Afforded the unique opportunity to spend a disorienting half-hour shooting the Grand Dame of Nikon MF fisheyes, I now have a treasured portfolio of my feet.
Greg of frosty Alberta (Nikkor AIS), who has since departed the Nikon coil for Canon and video (WTF? global warming?), would frequently post images from it. Wondering what others who own/owned/used it have to say...
A full circular fisheye is one that I've tried staying away from because I'm afraid I'd have too much fun and have to buy one . . . .
Seems to me that even more so than a full frame FE it really needs to be learned well to produce great results. Certainly Gregory got some great shots with it.
If I remember right Gregory's lens is actually in the good hands of a FM user
BTW with a moderate investment one can go in the circular fisheye adventure going for Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Circular Fisheye. It is not so spectacular like the old Nikon lens but deliver quite good images for those looking after this effect.
It provided some crazy perspectives. I'm ambivalent about the circular image, frankly. Can't tell you exactly why. It was a lens reminiscent of my 14-24 in size though with a far narrower barrel.
j.liam wrote:
Afforded the unique opportunity to spend a disorienting half-hour shooting the Grand Dame of Nikon MF fisheyes, I now have a treasured portfolio of my feet.
Greg of frosty Alberta (Nikkor AIS), who has since departed the Nikon coil for Canon and video (WTF? global warming?), would frequently post images from it. Wondering what others who own/owned/used it have to say...
Hello,
I own the Nikon Fisheye 8/2.8 (latest Ai-S version). You could see some shots I took (in NYC) with a D4 and this lens on my Flickr account :
In terms of optical quality, you have to use it at f/8 to get sharp images. Otherwise, perimeter of the imaged circle will be soft. A pro-photographer I know who is a long-time Nikon fan (he worked and shot with almost everything Nikon released in its SLR system since the F era!...) is preferring the Sigma 8/3.5 which has a better optical quality than all Nikon circular fisheyes... Moreover, it is smaller and lighter!
But, I like the Nikon 8/2.8 for its collectible appeal. It is a true masterpiece of glass and a part of Nikon history!
Great set of shots. Thank you for sharing your experiences with this infrequently seen optic.
I recently acquired a 16/3.5 fisheye and ƒ/8 also appears to be its best aperture for even illumination and sharpness. I guess getting in all the elements sharply is the goal.
This news is a little older. Seems the 16 AFD may be at the end if its line. Nikkor 8-16 fisheye zoom, a la Canon, at the end of the rainbow? If it does appear, it should be cheaper than the historical 8/2.8 your thinking about. That goes for roundabout $3000 in collectible condition and in actual use, needs to be stopped down to f/8 for full-circle sharpness.
Definitely not interested in buying one, given the going rate; never quite understood the collector mindset with cameras. It is really only useful in very specific settings so the monies are better spent elsewhere, (like the 16/3.5 recently landed) though an 8-15 zoom would be mighty tempting. The Rokinon sounds interesting, I'll have to research reviews on that.
