Fisheye

[U-Man]

I’m looking for a fisheye lens. I have a 40D (1.6 crop) and a 5D (full frame). I’m more interested in optimizing the look on the 5D.

I just started looking. The Peleng 8mm f3.5 is interesting. There are others in that price range. The Sigma 8 mm is $900 which is more than I’d like to spend.

Any input?

[SilverStag]

Take a gander at this:

http://kenrockwell.com/tech/8mm-f35.htm

[U-Man]

Stag – I think ran across that one while bouncing around the topic. I think it is made more for the 1.6 crop sensors though.

2nd question – There are 8 mm fisheyes and 15 mm fisheyes that both cover 180 degrees. So, they are different than simple wide angle lenses. What would I gain (or lose) with the different focal lengths? Is an 8 mm more likely to be a 180 circular pic and the 15 mm a 180 diagonal pic?

How different would a Canon 15 mm fisheye be compared to a 16-35L or 10-22 EFS?

[soosh]

I had a zenitar http://www.rugift.com/photocameras/zenitar-fisheye-canon-eos.htm
before I bought my 12-24.

I’ve never really understood the fisheye thing. I want wide rectangular, as wide as it can go. I appreciate what the fisheye lens can do, but I’ve never wanted that rounded perspective for any reason. It just doesn’t do anything for me.

[LeicaLens]

I love my fisheye. 8mm Olympus (equivalent to 16mm on a full frame). Lots of fun, but yeah, it’s not the same as an ultra-wide. Just looking at that lens, and the Sigma and Canon fisheyes, it does appear that the longer focal lengths are all diagonals:
Olympus 8mm (= 16mm FF) diagonal
Sigma 15mm (FF) diagonal
Sigma 8mm (FF) circular
Sigma 10mm (APC only) diagonal (not 180 degrees on Canon APC)
Sigma 4.5mm (AOC only) circular
Canon 15mm diagonal

One of the cheapest options would be a Peleng fisheye. No AF, but with its depth of field, that is not going to be a problem.
There’s a review here: http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/254-peleng-8mm-f35-fisheye-converted-to-eos-mount-test-report–review

[stupido]

OK, I have both the 16mm Zenitar and now just recently the 8mm Peleng. I bought the Zenitar when I was doing film and missed the super wide effect when I went digital. Two things contributed to not using the Zenitar. First of which, min is a screw mount and I have not been able to find a M42 screwmount to K-mount adaptor which operates the iris. So when mounted on my Pentax digital SLRs, its wide open. And the crop factor takes alot of fun out of it. Many pics, look like they were taken with a regular lens.

Street view with Zenitar 16mm on a Pentax K2000: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stupido/3677531097

Same street with 18-55mm kit lens at 18mm: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stupido/3677531109

So wider but you can take very non-fisheyeish pics on the cropping DSLRs.

Zenitar 16mm on a film camera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stupido/3802027525/

Very different!

And finally the 8mm Peleng on a Pentax DSLR:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stupido/4479836447/
http://a5.vox.com/6a00c22525688b8fdb0123de27ad0d860d-500pi

While not entirely circular, quite a bit of the circular image is there.

[U-Man]

Thanks folks. I still don’t know which way I’ll go, but the input is helpful.
/leaning toward the Peleng on a full frame.

[stupido]

U-man, ever get the Peleng? I got one since this thread started. Some sample pics of mine are in the following links. I am using a APS-C sized sensor Pentax DSLR (1.5x). Still gets lots of fishyness 🙂 I am planning on doing film too. Have to breakout the K1000 or the Zenit cameras. My ZX-5n, just died on me. Mirror jammed.

So far I like it. I have lots of pics to look through from this spring’s Alaska trip. I will post links to them after I upload them. Yea, the ZX-5n film camera died while I was on a sightseeing flight over Denali!

http://lordkalvan.vox.com/library/post/random-afternoon-pictures.html

http://lordkalvan.vox.com/library/post/princess-hank-as-seen-by-a-halibut.html

http://lordkalvan.vox.com/library/post/fisheye-yeah.html

[U-Man]

Nope. I didn’t. I got stuck trying to decide what to get and just…didn’t.

Maybe my subconscious has had enough time to kick it around now.

[staplermofo]

I have both too. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: You can unscrew these lens.

The front element of the Peleng just unscrews. You’ll be wiping it off one day (because the cap is ridiculous) and you’ll notice the front element wiggle. SCREW IT BACK RIGHT THEN AND THERE! It really will just fall off. The internal lens elements will then pour right out. According to my research, this will happen in 200% of the lenses.
(I have one, it happened twice. Don’t make me throw gibberish in SPSS. SO HELP ME GOD I WILL FABRICATE DATA ON THIS! DON’T TEMPT ME! I WILL THROW LOWER AND UPPER CASE GREEK LETTERS ALL OVER THIS MOFOING BBS!)

The Zenitar just unscrews into two lens halves with the comforting protection of metal on the edges. It’s really only a problem when I try to share its adapter. Stupid screw mounts. There have been a couple times where I was just smugly spinning the lens off the camera when, hey, this is only half! GOD DAMN IT!

[orionid]

ALL OVER THIS MOFOING BBS

BBS? Wow. That brings back memories. Dialing up to the BBS to discuss such wonderful things as Star Trek, model rocketry, and, ummm…. computer security.

Or spending three hours downloading and two hours printing the comprehensive star trek timeline in a 300K text file.

[Elsinore]

(I have one, it happened twice. Don’t make me throw gibberish in SPSS. SO HELP ME GOD I WILL FABRICATE DATA ON THIS! DON’T TEMPT ME! I WILL THROW LOWER AND UPPER CASE GREEK LETTERS ALL OVER THIS MOFOING BBS!)

I’ve used SPSS and written a thesis, so I’m really getting a kick out of this reply.

[U-Man]

You guys are awesome. Awesomely geeky – but awesome nonetheless.

‘mofo – I’ve said it before, but I really appreciate your humor.

[Author]

Posts