Fisheye Lenses

[Groucho]

220 Degree Angle? Is that on a DX or full frame camera?

I was thinking about that... with the crop factor, it's only 9mm. That's nuttin'!!!

 

[Gdad]

I was thinking about that... with the crop factor, it's only 9mm. That's nuttin'!!!

Seriously- my 10.5mm fisheye has a 180 degree view on a DX and it's much cheaper.

 

[Groucho]

You can pick up an 8mm Peleng circular fisheye for around $300... gives a rather interested look on a DSLR, with black in the corners. That's about as wide as you're going to get without going the 6mm Nikon route.

The Peleng actually has pretty darn good IQ, too.

 

[rhiansmom]

I have a Pentax K100D and really enjoying the fisheye look for certain pictures. Amazon has a 35mm fisheye camera for $35 that I was thinking about purchasing "for fun" but wondering about a lens for the pentax... when I start looking online for a lens I get confused so could someone steer me in the way of a lower priced fisheye for the pentax or should I just go with the one from Amazon?

 

[ukcatfan]

A film designed fisheye lens will not give you exactly the look you are after. You need one designed for digital. The DA 10-17mm is an excellent lens, but at least $400. I believe there are Sigma versions as well, but still as much $$$. That DA lens is on my short list.

Kevin

 

[rhiansmom]

A film designed fisheye lens will not give you exactly the look you are after. You need one designed for digital. The DA 10-17mm is an excellent lens, but at least $400. I believe there are Sigma versions as well, but still as much $$$. That DA lens is on my short list.

Kevin

I figured they would all be pretty expensive as the ones I knew would work were all in the $350-400 range.

The camera from Amazon is actually a dedicated 35mm film camera with a fish eye lens. Pretty cool little thing from the reviews. I think I'll try it and if I get the look of shooting fisheye photography I'll go ahead with the Pentax lens.

Thanks!

 

[gokenin]

there is the alternative to the Da10-17 lens its the F17-28mm fisheye that pentax made granted its not exclusive for a digital camera but it will give you the fisheye look and you can get it cheaper than the 10-17 new. Here is a link to one being sold on the pentax forums if you want to look at it.
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographer-s-marketplace/21766-k10d-grip-f-17-28-a.html

 

[Groucho]

I personally would actually not bother with the older Pentax 17-25mm fisheye zoom. If you are OK with using a lens that doesn't give you the "full fish" effect, I would recommend the Zenitar 16mm fisheye, which you can get straight from Russia via eBay for well under $200. (When I bought mine, it was $145 or so, I think it's closer to $175 now.) You don't get the full 180' fisheye, but you do get a little bit, and it's a terrific little lens with very nice image quality, plus it's faster (F2.8). It's manual focus (not a big deal because the depth of field is huge) and manual aperture (not really a big deal - you shoot in Manual, change aperture with the ring on the lens, and press AE/L when you want to meter the light) but it's a lot of lens for the price. Very, very fun. I can post some photos taken with this lens if you want an idea of how it looks. The shots can also be "de-fished" if you want to use the lens as a very wide-angle one.

The next step is the Pentax 10-17mm, this will give you the full fisheye effect, as well as autofocus and autoaperture.

Those are, IMHO, really the two choices to consider. The older Pentax designed-for-film fisheye zoom doesn't make much sense for a DSLR compared to the Zenitar in my opinion. There is also a Peleng 8mm circular fisheye, which on a film camera gives you a complete circle with black all around, and on a DSLR, gives you a unique fisheye look with black corners. This is a little more expensive than the Zenitar. Sigma announced a 10mm fisheye for digitals late last year but I don't think it's available in a Pentax mount. Although that may change, they (and others) are releasing more lenses with Pentax mounts now.

 

[rhiansmom]

Thanks... I'm going to save my $ and I think that will be my next lens (until I find something else to fixate on). In the meantime I'm picking up this little camera:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Hoping to have a bit of fun while at WDW next month with it!

 

[Groucho]

And that's one's even a full circular fisheye. Can't beat that for the price.

Heck, the main reason I brought my K1000 last WDW trip was to get "full fisheye" shots with my Zenitar... I'm tempted to bring the K1000 again just to use up some film (got a nice roll of 3200 ISO b/w) but I suspect it'll stay at home. But who knows...

 

[rhiansmom]

And that's one's even a full circular fisheye. Can't beat that for the price.

Heck, the main reason I brought my K1000 last WDW trip was to get "full fisheye" shots with my Zenitar... I'm tempted to bring the K1000 again just to use up some film (got a nice roll of 3200 ISO b/w) but I suspect it'll stay at home. But who knows...

My equipment in backpack is getting heavier each day! I need to go thru each park and decide what I'm going to photograph and which lenes to take for that day. Previous trips I have lugged a backpack around with kids stuff so I'm not too worried about the weight but I am worried about my Lowepro FastPack showing up.. it hasn't even shipped yet!

I'd say take it but then I really think you can get some great b/w fisheye shots in Disney!

 

[Groucho]

My equipment in backpack is getting heavier each day! I need to go thru each park and decide what I'm going to photograph and which lenes to take for that day. Previous trips I have lugged a backpack around with kids stuff so I'm not too worried about the weight but I am worried about my Lowepro FastPack showing up.. it hasn't even shipped yet!

I'd say take it but then I really think you can get some great b/w fisheye shots in Disney!

If I brought the K1000 and wanted to do fisheye, that would mean also bringing the Zenitar just for that purpose... since the Pentax 10-17mm is "digital" so doesn't have an aperture ring.

I do like some of the shots I took last trip with the K1000, Zenitar, and b/w film though!

 

[SonyaM]

It's my newest *baby*, so I went out practicing with it today. CC always welcome, I have thick skin.

 

[YEKCIM]

Cool shots, Sonya. Definitely a different perspective!

Very nice.

~Ed

 

[DVC Jen]

How fun! Groucho and now you are really the ones responsible for my DH's grey hair. It is the two of you that are making me really want another lens.

 

[wkrider]

Very Cool!!

 

[Suburbanmom]

I love the last one best. It actually looks like an eye the way the fence is bending. Be sure to say, "I meant to do that!" (haha)
My DH won't even discuss lenses with me anymore.

 

[LMarge]

Great photos! I really like that last one!!

 

[SonyaM]

Amy, I really DID plan that one the way it came out. I kept looking for landscape elements that would accent the "fisheye" effect on top and bottom of the frame. The whole reason for having this lens is to exaggerate the effect I think. It's nice living near the beach because that gives an easy top element to distort. I'm going to have lots of fun with this lens in the weeks to come.

 

[Golf4food]

You must have been really high up, I could swear I can see the curvature of the earth...

Nice shots. I would like to play around with a fisheye some day. Well, we did once in high school biology, but that was a real fish eye... they're kind of like super bouncy balls... nevermind...