disappointed. It is crisp and clear and does not degrade the picture quality at all.[...] and I had no trouble or problems.I would purchase from them again.

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                        (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                         
                        5.0

                        A must have

                        By Speedytv

                        from Montreal,Canada

                        About Me Casual Photographer

                        Verified Buyer

                        Pros

                        • Strong Construction

                        Cons

                          Best Uses

                          • Landscape/Scenery
                          • Night Photography
                          • Portraits
                          • Sports/Action
                          • Travel
                          • Video
                          • Weddings/Events
                          • Wildlife Photos

                          Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                          Using this on a HDR-XR500v.Great quality.Comes with Lens hood.

                          Share this review

                          (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                           
                          4.0

                          Great lens

                          By Roggie Rotten

                          from Billings, MT

                          About Me Hobbyist/Enthusiast

                          Verified Buyer

                          Pros

                          • Easily Interchangeable
                          • Lightweight
                          • Quick Focus
                          • Rugged
                          • Sharp Focus

                          Cons

                            Best Uses

                            • Landscape Photography
                            • Night Photography
                            • Wildlife

                            Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                            I use this lens on my Sony Handycam and it works great with better-than-expected optics. Don't buy a "generic" lens, buy the real "Sony". You will be much happier!

                            Share this review

                            (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

                             
                            5.0

                            Love it!

                            By Cadeo

                            from Australia

                            About Me Semi-Professional

                            Verified Buyer

                            Pros

                            • Durable
                            • Easily Interchangeable
                            • Quick Focus
                            • Rugged
                            • Sharp Focus

                            Cons

                            • Heavy

                            Best Uses

                            • Wildlife

                            Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                            Easy to use,
                            not as heavy as every one says.
                            slight blacking in corners in wide

                            Share this review

                            (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                             
                            5.0

                            Great Telephoto Lens!

                            By G McLoughlin

                            from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

                            About Me Professional

                            Verified Buyer

                            Pros

                            • Consistent Output
                            • Durable
                            • Great Color Correction
                            • Lightweight
                            • Rugged
                            • Sharp Focus
                            • Strong Construction

                            Cons

                              Best Uses

                              • General Use
                              • Landscape Photography
                              • Sports/Action
                              • Wildlife

                              Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                              This is a very sharp telephoto lens, with excellent chromatic color aberration.

                              Like all telephoto attachments, you can only zoom through about half the normal range before vignetting appears.

                              Share this review

                               
                              4.0

                              Good lens

                              By filmcomposerz

                              from corpus christi, tx

                              About Me Semi-Professional

                              Verified Buyer

                              Pros

                              • Durable
                              • Easily Interchangeable
                              • Rugged

                              Cons

                              • Vignette

                              Best Uses

                              • Sports/Action
                              • Wildlife

                              Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                              For the price is OK. You need to focus all the way through or almost all the way through or you get a vignette on film. Other than that, the lens is crisp.

                              Share this review

                              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                               
                              4.0

                              Its nice for the price that it was

                              By Junior

                              from Miami, FL

                              About Me Semi-Professional

                              Verified Buyer

                              Pros

                                Cons

                                  Best Uses

                                    Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                                    the lens is nice, the only thing is that at some points you can notice some vignetting but nothing that big, you can do a small zoom and get away.
                                    For the most part it help me alot.

                                    Share this review

                                     
                                    4.0

                                    I didn't expect this.....

                                    By Sham Man

                                    from Stratford, CT

                                    About Me Semi-Professional

                                    Verified Buyer

                                    Pros

                                    • Durable
                                    • Easily Interchangeable

                                    Cons

                                      Best Uses

                                      • Sports/Action
                                      • Wildlife

                                      Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                                      The lens is great for what is suppose to be used for. I didn't expect to see a black circle through the lens when you zoom back. Sometimes I forget that I can not zoom back because the black circle around the image will be visable.

                                      Share this review

                                      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                                       
                                      5.0

                                      Great Addition

                                      By Nacho

                                      from Texas Hill Country

                                      About Me Hobbyist/Enthusiast

                                      Verified Buyer

                                      Pros

                                      • Durable
                                      • Easily Interchangeable
                                      • Sharp Focus
                                      • Strong Construction

                                      Cons

                                        Best Uses

                                        • General Use
                                        • Sports/Action
                                        • Upgrade
                                        • Wildlife

                                        Comments about Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens:

                                        Nothing but Pros for this lens. I use it on my Sony SR12. I video wildlife almost every weekend during fall and winter mostly at distances of 70-120 yards. This lens lets me video without using the digital magnification at these distances reducing graininess for better clarity on the finished DVDs. Heavy construction should prevent cross threading while attaching to camcorder.

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                                        What's in the Box

                                        Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens
                                        • Lens Pouch
                                        • Front and Rear Lens Cover
                                        • Flare-Prevention Hood
                                        • 1-Year Limited Warranty
                                         
                                         
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