Canon EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye

 
Going wider (literally), I got interested in creating "Beautifully Distorted" photos. The lens that caught my attention and eventually became my 5th Canon lens is none other than the EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye. On my 350D-IR & 500D, it gives me a 24mm wide, mildly distorted, but ultra wide perspective due to the intended barrel distortion. When used on my 5D mark II, this lens became one of the most interesting lens to use. On a Full Frame camera, it gives the user a 180 degree view – from left to right – so this lens is also known as a "horizontal fisheye lens". And it so happens that this is also Canon’s one & only Fisheye lens. (Other alternative Fisheye lenses from 3rd party manufacturers are available – both Horizontal & Circular Fisheye) Being a Canon "Hardcore" person, I picked this lens over the competition, naturally . Using it on both cropped and full frame bodies, this Fisheye offer lots of fun. I use it for alternative landscape and sometimes, candid portraits that computer softwares is unable to acheive or render. The corner sharpness is unsurpassed when compared to competition and this is a pleasant surprise.

* picture:  EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye.

This beautiful metal-bodied lens came with a prefixed petal-like metal hood and the lens cap is held in place by FRICTION on the fixed hood! So far it had worked pretty well and the lens cap came off only once while packed into my gear bag and travelling. The overall construction and build quality of this lens is good, except the focusing ring feels a little cheap and a tad loose. The focusing mechanism runs on Arc Form Drive (AFD) Motor (Sits in between the low cost Micro Motor <MM> and the higher end Ultrasonic Motor <USM>) so expect lots of noise but this does not affect the focusing speed at all. At F2.8, this is a fast performing lens and it does not exactly comes cheap. This is a must-have lens for all Canon Hardcores.  

 

* picture:  EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye.
 
Some User Facts/ Information:
(If you are looking for the specs, please google yourself, it’s all over the internet.)
– Filter – slotted Gelatin Filter. (sold separately)
– Lens Hood is Fixed and doubles up as a Lens Cap catch.
– Great lens for Infra-red Photography (IR).
– Runs on Arc Form Drive Motor (AFP). 
– Focal Range when used on bodies with smaller APS-C sensors – 24mm with mild barrel distortion.
– EF Mount is designed for use on Canon’s EOS Full Frame & Cropped Bodies (with corresponding increase x1.6 APS-C or x1.3 APS-H)

What I Like:
– Sharp photos with great color reproduction from corner to corner – even on the distorted ends..
– Great wide angle lens for my 500D & 350D-IR.
– Super Wide with diagonal fisheye effect when used with my 5D Mark II.
– Good Build Quality & Construction.
– Good travelling size & weight.
– Fast Focusing.
– Distance Scale.

What I Hate:
– The Lens Cap is held in place by friction created by the fixed metal hood.

– The AF motor is noisy, very noisy.
– The focusing ring feels cheap and loose.

*Picture Source Internet.

 
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About Editor AL

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