Best Of The Smaller Circular Fisheye Nikkors?

[jhinkey]

Looking for a circular fisheye that's not too heavy to take backpacking/hiking/backcountry/etc.  So the 8/2.8 is out . . .
How is the 8/8 or 7.5/5.6 for sharpness, flare/ghosting, etc.?

I'd be using it on my a7RII via adapter.

Also, I know the 7.5/5.6 and 8mm/8 are pre-set focus, but I have the ability on my A7RII to use a focusing helicoid that could theoretically achieve a sharper image/better focus at infinity if these lenses are set at the hyperfocal distance.   Does anyone think these pre-set focus versions could be better if the focus could be tweaked using a helicoid? 

Are their better/smaller/lighter full-frame (FX) circular fisheyes out there?

Thanks -

John

[Roland Vink]

Never used them, but my guess is the 7.5/5.6 is better optically, since it is a newer lens (although both date from the 1960s)

Sigma make an 8mm f/3.5 circular fisheye (and also an older 8mm f/4) which is AF and does not require mirror lock-up on SLRs. These lenses are considerably smaller than the Nikon 8mm f/2.8.

[richardHaw]

i had a SIGMA 4.5 that I used for work
it was pretty OK

[Erik Lund]

The Sigma 8mm f/3.5 is outstanding - also for IR!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The old-timers (8/8, 7.5/5.6 etc.) are becoming collectors' items and thus frequently found at quite elevated prices. Not worth the expense in my opinion, as the Sigma is cheaper and pretty good too.

The 'dark horse' here is the Sunex 5.6 mm f/5.6 as this will be very light weight once you have removed it from its heavy factory 'F' mount collar (simple operation, optics just held with 3 grub screws) to disclose a 42 mm thread. Thus it will mount into any standard 42 mm based helicoid focusing mount on a mirrorless camera. The lens is a fix-focus design but will focus very close if you mount it this way, and the single f/5.6 aperture allows good hyperfocal use as well. I purchased a sample just now for about USD 120 so it is not expensive, however availability will be limited. New from B+H it costs around USD 800.

[Jakov Minić]

The Sigma 8mm f/3.5 is outstanding - also for IR!

Do I read this correctly?
You can shoot it pointed at the sun, yes it does IR, I love it on DX, and it is splash resistant

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Do that exercise on a frequent basis, Jakov, and the lens will start to look funny inside ...

However, funky images might still result.

[chris dees]

The Sigma 8/3.5 EX DG Fisheye weighs 400gram and is small.
No hassle with special adapters and/or pre-set focussing.

If it's still too heavy you can use a shaved Nikkor AF-S 10.5/2.8G DX ED (306gram) and make a landscape + portrait image which you can stitch.

[Akira]

John is looking for a circular fisheye for the full frame format.  Sunex and Sigma 4.5mm are for APS-C.  The only "reasonable" choice would be Sigma 8mm/f3.5 EX DG.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Technically speaking, you are correct, Akira. However, I have used the Sunex and Sigma 4.5 with FX with good results. On a high MPix camera, some cropping usually is acceptable. And having a circular image is guaranted with these two.

[Akira]

We have an old saying: the larger also serves as the smaller.  So, yes, I know a DX fisheye can offer the acceptable result on a full frame camera.

That said, we also have a sense of value called "mottainai" which was made known to the world by Ms. Wangari Maathai.  It is "mottainai" to waste lots of pixel of full frame sensor by using an APS-C one.   

[jhinkey]

Looks like a Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 for m43 converted to E-mount and a modified hood is the way to go for super light weight and decent image quality.

http://www.fanotec.com/conversion-tool-kit-for-samyang-7-5mm-lens-with-sony-e-mount/103

Would love to own one of the Nikkors, but as Bjorn says they're expensive and becoming more of a collector item than a good working solution for my needs.

Thanks!

John

[Akira]

I used to use Samyang 7.5mm/f3.5 fisheye on my m4/3 cameras, and its image quality was not decent...but excellent.

That said, I found two problems: its distant scale on the focus ring is not reliable, so it was difficult and/or tricky to use the guesstimate focusing technique.  Also, the "Pixco" brand m4/3 to NEX mount adapter I purchased was not well polished.  I found burrs all over the mount and they would fall on the sensor every time you attach/detatch the lens/adapter combo.  You would need to polish it thoroughly on your own.

By the way, Samyang employs the stereographic projection method for all of their fisheyes, and its compression of the peripheral area of the image is the smallest of all other projection methods.  I think this is the best method if you are using the fisheye as an extremely wide angle lens for the snapshots.  On the other hand, it is the least suitable for the special effect of the exaggerated central area best exemplified by the venerable Nikkor OP fisheye 10mm f5.6.

[jhinkey]

Thanks Akira -

I would love to own the 8mm/2.8, but I'd never use it in the mountains due to the size/weight.  But it's an oh so sexy looking lens!
Perhaps if I find a good deal on one . . . .

Otherwise it will be the Samyang 7.5/3.5 modified.

[Akira]

For the mountainscapes, the stereographic projection would be preferable.