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Archive 2015 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

thebmrust
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Just got a Bower 8mm fisheye delivered. The first one was a deal saver from B&H but looked used... I returned it and have a new(?) one now. I will get some images posted here after I put it through the paces this weekend. (I shoot 97% sports, 2% portraits, 1% weddings).

A few things we could share here are:
1) How many copies have you had?
2) What's considered "sharp" or "unsharp" for you/your Bower/Rokinon lens?
3) How has the distance scale worked (or not worked) and apertures (wide, mid, narrow) been working?
4) How often do you use it? (and for what reason... sports, family, landscape, wedding, portraits, group, astro, or whatever)

So if you have a BowerRokinon (or the other named brands) 8mm lens, let's share those images and experiences.

EDIT: Added "Rokinon" to thread title

Edited on Jun 30, 2016 at 02:49 AM · View previous versions

Nov 19, 2015 at 05:46 PM

liggy
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

I have one for my X-T1. One copy - bought used.

Usually in "infinity" focus at f5.6 - 8 or so.

Everything is in focus (at least well enough for me

)

I use it more often than I thought I would since it's both light and compact.

Really easy to carry around.

Just jpegs for me - I'm a casual shooter.

Untitled by j c, on Flickr

Nov 19, 2015 at 07:10 PM

hauxon
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

I do have a Samyang branded 8mm f/2.8 fish-eye II. Bought used and no issues. It's sharp and I haven't found any annoyances with it, a pleasure to use, focusing ring and aperture just the right stiffness so you won't accidentally change anything while moving around. I bought it to for night shots and aurora.

Here's one from Harpa concert hall Reykjavik.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/735/21194844808_570b5e06ea_o_d.jpg

Nov 20, 2015 at 11:59 AM

thebmrust
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

On a whim I checked our local Craigslist and someone was selling a Rokinon 8mm... so I checked it out and it is sharper than the my second copy of the Bower 8mm. So the Bower is going back for a refund and I'll keep the Rokinon 8mm from CL.

Note: It's not perfect, but much better than the Bower and for my purposes, will work fine for now.

I hope to shoot the last football game of the season tomorrow, if not, might have to wait for basketball next week.

Keep the images coming, some are pretty stellar.

Nov 20, 2015 at 06:38 PM

pbraymond
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

My copy is the Opteka 6.5mm (are there any prizes for the shortest listed focal length?), which I believe is the same as the Bower 8mm fisheye.

Sufficiently sharp one stop down, it's the only copy I've had.

The distance scale is OK, I'm not sure how to check for correctness since so much is in focus. When I get in closer than 3' I find it helpful to actually use the focus ring to focus closer.

I usually shoot it at f5.6, set the focus to about 4' or 5' on the focus scale, and never bother to focus, concentrating instead on what to include, and keeping things on the level.

I tend to use it as an ultra-ultrawide, then either applying lens correction in LR to defish, or defish through PS.

Here's one example:
http://www.pbraymond.com/img/s8/v74/p1780503519-5.jpg

Nov 20, 2015 at 10:51 PM

pbraymond
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

One more, this one is almost the entire DX frame, only rotated slightly in processing.

http://www.pbraymond.com/img/s/v-2/p1106468340-4.jpg

Nov 20, 2015 at 10:54 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Here are some shots from the first Bower 8mm f/3.5
#1 LCHS Huddle
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_05%20FB%20THSvLCHS_4106.jpg

#2 KaHS Sideline
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_06%20FB%20RoHSvKaHS_4213.jpg

#3 KaHS Post Game
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_06%20FB%20RoHSvKaHS_4538.jpg

#4 Up Close
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_06%20FB%20RoHSvKaHS_5197.jpg

A few from the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5
#5 Low Catch
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_21%20FB%20RepHSvLCHS_5180.jpg

#6 RepHS Sideline
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_21%20FB%20RepHSvLCHS_5186.jpg

#7 Endzone Post Game
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_21%20FB%20RepHSvLCHS_5191.jpg

Nov 22, 2015 at 05:45 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

It's odd to hear that these lenses are widely owned (but appear to be very rarely used). I haven't seen very many images in the wide angle image post either.

Does anyone else have any images from the Rokinon Bower Samyang 8mm stable?

Nov 29, 2015 at 01:02 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

A few from the last games of the season.

Rokinon 8mm f/5.6 probably ISO 640 1/400th
All are prefocused at just short of infinity on the focus ring.

#1 Pre game rally
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_29%20FB%20GPrepvRHS_5207.jpg

#2 Coin Toss
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_29%20FB%20GPrepvRHS_5213.jpg

#3 First Down
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_29%20FB%20GPrepvRHS_5237.jpg

Dec 01, 2015 at 10:53 PM

pbraymond
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Hope this one qualifies, it's the Rokinon fisheye on m43 (the native m43, not adapted). This is a straight crop to 3:2 ratio with B&W conversion and some tonal adjustments and sharpening.

Dec 02, 2015 at 11:59 AM

thebmrust
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Dang this Alt board is busy, the threads get buried quickly.

Here's a fun in your face shot of the band:
Bower 8mm f/3.5 (first copy returned for lack of sharpness)
1/200 f/5.6? or 3.5 ISO 2500
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2015_11_05%20FB%20MHSvHHS_4084.jpg

Dec 04, 2015 at 06:31 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Had a S L O W start to winter season. Here's a shot from last night.
Canon 60D 1/250th (or so) ISO 2500
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2016_01_15%20bBB%20THSvLCHS_5687.jpg

Jan 16, 2016 at 05:27 AM

thebmrust
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

From a high school anti drinking & driving program.

#1 Gurney
This student was killed by the Grim Reaper and lays on the gurney as a sheet is lowered over the body. My goal is to get students looking at their classmate, Grim, and perhaps another element in the image. We have 2-3 minutes max to get the pics of each victim (24 students are killed off in 3 hours).
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2016_04_14%20E15M%20RHS_8344A.jpg

#2
The Dead
A large group of victims of drunk driving
Laying on the ground inside the circle. (this was shot with the on camera flash of the 7DmkII at +3 stops f/11 or 16 (I don't remember exactly).
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2016_04_14%20E15M%20RHS_8461A.jpg

Apr 16, 2016 at 02:04 AM

thebmrust
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

I went to adjust the focus on my Rokinon and it looks like the screws were covered with nail polish or something similar.

I got mine last fall, anyone else have a RokBowSamy 8mm f/3.5 fisheye in the last year? Are the adjustment screws sealed off?

Jun 24, 2016 at 09:40 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Girls 1600m race
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/8mmFishTF16.jpg

Jun 29, 2016 at 04:46 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

Rivalry game under the basket
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69058466/FredMiranda/8mmFisheye/2016_01_22%20%20bBB%20RVHSvKiBe_6000.jpg

Jun 29, 2016 at 04:47 PM

thebmrust
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Rokinon Samyang Bower 8mm fisheye thread

I thought more people had the 8mm?

Jun 30, 2016 at 02:50 AM


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