Have you used a fisheye lens on your rangefinder camera?

[raid]

Did you use a film camera or a digital camera, and what are your feelings on using a fisheye lens?

Is there hope for arriving at an excellent image with a fisheye lens or is it a bad idea to get a fisheye lens?

Do you have images with your fisheye lens that you can share here?

Thanks.

 

[raid]

I have very few saved images from a fisheye lens. This one is from a Canon FD 7.5mm/5.6 on Leica M6.

I found another one:

 

[Mackinaw]

I do on occasion. Here's a Canon FD 15mm on a Leica M240. Cropped a bit.

Jim B.

 

[Mackinaw]

Another, same combo, Canon FD 15mm on a Leica M240.

Jim B.

 

[Mackinaw]

Last one (for now). Canon FD 15mm on a Leica M240.

Jim B.

 

[markjwyatt]

I have a 12mm Fujinon C-mount lens to adapt to my Fujifilm XT-2. Does that count (well other than the rangefinder part)?

 

[View Range]

The only fisheye I've ever used in the 8mm f8.0 Fisheye-Nikkor. I used it on a Nikon F, but with the mirror locked up to mount the lens and the separate viewfinder, the setup was exactly like a rangefinder camera. I took pictures inside a cathedral. Unfortunately I've never scanned any of the slides to be able to show them.

 

[Corran]

I have adapted my Nikkor 8mm f/2.8 circular fisheye and 16mm f/3.5 full-frame fisheye to my Leicas and other RF cameras.

I found a simple viewfinder on eBay for the circular fisheye - basically a door peephole on a shoe. It worked well enough. I don't do this often - but it does make it possible to shoot some specialty lenses on the Leica from time to time, rather than bringing an additional SLR.

I really want the Nikkor 7.5mm circular fisheye as it's much smaller but I haven't found one at a price I could stomach, yet. The penalty is speed though.

Here's one from my 8mm, shot with a Bessa L. The whole thing kinda fit in my large pocket...

 

[raid]

I have a Pentax 17/4 fisheye. I have used it maybe once so far.

 

[Rob-F]

I really think a fisheye belongs on an SLR or DSLR so you can see what you are doing! Rangefinders do have their limitations.

 

[Out to Lunch]

The closest I got was with a CV 4.5/15 Super-Wide-Heliar III with very nice results.

 

[niblue]

I really think a fisheye belongs on an SLR or DSLR so you can see what you are doing! Rangefinders do have their limitations.

I'd tend to agree. I have a 10-17mm fisheye zoom for my Pentax SLR system and it's very useful to be able to see exactly what the lens is going to capture.

 

[Arbitrarium]

Not on a rangefinder, but I made a fisheye lens out of some bits of lenses I had lying about. Front element is a middle element from... something... concave on both sides. Rear element is the front element from a half frame camera. Mashed onto a cheap plastic trash cam. Still tweaking the focus.

 

[narsuitus]

I have used my 16mm f/2.8 Nikon fisheye on my 35mm Nikon film cameras, my Nikon digital cameras, my Fuji mirrorless cameras, and my Leica M6.

There are times when I really need the distortion and/or the coverage of the fisheye lens.

It is a lens that I rarely use (about once every three years) but when I need it, it is indispensable.

I personally prefer the rectangular fisheye lenses verses the circular fisheye lenses.


Fisheye by Narsuitus, on Flickr


16mm Lenses by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[raid]

The Fuji lens has it wrong! The earth is not flat 🙂
Nikon got it right!