The way I look at it is that the 16:9 lens will help us all keep our cameras rolling well into the future so that the HDTV clients can be relatively satisfied right along with the NTSC crowd. Prepping your investment for future compatibility is good common sense and you'll thank yourself for it in the long run when you find yourself not rushing out to buy 16x9 or HDTV gear at the last minute. Best of luck to you on your big trip.(posted 8941 days ago)John Brune http://www.geocities.com/~steadicamjr