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Since then, however, I've been carrying it with me everywhere and though it doesn't fit into every situation, it's a ton of fun to have around. and it can't be used on a full-frame DSLR body because it won't cover the field of the sensor.Another side benefit of such a wide lens is that it has incredible depth of field--you barely have to focus this lens and if you shoot at a mid-range aperture like f/8 or smaller, everything from your feet to the horizon will be in sharp focus. The quality seems pretty good physically (it's small and light, which is nice), though it doesn't have the tough metal body that would make it more durable (and more expensive and heavier). But rather than go on here, I'll just quote from a recent blog posting that I wrote on my [.]. It's also a tiny lens physically and will easily fit into a jacket pocket. If you can justify owning this lens, I think you'll enjoy it (especially if you get the $30 software I recommend below):If you happen to be a Nikon DSLR shooter, are completely bored with all of your lenses and have (roughly) an extra $700 burning a hole in your equipment pocket, the Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye Lens may be just the lens you need.
I've had this lens for about a year (I use it on a D90 right now) and it's a lot of fun. I am the author of a number of photo books, by the way including: The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Photography Book) and Exposure Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent and Winning Digital Photo Contests (Lark Photography Book). Photos taken with this lens have a curved (bowed) distortion that, combined with the super-wide view, produce some really interesting and, I think, creative images. You can also photograph large groups of people (like all of your wife's relatives gathered on your front steps--you can see where I'm going with this) without having to back up three blocks.But won't these images be horribly distorted. Because these lenses produce such a super-wide angle-of-view and because they have enormous depth of field, you can use them in tight spaces (like photographing your beautiful newly remodeled bathroom so that you can show it off to the relatives--you see, a perfect argument in favor of owning this lens) to provide very inclusive and very sharp images. Here's what I wrote on my blog, I hope it helps. You might think that you'd quickly get bored with such an unusual piece of glass, but the truth is that the more you use it, the more you start to see with this ultra-wide-angle perspective in mind. Everyone is familiar with the caricature-type portraits that can be taken with a fisheye lens, but they are also very useful in landscape photography, group portraits (read on to find out why) and architectural work.
Neat, eh.To be honest, as much as I wanted this lens, it sat in my camera bag and was only used infrequently for the first few months that I owned it. In fact, I shot the frame here at f/6.3 and everything is in sharp focus from the bench that's about a foot from my knee to the far horizon. At the moment I think that Nikon is the only lens manufacturer making a full-frame fisheye and it can only be used on cameras with a DX-size sensor (D80, D90, etc). Ahh, there's the fun part (oops, this is supposed to be the practical part): there is software available that can correct the distortion and leave you with an optically correct image that still retains the wide-angle-view and great depth of field. This is also what's known as a full-frame fisheye lens because it does not provide the cropped circular angle-of-view that some fisheye lenses produce.
Once you've run the image through the software the curved lines and image distortion are totally removed. So if you're hiking it around Manhattan and shooting with all your traditional lenses and then suddenly you run into your spouse's cousin in their brand new car and you want to show everyone just how cool and spacious the backseat is.hey, I'm trying to help you get a new lens here, work with me.[.]. The Fisheye-Hemi Plug In from Image Trends ([.].) is probably the most popular and sells for just $29.95 and works with both Photoshop and Apple Aperture software. This lens is the equivalent to about 16mm in 35mm terms and because it's full-frame (and not the circular type of fisheye) it lends a very interesting perspective to many types of photography. And, by the way, as you can see here, when you include the horizon in a fisheye shot you get a wickedly curved horizon line that looks like the edge of the earth (which, from where you're standing, is exactly what you're seeing).OK, so now that you have yourself convinced you absolutely need one of these lenses, what are the practical applications.
The result is a wild and distorted (but again, full frame) view of the world that can't be obtained with any other lens. blog (let's see if Amazon leaves in the rough address). That's exactly the situation I was in when I bought mine and I have to tell you, as unnecessary as owning a fisheye lens is, it's still a lot of fun--and actually, there are some practical uses (just in case you need to justify owning it to a nit-picking spouse), though you may have to stretch the word "practical" a bit to find them.The fun part first: The Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye lens is an ultra-wide-angle lens that provides a whopping 180-degree (measured diagonally from corner-to-corner) angle of view and that is far wider than even our own peripheral vision which is about 120-degrees.
She knows I love photography and have taken it up as a hobby. I received this lens as my Xmas present from my wife. I'm sure with more practice I will learn more about it but as of now I think the lens really compliments my camera bag. Simply put the lens is of great quality as is the effect. It takes a little while to get used to it but after a few shots you start getting the hang of where and when this lens can have its best impact.
It is so small that you might as well throw it in your bag. What I use this lens for most often is taking and stitching cylindrical or spherical panoramas.
Eight pictures and you have a full sphere. Three pictures and you have 360°.
Many people have reviewed this lens. Some seem to think that you should 'correct' the errors and get a wide angle shot (you can, but the results are not great).
If you do virtual reality pictures, this lens can't be beaten.The lens has some chromatic aberrations, but the errors are minor for this type of lens.I am very glad I bought this lens. I will try not to duplicate efforts.This is a well built lens.
When you need it, you will be happy you did.Most of the reviewers have treated this lens as a great way to get odd looking pictures (it is).
Don't expect it to perform like a "normal" wide angle lens. Remember, this lens is a specialty lens with intentional fisheye effects. Great lens. I use it for 360 degree panoramic pictures with a Nikon D80, Nodal Ninja 3 pan head.
I love playing with different angles when shooting with this lens. I only wish that it was a zoom lens but for the money it's well worth it. Definitely a must for someone who wants to throw an edge on their photos. I have been using this lens for almost a month & it's a lot of fun. It really preforms at it's peak in outdoor shooting, however, I have obtained some good indoor shots as well.
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