If you are looking into buying a Fisheye lens you will find that you have a lot to choose from, from the likes of Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Samyang, Rokinon and Opteka, depending on your camera fit body. Some AF but most not. On the latest Rokinon you can take the lens hood off. Some will give full information to the camera body, some don’t.
The lens I own is of an older design by Vivitar. It has come my way via “C” at a good price as well. So this review will be a joint one as we both have owned and used it.
This lens from new was a fully manual lens. Not only manual focus, but also it had no contacts from information of focal length or aperture information to be recorded by the camera body. “C” did sort this out during his time of owning the lens by “Chipping it ” so that information does now get recorded.
I hope that “C” may write a post on just now he does this some time.
Lens with AE chip attached
This lens is a manual focus lens, I find it very hard to focus with a AF camera body for two reasons.
1/ The focus screens on AF camera bodies are often not easy to use with such a very wide angle of view, having no “split screen” to aid focusing as old film camera bodies do.
2/ “Live view” I also don’t find very easy either, even if I use the + magnification button as well!
3/ On ultra wide angle lenses, even the focus indicator can be vague.
So here is how I focus it: I stop the lens down to F11 and focus to “Infinity”, then the Depth of Field of this lens does the rest! (I use f8 and set focus to 10ft since the depth of field is so great it will easily cover as far as infinity – ‘C’)
So simple really, and it does feel very odd/lazy.
I’ve not used this lens for close up style photos yet, but they can be very useful for this as well.
Overall the lens is sharp once stopped down a little and displaying only a little colour fringing on the edges of the frame.
So how and why would you use a Fisheye lens? Most people see them as “Fun” because of the strange angles you can bend things into. Both “C” and myself have used the lens for this. You can also use it “Carefully” and have a very wide field of view by keeping the camera and lens horizontal to the ground.
‘C’ used the Vivitar 7mm fisheye lens mainly for work with his infra red cameras, whereas I mainly use it for colour work, both applications work extremely well.
Take a look at two images from Whitstable Harbour. Just by changing the angle of the camera, this lens can change a view.
Photograph taken with camera mounted square on.
Bend a little out of square and look what happens!
Two sample from ‘C’s’ infra red selection
Lens facts
Designed specifically for the APSC sensor
Whilst this particular lens is branded as Vivitar, it is in fact made by Samyang, the same lens is also sold under Rokinon, Opteka, Walimex and at least a few other names.
Focal length for this lens is quoted as 7mm, other brands are listed as being anywhere from 6.5mm through to 8mm.
Aperture is from f3.5 through to f22.
Lens design is 10 elements in 7 groups, multi coated lenses and a 7 bladed diaphragm, weighing approximately 390g.
Supplied with front and rear caps and a draw string case to protect it.
Conclusion
Is it worth owning one of these lenses?
YES!
Sometimes you just need to have some fun!