Fisheye Lens... yay or nay

Laquer Head

Laquer Head

Well-Known Member
I have been contemplating adding the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM Fisheye Lens to my kit and I'm on the fence about it.

It's not a money issue but rather my indecisive nature fighting with my desire to branch out into a completely different style of photography.

So, I'm just looking for opinions--not on the lens itself--I already have used it several times, I know its a great piece...but rather on what people think of fisheye work and if its worth starting some extensive work with it.

Canon EF 8-15mm review

Thanks.
 
Well it is an L series lens, so you know the resale will be good.
If money isn't an issue I would say pick one up used, then give it a good test run. If you don't end up liking it then resell it for around the same price.

Sounds like a style you're interested so no harm in giving it a shot.
 
If you've got the money why not?
I've seen some guys do great shots with them for portraits and such.

As far as lenses go, it would be the last lens I would buy, cause it is probably the lens I would use the least.
 
Until it's not the Kit lens.. I'd recommend it :P
But if you're doing some kind of extreme sports shots, then fish-eye objective would be the best buy for you.
 
I like some fisheye, i have taken some with my gopro and they turn out pretty cool looking, i know the gopro is only like 5mp but still..

duke.jpg

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Fisheyes are nay for me as well, I prefer ultra-wide angle lenses without the fisheye effect. Fisheye lenses have much fewer real uses.
 
Perkomate said:
go fisheye if you do lots of sport photography
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Care to explain how a fisheye would help with sports? Typically for any outdoor sports you need a lens that will reach at least 200mm, preferably 300-400mm. Even indoor sports you need 100-200mm at a minimum. I fail to see how an 8mm fisheye would be useful for sports.
 
I see people use fisheye in extreme sports like BMX, Inline, Skateboarding, etc etc... where they shoot wide from a low angle. But for that alone isn't enough to justify purchasing one where a regular UWA lens would suffice.
 
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jnskyliner34 said:
I see people use fisheye in extreme sports like BMX, Inline, Skateboarding, etc etc... where they shoot wide from a low angle. But for that alone isn't enough to justify purchasing one where a regular UWA lens would suffice.
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I wasn't thinking about those, you are correct. At those types of events fisheye lenses create unique photos that most people can't capture. I was thinking sports as in baseball, basketball, soccer, football, swimming, track, etc - which you would have very little to no use for a fisheye.

Jimmybeam said:
You'll run out of uses for it eventually. Just get a regular WA lens..
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My thoughts exactly.
 
The ony time that I have seen a fisheye work in sports are in the extreme sports.
brashsittingbournefuf.jpg


I would probably get one but This is what I would be mainly taking photos of. I'm not really sure what else would look good with one. I would think that most other photos would loot too distorted.

Looks like I got beat by a few posts :P
 
fisheye for sport isn't for the zoom or anything like that. if you take photos of close-up things like skiing, snowboarding, skating or anything like that having a fisheye is awesome.
 
Perkomate said:
fisheye for sport isn't for the zoom or anything like that. if you take photos of close-up things like skiing, snowboarding, skating or anything like that having a fisheye is awesome.
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Yeah, the extreme sports. When I hear sports I tend to think of the traditional sports like baseball, soccer, football, basketball, etc.
 
WRXGuy1 said:
Yeah, the extreme sports. When I hear sports I tend to think of the traditional sports like baseball, soccer, football, basketball, etc.
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it would look a little wierd shooting with a fisheye at a baseball game from the top of the stadium
 
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