Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this lens as I was walking out to Africa for a month and a half safari.I didn't own a true wide angle lens and I had just spent most of my budget on a 70-200mm USM "L" lens and a 1.4x extension.
I wanted to get the widest lens I could get but I didn't have the big bucks to get the 16-35L or the 14mm L so I got this lens figuring I could correct in Photoshop CS2 later.
This is what I found:
1) I have a 20D and it doesn't barrel distort anywhere near as bad as I had thought it would....I imagine it distorts quite a bit more on a 5D or other full frame sensor but on the 20D, 10D, 30D, or Rebel it is not that bad.
2) It does distort enough even on the 20D that its noticable on every single inside shot and on many panoramic shots....to the experienced professional, you'd notice it even in panoramas.
3) For the computer person:I find it very easy to correct the barrel distortion in Photoshop CS2 very easily....I use a plugin (there are several on the web)
4) I tend to like the barrel distortion look on some of my pictures.Pros
1) Image Quality is superb.For not being an L lens, this lens has some amazing color, sharpness, and saturation.They spared very little in grinding this lens.Some of my best African pictures, daytime and nightime were taken with this lens and they were fabulous.
2) Build pretty well, metal mount, metal integrated hood...but not up to L standards by any means....to its credit, it survived 14 days by vibration ridden truck treking across the Kalahari desert with all its dust, mokoro canoeing in the okavango delta for over a week, hiking, elephant riding, and the five diamond resort at victoria falls (the last one was easy for the fisheye)...
3) It is a Fisheye lens and if used properly, it can create some amazing pictures and views...for example In Botswana in the Okavango, I knelt down next to a Gigantic Baobab tree and pointed it up towards the sky, The fisheye captured not only Rex the guide standing next to the tree but the entire massive trunk of the Baobab AND ALL of the canopy of the tree way above.Everything!I know of few lenses that would let me do that.It was an amazing shot only possible with a Fisheye.
4) It focuses to about 12inches.
5) f/2.8 makes it very good in low light situation.
6) The integrated hood comes complete with a nice metal cover.
Cons
1) Its not built like an L:
a) no USM motor so you can hear the whir as it tries to focus
b) no moisture seals etc
c) It does have a metal mount
2) It is a fisheye lens -- I found out after a month and a half what this meant....it doesn't stay on my camera much.I take it out when I need a certain effect or when I plan to retouch in Photoshop.It distorts visibly on a 20D and I imagine quite a bit more on a full frame.
3) Integrated Hood...can't put screw on filters...but it does have a gel filter holder.
4) No bag.
My veredict:
1) I've purchased a 16-35mm Canon "L" and that lens stays in camera most of the time when I want wide-angle but when I need a special look or I really want to capture everything, I bring out my 15mm Fisheye.I won't sell it, I don't regret buying it.I learned what a specialty Fisheye lens is and its staying in my arsenal for those special shots.
2) I can't compare against non-canon lenses but I can say that Canon quality here is extraordinary.I would knock them on the construction but the lens is built well enough and the "glass" itself is spectacular so 5 stars.
3) I ordered from Amazon 3 days before my trip --- it arrived the next day.Great Service.Thx Amazon.
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Product Description:
Love the fisheye effect? Turn to the Canon EF 15mm fisheye lens, which offers an ultra-wide 180-degree angle of view for capturing scenes well beyond your natural field of vision. As with all fisheye lenses, the 15mm provides a ton of unique and interesting effects, with a minimum focusing distance of 8 inches giving new meaning to close-up shots. Best of all, the lens is tack-sharp throughout its entire focus range. The lens--which includes a fixed petal-type hood and a built-in rear filter holder that holds up to three gel filters at once--carries a one-year warranty.
Focal length: 15mm fisheye
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups
Diagonal angle of view: 180 degrees
Focus adjustment: Overall linear extension system with AFD
Closest focusing distance: 0.7 feet
Filter size: Rear gel holder (accepts up to 3 precut gel filters)
Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter, 2.4 inches long
Weight: 11.6 ounces
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