I have alway been curious about Fisheye lenses and was eager to try one out. Thank to LensRentals I was heading out on a trip and rented this lens for a week.
Here are some details on a Fisheye Lens: A Fisheye Lens takes an 180 degree field of view. As for lenses anything wider than 12 mm is considered fisheye. The curvature of the fisheye lens causes straight lines to become distorted. The more straight lines you have, the more the distorted effect. Shooting from a lower angle can also enhance the distortion. There is no lens that has a larger depth of field than a fisheye.
After a week of having this lens here are my thoughts (remember I am not a technician – just a photographer): This lens is very small and lightweight (approximately 3″ in length x 2 1/2″ in Diameter). So to carry this extra lens around is no problem! I thought about using it mostly for architecture shots as this was my primary targets. I did get used to it fast and new if the 12-24 could not get the whole scene in – the fisheye will get everything! So it was nice to have this extra option. Most of my shots were HDR’s. Everything looked sharp and great! It was a very fun lens to use. I enjoyed shooting buildings and rooms. You can see one of my HDR’s above using the fisheye from the Driskill Hotel in Austin.
I checked on Amazon – the lens cost is $685.00. The lens is for the DX Nikon Camera’s and not for full frame. The cost seems a bit high for an “extra” lens. I’d say its not a must own, but is nice to have. If I had the extra money and had all my dream lenses, I would buy this lens. The photos are very different looking and offer such great perspectives. I will miss having it. Maybe one day I will buy one? I’d give this lens a 9 out of 10 (just due to cost). Happy shooting!
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