Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens

Comments about Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens:

It's so easy to have fun with this lens. Looking through the lens composing images, zooming in/out, getting low to include forground features etc. Watch out for your tummy and feet getting in the shot. Should I be recommending this lens to slim people only? LOL.
Today I shot a fire brigade ladder unit on exercise at full extension and fully in view with the transport unit.

Comments about Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens:

I have 6 L series lenses and this one has to be the most fun of all! A lot more useable that I first though, I was wary of the price, but it has put a great big smile on my face and I am very happy. I use a 5D mkii.

Comments about Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens:

Firstly let me say that I use full frame DSLRs so I cannot comment on how this lens works with APS-H and APS-C format bodies. So with that said, let me tell you about the Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens. In a word, spectacular. As part of my design & marketing work I have to photograph interiors and so adding a high-end 'fish-eye' lens from Canon to my kit was a 'no brainer'. Therefore I will not dwell on this obvious aspect apart from saying it excels 'inside'. However, in another aspect of my photography, I concentrate on sea and landscapes and after reading up about its tempting capabilities, I'd been hankering after adding this lens to my kit bag for almost a year. [...]First impressions was of a very compact, surprisingly light but beautifully crafted lens. Fast and responsive when mounted its controls falling easily to hand. I took a few test shots and was immediately struck by the range, versatility and importantly, how well the moderate f/4 aperture delivered very acceptable hand held results, even with relatively long (1/4sec) exposures. So having no IS (image stabilisation) is not an issue. Set up correctly, the images it takes are superb. Chromatic Aberration is apparent on both red/cyan and blue/yellow fringes but simply rectified in RAW processing programmes. The lens is easily cleaned with a 'spudz' cloth - a very important bit of kit as, by its very nature, the protruding lens does pick up dust and rain. Something that needs constant attention when shooting.The following weekend saw me in Cornwall. I needed to get some Winter seascapes and so I headed down to Porthcurno Cove with my trusted set-up of an EOS 1Ds MkIII with 16-35mm f2.8 lens, tripod and an assortment of filters. Yet I also took along an EOS 5D MkII mounted with my new 8-15mm fisheye. I'd planned my visit to Porthcurno to coincide with the rising tide but when I arrived on the beach I was a little disappointed to see that the offshore wind had failed to drum up the surf and breakers I'd wanted. Instead, through the 16-35 the scene before me all looked a little flat. Still, I set up my tripod low down on some rocks and waited for breaks in the overhead cloud to throw light onto the sand and give me something to work with. As I waited, I slung my 5D&Fisheye off my shoulder and brought it up to my eye. At 15mm the scene in front of me was transformed. The surrounding cliffs were brought into shot, the clouds lowered threateningly, the sand took on a sweeping golden curve while the horizon levelled perfectly. The drama of 'the bigger picture' was instantly added by the 8-15mm fisheye.I started taking shots and playing with the focal length. It was strange to see my feet in the first few takes and I had to watch my hand-work as fingers easily slip into shot. Yet, even without filters the lens handled the lighting conditions superbly, bringing out the texture in the clouds and capturing crisp, sharp images. I decided to swop bodies and switched the lens to the EOS 1 with the tripod. The combination was perfect and the rest of the weekend was spent on the North coast, clambering down cliffs and over rocks, getting shots that had a whole new dimension added. However, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out. Firstly, I must say that while full '180° circular fisheyes' of rock-pools may look quite interesting, I can't get my head around all the surrounding black framing, so I haven't pursued this capability too far as yet. Perhaps that's my failing. Maybe I'm not 'seeing' this aspect of the lens's full 'full frame' potential. Also, I've got a tiny niggle in that on more than one occasion I've inadvertently knocked off the lens cover. Due to the protruding fisheye the lens cover has to clip on to the outer lip and this is not particularly secure. This was to prove annoying on one occasion when I had to re-trace my footsteps a mile up a winding cliff path and back across fields to a stile where I presume I'd knocked the lens cover with my leg as I climbed over. I found the cover but, bearing in mind it took ten weeks for Canon to get me a replacement lens pouch for my 16-35mm, I'd hate to think how long it might take to get a replacement cover for this little sucker!But this is just a minor point and does not warrant my taking off a point from my full 5 star rating. Overall, I would suggest that you consider exactly what situations your photography leads you to and then ask yourself how will this lens extend my repertoire. For me the EF 8-15mm fisheye adds extra dimension in that it takes over from where my 16-35mm lens leaves off.

Comments about Canon EF 8-15mm f4.0 L USM Fisheye Lens:

After a few weeks with this lens, I am now seeing the versatility it has.
I started using it to take unusual shots of items I could get close to, then took advantage of it to get some nice shots of London City with different tower blocks all in the shot.