LENS-DB.COM

Abbreviations

Model history (3)

Specification

Source of data

• Manufacturer's technical data.

Manufacturer description #1

This circular fisheye captures, on film, a 180 degree view in a 22mm circle. On the one hand, this lens lets you use image distortion for creative effects. On the other hand, it is useful for technical applications, such as solid-angle measurement. This lens has an insertion-type gelatin filter holder at the rear, allowing the use of gelatin filter.

Manufacturer description #2

This unique lens is used to produce circular images with an angle of view of 180 degrees and also incorporates an auto focus system to get accurate focusing that might be difficult through the finder due to its extremely large depth of field.

This lens can be used for the scientific applications such as the solid angle measurements of cloud distribution over the sky, and vegetation distribution of forests, due to the quantifiable angle/area relationship it produces.

Also supplied with the lens is a fitted padded case and a gelatin filter holder at the rear, allowing the use of gelatin filters.

Typical characteristics of fisheye lenses

• Extreme angle of view (at least 180° diagonally);
• Circular types (the image circle of the lens is inscribed in the image frame) or diagonal types (cover the entire image frame);
• Usually of equidistant projection type, with the distance from the picture center to any given point always proportional to the angle from the optical axis to that point;
• Huge barrel distortion;
• Short closest focusing distance (0.20 - 0.30m with 35mm full-frame prime lenses);
• Very large depth of field, eliminating the need for autofocus or precise manual focusing;
• Due to the extreme angle of view and convex front element, front filters cannot be used;
• Often equipped with a filter turret with swivel-mounted filters;
• Often come with a small, built-in petal-shaped lens hood.

From the editor

Introduced at PMA 1999.

Notes

• The autofocus will not be available with Nikon D40, D40X, D60, D3000-D3500, D5000-D5600 digital SLR cameras.
• Sigma had to reverse engineer the communication protocol of the Canon EF mount to produce a version of this lens for Canon EOS 35mm film SLR cameras. As a consequence, this lens may not work properly with Canon EOS cameras (both film and digital) due to compatibility issues.

Lenses with similar focal length