Fisheye Lenses Discussed
Taken with the Sunex fisheye
I decided to write about my use of fisheye lenses. I've read a lot of lens reviews and the author often shows charts and talks in a very technical manner. I am not a technical person so won't use technical jargon or show you charts, I'm simply going to talk about some of the photo results I've obtained using the various lenses and hope some of the information proves useful to you.
For many years I eschewed the use of fisheye lenses, although I love wide angles and use them all the time. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the circular image. Over the years my favorite fisheye lens photo was one taken by a Life Magazine photographer — I can't recall his name at this time — shot in the capital rotunda of John F. Kennedy lying in state. The photographer utilized the fisheye to its maximum and realized the round shape of the rotunda was a perfect subject for the fisheye lens.
There a really well known person on the web who writes reviews of photographic equipment. I won't mention his name but he often makes pronouncements, which I often find absurd. For the Sunex 5.6mm fisheye he said, "The real reason to get a circular fisheye is for stitching and creating panoramas," which I found myopic to say the least. That certainly is one use for a fisheye that creates circular images, but definitely not the "real" reason.
Take, for instance, a number of my circular fisheye lens images that were used to illustrate an article in Orion Magazine written by Moeko Fujii. The article focused on fisheyes used in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and John frankenheimer’s 1966 film "Seconds." The magazine wanted to illustrate the article with images that were not stills from the movies but still illustrate the unique viewpoint a circular fisheye lens offers.
Having used fisheye's for the past couple of years, both circular and full frame, I thought I add some of my own thoughts on the pros and cons of these lenses: Sunex 6.5mm, Raynox DCR-CF185PRO High-Definition Fish Eye Conversion Lens, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Pro Optic 8mm (same as Samyang), Peleng 8mm is a circular, fully manual fisheye lens and the Ricoh XR Rikenon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8 Full Frame.
Since I mentioned the Sunex above, I'll continue with it for a bit before delving into the others.
Sunex 6.5mm circular fisheye
I've taken more photos with the Sunex than any of the other fisheyes I own. I love it. It's simple design and rock solid build add to my love. It's metal and glass. That's it. It has a f/5.6 fixed aperture. And it has no focus ring but doesn't need one since it is essentially in focus from 20 inches to infinity. One has to be aware that there is nothing protecting the front element so you have to take care when walking around with it. If I am not taking an photo, I'll replace the front lens cap, which does have a tendency to drop off by itself so I've added a bit of electrical tape on two of the lens cap's side to make its fit a bit more secure. I shoot into the sun often, and with a lens such as the Sunex, which covers 185 degrees, you often encounter the sun in your images. Shooting into the sun often creates a white halo (I'm not sure of the technical terms for this halo), which I guess comes from the sunlight reflecting off the inside of the lens. It's not something that bothers me too much, but I've been told it is irritating to some. Using the Sunex when the camera is set on auto is like using an expensive point and shoot that creates circular images. Compositionally I like the way side, top and bottom elements in a subject, if dealt with carefully, can provide a cool framing mechanism. Since the lens bends most things except those placed right in the center of the frame, you need to be careful where objects are placed in your composition. I've head some photographers don't like the black around an image, but it has never bothered me. I normally crop around the image so the black creates something like a black matt. My only complaint is the lack (in the Nikon mount, which use with an adapter on my Sony camera) of a screw that stops the lens from rotating when mounted on the camera. I've always been careful making sure the lens is secure and hasn't rotated too far, but it it definitely possible for it to rotate and disengage from the camera, so be aware.
Raynox DCR-CF185PRO High-Definition Fish Eye Conversion Lens
I believe the Raynox was created for use on video cameras. It is attached to the front of the lens. I don't use it for video but attach it via a step down ring to the front of my Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS lens on an a6500 camera body. The Sony lens is one of my favorite walk-around and carry-all-thetime lenses, is incredibly sharp through its whole zoom range, has terrific color and contrast and works well with the Raynox. The Raynox, like the Sunex, is built like a tank, but is big and heavy and when it's attached to another lens, it sticks out quite a bit and calls attention to itself. If being unobtrusive is something you require, then the Raynox might not be to your liking, although, like the Sunex, it produces lovely circular images. The front element of the Raynox is also exposed as is the Sunex, but the Raynox lens cap, when attached, is very snug and doesn't tend to tall off at unexpected times.
Samyang 8mm fisheye, Pro Optic 8mm (same as Samyang)
The Samyang 8mm fisheye was a terrific surprise. I had heard of the brand but never paid much attention until I came across the fisheye on an online auction site. I ended up buying it for about $55 and wasn't expecting much since I hadn't read any of the reviews. To begin, the lens is sharp and produces images with good color saturation and contrast. It also produces some very interesting sunstars when shooting into the sun. I use the Samyang sometimes as a non-circular fisheye that fills the full frame and also on a modified Hasselblad Xpan (see an article on the Xpan modification here). The lens cap for the Samyang (and Pro Optic) clip to the butterfly lens shade and stay on securely, which is a plus. You need to be very careful when photographing a scene with a horizontal line (like a horizon in a landscape or things such as buildings) since the slightest tilt of the camera up or down will cause the horizontal line to bend like you see in the two examples of the sunrise and Cerro Pedernal — one where the camera was held level and the second with the camera tilted upward.
For many years I eschewed the use of fisheye lenses, although I love wide angles and use them all the time. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the circular image. Over the years my favorite fisheye lens photo was one taken by a Life Magazine photographer — I can't recall his name at this time — shot in the capital rotunda of John F. Kennedy lying in state. The photographer utilized the fisheye to its maximum and realized the round shape of the rotunda was a perfect subject for the fisheye lens.
There a really well known person on the web who writes reviews of photographic equipment. I won't mention his name but he often makes pronouncements, which I often find absurd. For the Sunex 5.6mm fisheye he said, "The real reason to get a circular fisheye is for stitching and creating panoramas," which I found myopic to say the least. That certainly is one use for a fisheye that creates circular images, but definitely not the "real" reason.
Take, for instance, a number of my circular fisheye lens images that were used to illustrate an article in Orion Magazine written by Moeko Fujii. The article focused on fisheyes used in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and John frankenheimer’s 1966 film "Seconds." The magazine wanted to illustrate the article with images that were not stills from the movies but still illustrate the unique viewpoint a circular fisheye lens offers.
Having used fisheye's for the past couple of years, both circular and full frame, I thought I add some of my own thoughts on the pros and cons of these lenses: Sunex 6.5mm, Raynox DCR-CF185PRO High-Definition Fish Eye Conversion Lens, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Pro Optic 8mm (same as Samyang), Peleng 8mm is a circular, fully manual fisheye lens and the Ricoh XR Rikenon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8 Full Frame.
Since I mentioned the Sunex above, I'll continue with it for a bit before delving into the others.
Sunex 6.5mm circular fisheye
I've taken more photos with the Sunex than any of the other fisheyes I own. I love it. It's simple design and rock solid build add to my love. It's metal and glass. That's it. It has a f/5.6 fixed aperture. And it has no focus ring but doesn't need one since it is essentially in focus from 20 inches to infinity. One has to be aware that there is nothing protecting the front element so you have to take care when walking around with it. If I am not taking an photo, I'll replace the front lens cap, which does have a tendency to drop off by itself so I've added a bit of electrical tape on two of the lens cap's side to make its fit a bit more secure. I shoot into the sun often, and with a lens such as the Sunex, which covers 185 degrees, you often encounter the sun in your images. Shooting into the sun often creates a white halo (I'm not sure of the technical terms for this halo), which I guess comes from the sunlight reflecting off the inside of the lens. It's not something that bothers me too much, but I've been told it is irritating to some. Using the Sunex when the camera is set on auto is like using an expensive point and shoot that creates circular images. Compositionally I like the way side, top and bottom elements in a subject, if dealt with carefully, can provide a cool framing mechanism. Since the lens bends most things except those placed right in the center of the frame, you need to be careful where objects are placed in your composition. I've head some photographers don't like the black around an image, but it has never bothered me. I normally crop around the image so the black creates something like a black matt. My only complaint is the lack (in the Nikon mount, which use with an adapter on my Sony camera) of a screw that stops the lens from rotating when mounted on the camera. I've always been careful making sure the lens is secure and hasn't rotated too far, but it it definitely possible for it to rotate and disengage from the camera, so be aware.
Raynox DCR-CF185PRO High-Definition Fish Eye Conversion Lens
I believe the Raynox was created for use on video cameras. It is attached to the front of the lens. I don't use it for video but attach it via a step down ring to the front of my Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS lens on an a6500 camera body. The Sony lens is one of my favorite walk-around and carry-all-thetime lenses, is incredibly sharp through its whole zoom range, has terrific color and contrast and works well with the Raynox. The Raynox, like the Sunex, is built like a tank, but is big and heavy and when it's attached to another lens, it sticks out quite a bit and calls attention to itself. If being unobtrusive is something you require, then the Raynox might not be to your liking, although, like the Sunex, it produces lovely circular images. The front element of the Raynox is also exposed as is the Sunex, but the Raynox lens cap, when attached, is very snug and doesn't tend to tall off at unexpected times.
Samyang 8mm fisheye, Pro Optic 8mm (same as Samyang)
The Samyang 8mm fisheye was a terrific surprise. I had heard of the brand but never paid much attention until I came across the fisheye on an online auction site. I ended up buying it for about $55 and wasn't expecting much since I hadn't read any of the reviews. To begin, the lens is sharp and produces images with good color saturation and contrast. It also produces some very interesting sunstars when shooting into the sun. I use the Samyang sometimes as a non-circular fisheye that fills the full frame and also on a modified Hasselblad Xpan (see an article on the Xpan modification here). The lens cap for the Samyang (and Pro Optic) clip to the butterfly lens shade and stay on securely, which is a plus. You need to be very careful when photographing a scene with a horizontal line (like a horizon in a landscape or things such as buildings) since the slightest tilt of the camera up or down will cause the horizontal line to bend like you see in the two examples of the sunrise and Cerro Pedernal — one where the camera was held level and the second with the camera tilted upward.
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Ricoh XR Rikenon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8 Full Frame
I have used the Ricoh XR fisheye on my full frame Sony RIII. It isn't a circular fisheye but fills the whole frame. I often zone focus but you'll get better results by focusing carefully. I use it for all kinds of subjects but like it for adding a slightly exaggerated look to portraits, such as the one of one of my grandsons inside a cabinet that was being sold at a yard sale. It doesn't produce images that are as contrasty and clear as I would like and its colors are a bit muted for my taste, so it isn't used very often.
Peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye made in Belarus.
The Peleng creates a circular image on a full frame camera. It is small and well made and it focuses close, which enables one to make some creative close-ups.
Ricoh XR Rikenon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8 Full Frame
I have used the Ricoh XR fisheye on my full frame Sony RIII. It isn't a circular fisheye but fills the whole frame. I often zone focus but you'll get better results by focusing carefully. I use it for all kinds of subjects but like it for adding a slightly exaggerated look to portraits, such as the one of one of my grandsons inside a cabinet that was being sold at a yard sale. It doesn't produce images that are as contrasty and clear as I would like and its colors are a bit muted for my taste, so it isn't used very often.
Peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye made in Belarus.
The Peleng creates a circular image on a full frame camera. It is small and well made and it focuses close, which enables one to make some creative close-ups.
A row of descansos (roadside crosses) on Highway 84 in Rio Arriba County, Northern New Mexico, taken with the Peleg 8mm fisheye
Meike 6.5mm f/2.0 fisheye
When I first read about the Meike, the article said it produced a circular image on a full frame camera and a slightly cropped circular image on an APS-C sensor camera. I was interested in creating circular images but was also intrigued by the Meike's small size and its use on a smaller, Sony a6500 camera, but the slight cropping on the smaller camera bothered me a bit. I didn't necessarily want to carry around a full frame Sony body to use a small lens. But I ordered it anyway and was surprised when the lens arrived and learned it was actually designed (at least the one I ordered) for an APS-C camera. The first images I made with it on a Sony NEX 7 were taken at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The faster speed (f/2.0) of the Meike was of interest, but for me the more interesting aspect was the fact that it was said to focus as close as four inches. Ghosting and flare seemed to be well contained and the lens for its price is sharp and well made.
When I first read about the Meike, the article said it produced a circular image on a full frame camera and a slightly cropped circular image on an APS-C sensor camera. I was interested in creating circular images but was also intrigued by the Meike's small size and its use on a smaller, Sony a6500 camera, but the slight cropping on the smaller camera bothered me a bit. I didn't necessarily want to carry around a full frame Sony body to use a small lens. But I ordered it anyway and was surprised when the lens arrived and learned it was actually designed (at least the one I ordered) for an APS-C camera. The first images I made with it on a Sony NEX 7 were taken at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The faster speed (f/2.0) of the Meike was of interest, but for me the more interesting aspect was the fact that it was said to focus as close as four inches. Ghosting and flare seemed to be well contained and the lens for its price is sharp and well made.
National Cemetery, Santa Fe, NM, taken with the Meike 6.5mm fisheye on a Sony NEX 7 (above and below)
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Abstract of an F-16 (above) and from rear (below) at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, taken with the Meike 6.5mm fisheye on a Sony NEX 7
This was the first photo I took using the Sunex fisheye. It was taken with a Nikon D7000 but now I use the Sunex on Sony bodies with a Metabones lens adapter. I really like the way the arbor serves as a frame for the two boys on the swing.
Another Sunex fisheye photo
Taken with the Ricoh fisheye (above and below)
Taken with the Samyang — Santa Rosa de Lima church ruins, Abiquiu, New Mexico
The Samyang fisheye on the modified Hasselblad Xpan. Chama River overlook, Abiquiu Valley, Northern New Mexico
Taken at the National Museum of Nuclear science and History in Albuquerque with the Raynox fisheye conversion lens
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