fisheye lenses are fun

[livin4lax09]

I just got mine today and I haven't had much of an opportunity to play around with it yet, but here's the first shot from it. I have a feeling I am going to enjoy shooting with it! The quality and sharpness wide open is absolutely horrible, but stopped down to 5.6 it is actually pretty impressive, especially for a $150 16mm fisheye! Anyone who has a fisheye, post up some shots! I want to see what other people do with them!

[Photo-John]

I agree - they are fun. Which one do you have? Have you posted a review for it yet? You know we need reviews for all your lenses! Reviews power this site!

[Greg McCary]

I am think of getting a LOMO, just to play around with...
Greg

[livin4lax09]

i got the mc zenitar. Haven't reviewed it yet because I haven't had time to test it, and I'm a firm believer in the test before talk technique.

[berrywise]

I own that lens. Picked it up for my Nikon rig. I found it to be a pretty nice little lens for the price. I mean 2.8 for 150 bucks, outside a 50mm, ain't bad. I have been using it my home made photobooth but I think I'm gonna sell my D1h so I'll probably stick up the Zenitar for sale too.

Watch that front glass though as it sticks out so far it is easy to scratch.

[another view]

They can be a lot of fun, but it's easy to overuse them. I have one for my Coolpix and use it occasionally. First one of my dogs, camera held level (as possible while bent over and walking) about 1' above the ground; 1' away from them. Since it was level and the horizon is near the middle of the frame, you lose most of the distortion. Second was the very small bathroom at a motel I stayed at on a roadtrip - I could touch the close edge of the shower from camera position.

[Old Timer]

I haven't had a fisheye lens to play with in years. Would love to get one just because they are a hoot. I hope we get a lot more photos posted with the fisheyes. I love that bathroom shot Steve.

[another view]

I love that bathroom shot Steve.

Thanks! The funny thing about it is that almost everything is on miniature scale. The sink is just over a foot square, the garbage can fits the plastic bags from the grocery store, the shower is not much bigger than a phone booth. Look at the standard-sized cup holder and light switch plate for scale...

All that and the twin bed made me feel like Andre the giant (I'm 6'1"). This was up on Washington Island, off the northeastern corner of Wisconsin. Some day I'll get up there in the winter, taking the icebreaker to get there!

[jsaftchick]

I own that lens. Picked it up for my Nikon rig. I found it to be a pretty nice little lens for the price. I mean 2.8 for 150 bucks, outside a 50mm, ain't bad. I have been using it my home made photobooth but I think I'm gonna sell my D1h so I'll probably stick up the Zenitar for sale too.

Watch that front glass though as it sticks out so far it is easy to scratch.

I'm interested in building a photobooth and was wondering what you were using to control the camera. I want to be able to allow a subject to click a button and after a short delay have the camera take 4 pictures. After which, I would like the 4 images to display on a screen within the booth in a pre-defined format with the option to print. I've looked at the software photoboof! which seems great if you shoot w/ Canon but I'm a Nikon user. I've been looking at Nikon Capture and Bibble but wasn't sure if either had that type of flexibility since they're not necessarily intended for this.

I would also be interested in seeing pictures of your photobooth if you don't mind sharing.

Thanks for any help you, or anyone else, can offer.

[markfielding]

Here are a few pics I took with my Sigma 8mm and Canon 30D 2 weeks ago.

[Old Timer]

Here are a few pics I took with my Sigma 8mm and Canon 30D 2 weeks ago.

Love the second and fourth ones. Very very nice. These fisheyes are so much fun.

[markfielding]

Love the second and fourth ones. Very very nice. These fisheyes are so much fun.

Thanks for the comment. These pics were fun to take but at the same time very difficult as I had to hike up a mountain near Mt.Fuji then stay up all night, capturing night photos of Mt.fuji and its surrounding areas. No sleep that night as it was far too windy to pitch my very absic tent.

[Greg McCary]

I like these as well. What's causeing the dark edges? A lens hood?
Greg

[livin4lax09]

i believe the sigma 8mm isn't a full frame fisheye...

[markfielding]

Yeah the Sigma 8mm produces a full circle (i.e you get a picture in the middle of the frame in the shape of a circle if you use a 35mm full frame camera). If you use an APS-C size sensor then this will be cropped a little, hence the edges are black. There is no lens hood on this.
In the 3rd picture you can see that on the left of the picture, the sky is getting lighter but over near Mt.Fuji it is still dark. Fisheyes are real fun, but as there is no hood for them, you have to be really careful.