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Thomaspin
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Registered: Dec 21, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 58
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Review Date: Jun 3, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharper than the 14mm 'L'
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Cons:
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Got to use ImageAlign or similar if you want rectilinear rendition
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Read here http://pindelski.org/Photography/?p=151 for my preliminary impressions. My desire was for an affordable hyper-wide, not for a fisheye.
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 Jun 3, 2006
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gwhitegeog
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Registered: Jun 16, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Apr 14, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $650.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Superb optical quality, fast maximum aperture, solid 'early EF' construction, small and very compact lens.
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Cons:
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None really - small hood and no external filters but this is a problem with all fisheyes.
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As I have said before, a good range of prime lenses is far more useful than slow and heavy zooms (even 'L' ones) and you'll be a far better photographer. A set of non-L primes (e.g. 20/24/35/50/85) doesn't cost as much one or two exotic L-series zooms, especially with some good second hand lenses around. Though the optical quality of 'L' zooms is no doubt better than non-L zooms, where primes are concerned, the distinction is less clear-cut.
Anyway, to this review... this 15mm lens in a non-USM and one of the first launches from the early EF lenses, so it's been around a while (nearly 20 years!) but is excellent. I guess demand is so small, Canon are not going to re-tool and redesign a newer version. I think this is based on old FD optics but I have had excellent results, even on a FF EOS 5D. Depth of field is obviously superb, as is the closest focussing of about 2cm! If you want a different perspective to interiors or architecture, give it a try. Flare is minimal and very contolled and it is possible to achieve 'flatness of field' if you hold the lens axis parallel to the ground but for most shots, you'll want to use the fisheye effect (I think 'semi-fisheye' is a more acurrate description - it's not a full fisheye like an 8mm lens). I have a Sigma EX DG 12-24 zoom too and the Canon is streets ahead in sharpness, CA, etc.
Just be careful of that vulnerable front element.
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Apr 14, 2006
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sohet
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Registered: Feb 22, 2006
Location: Singapore
Posts: 54
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Review Date: Mar 25, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $645.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp at f2.8 with corners reasonably sharp. By f3.5, it is very sharp end to end. Images have good contrast and lens resolves details very well.
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Cons:
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No protective filter can be mounted. Again it's a 180 deg view.
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True enough, my images were sharp wide open. Lens code is UU01XX, i.e. produced in January 2006. Possibly mopst of Canon's QC issues have been resolved in the last 2 years.
I like the wideness it produces and whilst it is meant to be a fisheye, using a de-barrelizer software, it can become an ultra wide-angle rectilinear picture. Should not be over-used as ohotos can become cliche.
Highly recommended if you see a need to shoot something different, especially roundish domes, shapes that are very wide and cry out to be shot with a fisheye lens.
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Mar 25, 2006
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Aberdeen Photo
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Registered: Mar 9, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 3812
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Review Date: Mar 9, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Decent build quality and quick autofocus. It is just fun fun fun.
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Cons:
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Distortion at the extremes, but cropping is easy in PS.
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Great little gem, love using this at wedding for froup in front of church, or recetion hall. Also great for audience reaction and other fun moments. No filter protection, so gotta be careful with this one. Great in the correct application.
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Mar 9, 2006
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Memphis
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Registered: Mar 15, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 769
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Review Date: Feb 4, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wide and fun! Sharp on my 5D where it needs to be
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Cons:
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The motor but it still has better AF than my Nikon gear had so this is not a real issue to me.
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This lens is just fun to use. At least once on every trip I come across an image that is begging to be shot with a fisheye. This lens does what it should, it's sharp where it needs to be, and still has a fast AF.
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Feb 4, 2006
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webman06
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Registered: May 21, 2004
Location: France
Posts: 50
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Review Date: Oct 15, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $559.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fabulous images. Nothing replaces it.
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Cons:
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No USM
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A fisheye lens is a specialty product. It's outpost is very interesting persee. A must have if you like to photograph the inside of a room at 180° or the inside of a car, or aircraft cockpit.
Used on a digital or film will not change.
I really love this lens, it's one of my favorites.
You can use a defish software and get wonderfull wides if you're into extra large landscape !!! breathtaking.
(I used to own a 8mm sigma but recently sold it as i do not have a FF and the border blue fringe did not suite me).
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Oct 15, 2005
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Tom_W
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Registered: Jan 20, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5238
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Review Date: Mar 27, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $579.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Crisp, contrasty images from corner to corner (on 1.3X camera). Good wide open. Low flare. Light and compact.
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Cons:
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No USM
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This lens is exceptionally sharp across the field. CA is very low, and it doesn't exhibit flare problems as one might expect from such a wide lens. Gives an incredibly wide view, as a fisheye should. But even de-fished with software, it is still considerably wider than my 16-35 at its widest setting. It is also a bit sharper than that zoom.
I'd like to see USM on this lens, but that isn't really that vital - a lens this short has a fairly deep depth-of-field so manual touchup isn't quite as useful.
Build quality is good, matching that of other mid-priced Canon lenses such as the 28-135 IS or the 85/1.8. The built-in hood is metal and provides a bit of extra protection for the large, otherwise vulnerable front lens element.
This will be one of my favorite lenses.
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Mar 27, 2005
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PaulKearley
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Registered: Jan 4, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Feb 5, 2005
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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Centre of image very sharp. Fisheye distortion!
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Cons:
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Edge of image CA makes lens unusable on 1ds.
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I bought this lens for use on my 1ds. After taking a few test shots and inspecting them I was dismayed to see the amount of CA around the edges, almost like looking at a 3D movie without the glasses on! I returned the lens the following day. Probably OK on a camera with a smaller sensor, but then you will lose some of the fisheye effect.
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Feb 5, 2005
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The Image
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Registered: Dec 3, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2976
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Review Date: Jan 28, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $570.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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very sharp
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Cons:
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none
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awsome lens for 1.6 cf cameras. the reason i bought it was cause i need wide angle for my d60. its alot sharper than i thought it would be...sharper than the ef 14mm2.8L.
i definetly would recommend this fine lens
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Jan 28, 2005
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crnama
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Registered: Jun 16, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 537
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Review Date: Jan 19, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Small size, 2.8, easy to use
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Cons:
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Noisy focus since it is not USM.
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This is a good lens on a 10D when you really need to get those wide angle shots. For the most part I don't notice the distortion on the sides unless I get vertical lines near the edge of the frame. Over all this is a good lens.
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Jan 19, 2005
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dalegaspi
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Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Dec 7, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 287
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Review Date: Jan 12, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharp. nicely built.
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Cons:
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noisy. excessive color fringing at wide apertures
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when i got my 15mm, it needed to get serviced immediately for adjustments because it back-focused on my 10D on distances going towards infinity. you'd think that on lens like this with large DOF you'd never need it...
since the adjustment, i have to say that i am very pleased with this lens. sharp at all apertures. my only complaint is its excessive color fringing at wide apertures compared to other primes i have...but given the nature (and relatively affordable price) of this lens, i probably shouldn't be complaining about color fringing ;-)
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Jan 12, 2005
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leuphrates
Offline
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Registered: Oct 18, 2004
Location: Turkey
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Dec 7, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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A Marvel.
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Cons:
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None
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I frequently use it. And found another way to correct the apperance in PS. Apply 100% spherize effect and crop the middle. That's all. Your image becomes smaller but still very well corrected. (Better than DXO!)
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Dec 7, 2004
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Jacon
Offline
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Registered: Nov 15, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 183
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Review Date: Dec 5, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality. Sharp, great contrast and colour. Small and light.
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Cons:
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Lens cap can easily slide off when pulling lens from camera bag.
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I hummed and hared over what to get to cover my wide angle needs. I researched the 16-35, the 17-40, 14mm and currently own the 20mm. Ended up with the fishy.
Great lens. I own the 135 f2L and the 180 among others. And this is right up there with ‘em. It’s sharp and has punchy colour and contrast. Although not in the same league when it comes to bokeh…
Totally usable wide open with minimal distortion on the 1.6 crop cameras. Very surprised at how well this lens performed wide open. Very close focusing distance allows for some good perspective effects.
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Dec 5, 2004
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Cometsoft
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Registered: Dec 6, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 117
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Review Date: Sep 14, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $590.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Size, sharpness, build, price
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Cons:
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if you don't like fish... and I like it a lot better on full frame.
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This lens is the shizz. I've got a sick collection of Canon glass, but this one was the biggest surprise. I had the Nikon 14mm 2.8ED which was much heavier, bigger, noisier af, gawdawful lens hood, and cost almost 3 times as much. (Did have a case though) Subjectively the Canon is much better at the edges. And that's with 1Ds full frame vs. D1X 1.5 frame.
Admittedly fish stuff can get overdone, but I bought the Sigma 8mm circular fish and really started to enjoy the effect. Problem is the lens uses about a third of the frame on the 1Ds and there's some awful ca on the edges. I actually bought it for stiching HDRI stuff and it works out well for that. But this thing is wonderful edge to edge. Guess I'll try out ptlens and try to "defish" some of the stuff, but for now I"m having fun.
I took this out on my 10D and it isn't so much fun. Definitely better on full frame. Really shines there.
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Sep 14, 2004
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chris78cpr
Offline
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Registered: Aug 27, 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5583
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Review Date: Sep 3, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Size, Cost, F2.8, Light, Sharp, Quality
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Cons:
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Hmmmmmmmmmmm not much really! No filter but on a fisheye it cant be helped!
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Sep 3, 2004
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bobbytan
Offline
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Registered: Feb 2, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6515
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Review Date: Aug 11, 2004
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $450.00
| Rating: 4
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Pros:
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Relatively inexpensive, and it looks cool.
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Cons:
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Distorts like crazy.
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I had this lens for only about a month. I like the angle of view, but I could not deal with the distortion on the sides - yeah, yeah, it's supposed to be a "fisheye". I had the fortunate or unfortunate opportunity to play with a Leitz Super-Elmar 15mm rectilinear lens on my 10D - now THAT is what I call a 15mm lens. Of course, the Leica lens is more than 10 times the price of the Canon fisheye. 
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Aug 11, 2004
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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69
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174466
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Dec 8, 2012
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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93% of reviewers
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$559.05
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.58
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8.29
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9.2
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