looking for fisheye lens for Christmas

[JeremyLangford]

I am planning on buy a fisheye lens for Christmas, and was thinking that 16mm f/2.8 would get me what I want.

it will go on my SRT-101. Any suggestions?

The only one i saw was a Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 for $180 but Im not sure they make one for a Minolta SRT-101 mount.

 

[angeloks]

You sure can mount a Zenitar on an SRT-101. I've done that before! Actually, the lens is pretty good for its price, but it isn't sharp at f2.8 at all... From f8, the lens is great. I use it on my 1V from times to times, but I'm going to get something else soon.

 

[JeremyLangford]

You sure can mount a Zenitar on an SRT-101. I've done that before! Actually, the lens is pretty good for its price, but it isn't sharp at f2.8 at all... From f8, the lens is great. I use it on my 1V from times to times, but I'm going to get something else soon.

crap. definately didnt want to hear that. Can you post an example at f/2.8 that wasnt sharp enough?

 

[angeloks]

I haven't posted any of the pics that I didn't really liked... Anyway, give me your email address, I'll send you some at full resolution. Anyway, don't get me wrong, it's a really nice lens for the price.

Here are a few pictures :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pekdeche/1888889984/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pekdeche/1888869394/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pekdeche/1887993581/

 

[ltketch]

Fisheye info

http://members.aol.com/xkaes/1628.htm

http://members.aol.com/xkaes/754.htm

 

[veraikon]

Actually, the lens is pretty good for its price, but it isn't sharp at f2.8 at all... From f8, the lens is great. I use it on my 1V from times to times, but I'm going to get something else soon.

may be the unsharpness is caused by dejustage. (Low QC in FSU)
More information and the way how to adjust the lens here:
http://www.gelbfilter.de/rdx/index.phtml?ID=37
(unfortunatelly only in German)
and please note:
"Ein Zenitar ohne den Kompensator (sogenannter UV-Filter) oder einen Farbfilter ist nicht unscharf, sondern unvollständig. Dieses Teil ist unbedingt notwendig, wenn kein Farbfilter einschraubt ist, da die Abbildung sonst nicht auf der Filmebene erfolgen kann."
(A Zenitar without Compensator (so called UV-Filtre) is not out of focus but fragmentary..)

 

[JeremyLangford]

may be the unsharpness is caused by dejustage. (Low QC in FSU)
More information and the way how to adjust the lens here:
http://www.gelbfilter.de/rdx/index.phtml?ID=37
(unfortunatelly only in German)
and please note:
"Ein Zenitar ohne den Kompensator (sogenannter UV-Filter) oder einen Farbfilter ist nicht unscharf, sondern unvollständig. Dieses Teil ist unbedingt notwendig, wenn kein Farbfilter einschraubt ist, da die Abbildung sonst nicht auf der Filmebene erfolgen kann."
(A Zenitar without Compensator (so called UV-Filtre) is not out of focus but fragmentary..)

Sorry, but could you explain to me what you mean? I'm new to fisheyes, do fisheyes have to have UV or color filters?

 

[David Murphy]

Why not a Voigtlander Heliar 15mm in LTM? -- blows away all the common fisheyes in terms of performance, except it's a tad slower. New it cost about the same or less than used manual focus Nikon, Minolta, or Canon fisheyes. It can be used effecively on a cheap LTM body like a Bessa L or a Canon IIIA since it comes with a finder. Cameraquest has a Nikon F version of it too, but pricey at $500 (and probably worth it!)

Otherwise Minolta 16mm fisheyes for MD sell for about $200-$400 used. I think the next alternative are Sigma fisheyes, perhaps a bit cheaper, but probably very good. The Zenitar always struck me as having hideous distortion -- that's probably why it's cheap

 

[Nokton48]

I have a 16mm f2.8 MC Rokkor, I recall I paid around $275 for it. Great lens, perfectly matched to the SRT101. It's sharp wide open.

 

[KoNickon]

Gee, there was a guy offering the Rokkor 16/2.8 at nelsonfoto a week or two ago -- you might want to go over there and see if he's still got it (he was going to sell it back to KEH).

 

[Stu W]

I have the Zenitar in Pentax mount. I think mine is great. If you compose carefully it works as a super wide angle, but at the same time it's fun to take pics of your dog with his nose looking real big. Not practical to use on a rangefinder. Stu

 

[JeremyLangford]

I have the Zenitar in Pentax mount. I think mine is great. If you compose carefully it works as a super wide angle, but at the same time it's fun to take pics of your dog with his nose looking real big. Not practical to use on a rangefinder. Stu

How unsharp is it at 2.8?

 

[JeremyLangford]

Im new to fisheyes. Are filters made into all fisheyes? Are they only used when shooting B&W?

 

[JeremyLangford]

may be the unsharpness is caused by dejustage. (Low QC in FSU)

(A Zenitar without Compensator (so called UV-Filtre) is not out of focus but fragmentary..)

Could you explain to me what you mean by this?

 

[Stu W]

Sorry, but could you explain to me what you mean? I'm new to fisheyes, do fisheyes have to have UV or color filters?

Jeremy, the Zenitar uses rear mounted filters-which are included with the lens. They say the filter is part of the optical formula but I really don't understand why.

David states the Zenitar has too much distortion? It's a fisheye. Stu

 

[JeremyLangford]

Why not a Voigtlander Heliar 15mm in LTM? -- blows away all the common fisheyes in terms of performance, except it's a tad slower. New it cost about the same or less than used manual focus Nikon, Minolta, or Canon fisheyes. It can be used effecively on a cheap LTM body like a Bessa L or a Canon IIIA since it comes with a finder. Cameraquest has a Nikon F version of it too, but pricey at $500 (and probably worth it!)

Otherwise Minolta 16mm fisheyes for MD sell for about $200-$400 used. I think the next alternative are Sigma fisheyes, perhaps a bit cheaper, but probably very good. The Zenitar always struck me as having hideous distortion -- that's probably why it's cheap

What does LTM mean?

 

[Stu W]

Leica Thread Mount. Won't do you any good. Rangefinder only. A Pentax 42mm thread mount will pretty much allow you to mount the lens on any slr with the proper adapter. Stu

 

[KoNickon]

LTM = Leica thread mount (aka M39) -- the standard screw mount originated on the screw moount Leica rangefinders and also used by the Canons, FEDs and Zorkiis, to name the three best known "Leica copies."

 

[David Murphy]

Filters have optical aberations and they can become significant in fast optical systems. The aberrations can be balanced out by compensating with other optical elements hence an optical system that couples filter elements to lens elements.

Jeremy, the Zenitar uses rear mounted filters-which are included with the lens. They say the filter is part of the optical formula but I really don't understand why.

David states the Zenitar has too much distortion? It's a fisheye. Stu

 

[David Murphy]

Jeremy, the Zenitar uses rear mounted filters-which are included with the lens. They say the filter is part of the optical formula but I really don't understand why.

David states the Zenitar has too much distortion? It's a fisheye. Stu

Yeah I know about the distortion, but in the Zenitar it strikes me as sort of a lame attempt to remove the extreme distortion of a fisheye, but not succeeding -- subjective judgement here. The Heliar 15mm nearly removes it -- remarkable accomplishment optically.