The World’s Best Fisheye Lenses
Due to the extreme amount of distortion it creates, fisheye photography may not be a commonly preferred photography style for many professional photographers.
Simply put, not everyone enjoys taking pictures from an incredibly wide angle, even though finding the best fisheye lens can be very helpful for certain types of photography that call for you to capture even more of a scene than normal wide-angle lenses could ever manage.
However, using a fisheye lens opens up a world of possibilities if you’re a beginner looking to create one-of-a-kind, distinctive perspective photography or a seasoned photographer hoping to broaden your horizons (pun intended).
Our Favorite Fisheye Lens’
- Classic Canon – Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM
- Best Alternative – Samyang 12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye
- Great Value – Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye
- Ultrawide Lens – Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye
- Honorable Mention – Meike 8mm f/3.5
What matters most when choosing the best Canon fisheye lens is your photographic objectives. You have a variety of choices, including fisheye lenses made by independent producers that will work with your Canon camera.
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM
First off, the 8-15mm f/4 lens is the preferred first-party Canon fisheye lens. One of the best lenses available, it belongs to Canon’s L-series, a sign of its superior optical quality. Additionally, it is the only autofocus fisheye lens on this list.
Although you can use this full-frame lens with both Canon EF and EF-S cameras, the fisheye effect will be lessened if you use a crop-sensor camera.
As a zoom lens, you have more compositional freedom with this one because you can change the focal length as you shoot.
The 8-15mm f/4 is a fantastic option if you like to keep things flexible because many fisheye lenses are primes and limit your compositions somewhat.
Features
- Full Frame Cameras Optimized
- 8-15mm Ultra Wide-Angle Focal Range
- Viewing Angle of 180°
- F/4 to F/22 Aperture Range
- Auto Focus Activated
- 6.2″ is the minimum focusing distance.
- 11 Groups with 14 Elements
- 540g in weight (19.047oz)
Pros
- A distinct fish-eye zooming design
- Full-circle rendering at a wide angle
- Compatibility with full-frame
- L-series construction
Cons
- For the full circular effect, the hood must be removed.
- Expensive
Samyang 12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye
The Samyang 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens is a well-liked and reasonably priced third-party brand that works with Canon DSLR cameras (or mirrorless if using a converter).
The Samyang 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens is a well-liked and reasonably priced third-party brand that works with Canon DSLR cameras (or mirrorless if using a converter).
Since this lens is entirely manual, autofocus is not available. When determining if this is the best option for you, this must be taken into account.
It is not appropriate for your needs, in particular, if you are an underwater photographer and your camera housing does not allow you to control the focus ring of the lens.
On both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras, this is a diagonal fisheye lens.
Features
- Fully Full Frame Cameras Optimized
- 12mm Fixed Focal Length
- Viewing Angle of 180°
- F/2.8 to F/22 Aperture Range
- Automatic focusing
- 7.9″ is the minimum focusing distance
- 8 Groups with 12 Elements
Pros
- Complete frame coverage
- Broad aperture
- Compact
- Extremely broad field of view
- Ability to focus closely
- Works with a variety of camera systems
Cons
- Not everyone prefers the fish-eye effect
- Only manually focused
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye
Both Canon cameras with crop sensors and those with full frames can use this lens.
The Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 will create a circular effect with the dark surroundings on a full-frame camera. It will give a 167-degree view and fill the entire frame on a cropped sensor.
Since the lens hood can be removed, it’s a good option for underwater photographers who use a housing.
Once more, this lens can only be focused manually.
Features
- Fully Full Frame Cameras Optimized
- Aperture range of f/3.5 to f/22 Fixed Ultra Wide-Angle Focal Length of 8mm 167-Degree Angle of View
- Enable Manual Focusing
- 12′′ is the minimum focusing distance.
- 7 Groups with 10 Elements
- 428.08g in weight (15.1oz)
Pros
- Extremely wide viewing angles
- Excellent construction
- Reasonable selling price
Cons
- Potential for ghosting
- Most of the time, the camera only controls the aperture
Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye
This Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Canon fisheye lens will deliver a frame-filling image on both full-frame and crop sensor cameras, just like the Samyang.
Although it only has manual focus, the 180-degree field of view produces pleasing images without a black border.
Features
- Fully optimized for full-frame cameras
- Fixed 12-mm ultra-wide angle focal length,
- Fixed ultra-wide-angle focal length of 12mm 180-degree field of view Aperture range of f/2.8 to f/22 Manual Focusing Capable
- Minimum Focusing Distance of 7.9″
- 12 Elements in 8 Groups>
- Minimum Focusing Distance of 7.9″
- Weighs 515.11g (18.17oz)
Pros
- ​​Dependable aluminum barrel
- Removable hood
- Good ghosting and flare resistance
Cons
- Electronics are only present in the Nikon version
- Not weatherproof
Meike 8mm f/3.5
For photographers on a tight budget, purchasing third-party lenses is a great way to grow their lens library. The best fisheye lens is ultimately the one you can afford. Meike offers an 8mm f/3.5 lens that is well-built and has a multilayer nano-coating to help you prevent flare or fuzzy light, which is a common issue with many ultra-wide-angle lenses.
The Meike 8mm lacks image stabilization and autofocus, like many other low-cost lenses from independent producers. That’s a small sacrifice, though, given the price.
Features
- 8mm Fixed Focal Length
- EF-M mount for Canon
- F/3.5 to F/22 Aperture Range
- Enable Manual Focusing
- 569g in weight (1.2lbs)
- APS-C Format Cameras Optimized
Pros
- Includes a metal mount
- Focus motor
- Contains a lens hood
Cons
- Lacks image stabilization and autofocus
FAQs
What is the difference between a wide-angle and a fisheye lens?
An expansive scene can be included in the frame when using a wide-angle lens. Due to the short focal length, a substantial portion of your surroundings can be captured in a single image.
By including even more of the scene in one shot using a fisheye lens, this is taken a step further. This compromise results in distortion, which causes the edges to pull inward in accordance with the glass’s curvature.
For instance, you can anticipate straight horizon lines to be curved when using a Canon fisheye lens. A flat horizon will produce an effect that resembles the curvature of the Earth if you are shooting.
Diagonal vs. Circular Fisheye?
Before we discuss lens options, it’s crucial to clarify the terminology used to describe the end result.
An image that completely fills the frame is known as a full-frame fisheye or a diagonal fisheye effect. In other words, the final image is completely black. Usually, fisheye lenses of this kind are the most in demand.
A diagonal (or full-frame) fisheye lens creates the effect.
But a circular fisheye is so wide that it fills the frame with a complete circle. The scene is curved into a “ball,” and the surroundings are completely black.
Circular or Full-Frame Fisheye lenses?
You’ll see that fisheye lenses are available in two shapes: full frame and circular. These formats show us how our images will appear when we shoot with a fisheye lens.
A black border will surround a circular image in the center of your frame if you are using a circular fisheye lens. Full-frame fisheye lenses, like regular lenses, fill your entire frame. A diagonal fisheye effect is another name for the full frame effect.
According to their design, these two fisheye formats can be circular or full frames. Any lens used for photography gives the camera sensor a field of view.
The light enters the lens in a circular fashion even though we typically think of pictures as rectangles. As a result, the camera is projected with a circular covering power. The sensor, however, is rectangular. So a rectangle is what you always see. A circular fisheye effect results when the lens’s covering power is less than the size of the sensor.
When Is a Fisheye Lens Appropriate?
When used correctly, the fisheye effect is compelling, but not all photographs are best captured with fisheye lenses. Fisheye photography is most frequently seen in the categories of architecture, landscape, and nature. They are occasionally used by fashion and portrait photographers as well.
Photography of buildings
Make sure you have a specific goal in mind before choosing to use a fisheye lens rather than another kind of ultra-wide-angle lens. For instance, architecture makes an interesting subject for fisheye photos because fisheye lenses transform straight lines into curves. Architecture photos taken with a fisheye lens often have an interesting perspective because we aren’t used to seeing large, sturdy buildings with that kind of perspective distortion.
Aquatic Photography
These lenses are useful for underwater photography because of the fisheye effect’s characteristics. The subject lends itself perfectly to perspective distortion and style. An additional fisheye effect makes it simpler to capture an entire reef or school of colorful fish.
Know Your Environment
Although using a fisheye lens can be entertaining, some photographic subjects might find the results to be somewhat pointless. A fisheye lens would be a great choice for capturing a large bridal party acting silly or showing off on the dance floor, for instance, if you were photographing a wedding. However, fisheye photographs of the bride and groom’s first kiss won’t be as effective because the distortion creates a funhouse effect that changes the mood.
Investing in a fisheye lens is a great idea if you’re looking for a new lens to add to your collection or to help you create unique or unusual images. Just remember not to use an ultra-wide-angle lens to replace your 20mm or 50mm real estate or portrait lenses.
Final Thoughts
A fisheye lens is not always the most frequently used lens in a camera bag. As a result, some of the less expensive options might be preferable and enable you to test out a novel style first.
When considering the best fisheye lenses, there are a few choices. Before purchasing, think about your budget and camera format. The best all-around full-frame cameras are the top two choices. This is due to the ability to switch between a circular and a full-frame fisheye.
The fisheye effect is useful in a variety of circumstances. But it also falls short when used as a lens for commercial photography. It cannot accurately capture a situation, that commercial jobs frequently require. So think carefully before you buy about the type of photos you plan to take. Don’t wait to buy a fisheye if you plan on taking photos of skateboarding.
The Canon 8-15mm fisheye “takes the bait” overall. It has incredible optical features and quality. If you are a Canon photographer on a tight budget, pick this lens. If you are a Nikon photographer, the Nikon 8-15mm fisheye lens is just as good.