Excellent Accessory for Coolpix Camera

I use my Coolpix 4300 for general photography and recording vacation trips. I have used 35mm SLRs in the past and have lugged along a pile of lenses so that I could get pictures that capture the character of the place I am visiting. I thought that the 3x zoom of the 4300 (35mm equivalent of 38mm to 114mm) would cover all that I would need from moderate wide angle to short telephoto and free me from having to carry extra lenses. However, frequently I found myself wanting to capture a larger area than the widest zoomed out setting would provide. Consequently I purchased the WC-E63 which provides a nice .63x image reduction for a 35mm equivalent of 24mm. This focal length is ideal for capturing scenery as well as interior room scenes because it has a nearly 90 degree field of view. It's large depth of field also makes for very nice perspective photos with both near and far objects.

Overall I am very impressed with the quality of the lens. The images are sharp edge to edge and there is no noticeable color degradation or fringing. The lens requires a step down ring to allow it to screw onto the 4300's filter mount. I just leave the adapter attached to the lens and screw it onto the camera when I want to use it. Mechanical construction is also excellent. The lens is housed in metal and seems pretty tough. It has a large 72mm filter ring diameter and I have used it to attach a solar filter for capturing a partial solar eclipse.

The lens is large however, and on the 4300 covers up both the flash and viewfinder. Consequently it can only be used for flashless pictures (unless you use an external flash) and all the framing has to be done using the LCD view finder. The camera has a menu item to tell it that you have attached the lens (and it will automatically disable the flash) but I usually don't go to the trouble of setting it. I just attach the lens and use the camera in its point-and-shoot mode. I manually disable the flash if needed. The camera autofocus and exposure adjustments are automatic and the results are excellent.

Although the large size and significant weight of the lens makes it a bit a chore to lug around, once it's attached it provides a convenient grasp point for holding the camera steady. It's quite comfortable and easy to use.

There are less expensive wide angle adapters on the market but the superior optics of this Nikon lens are well worth the additional cost if image quality is a concern.