Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye lens review. You need this lens!

[@butch4111]

Thank You! I've been thinking about this lens. Now I gotta have it.

[@tfennerc]

Thanks for the review. I have had the full frame version on my wishlist for quite a while. It looks like a really fun lens.

[@BillEricPhotography]

+Tara Knapp it is. It's one of those lenses that really let you get creative and try to make some really fun and different images! Glad you like the video!

[@Acmadh21]

I just ordered a Olympus M Zuiko 8mm f1.8 fisheye lens for my next Disney trip I’m even more excited after watching this video again.

[@BillEricPhotography]

That's awesome! Remember don't worry about focus everything will be in focus with a fisheye. Have fun with it!

[@rcpmac]

Great review and great philosophy around NEEDED (unneeded) equipment.

[@BillEricPhotography]

Thanks!

[@petercruz1993]

Your photos are phantasmic

[@BillEricPhotography]

👍

[@LaPulgaM]

I just bought on FB Marketplace a box with some random lenses, one of them was this exact lens with an adapter to e-mount which is exactly the type of camera I have... think is I just saw "$150 for all of it.." on the ad and this Rokinon was the thing that caught my eye, I didn't even asked if anything he was selling worked.. lol I was like I'll take it all. I got 4 lenses total, plus a lensbaby composer and an older flash. What I also got, was three sony FW50 batteries! (I'm sure some of you know, bunch of Sony alpha use the same battery!) I almost forgot, a LaCie Rugged HD, I don't know how many gbs yet.

[@BillEricPhotography]

that’s some box!

[@nicholasbarese6434]

I just picked up my 1st fisheye, Sigma 15mm 2.8. Hope to get it some use soon

[@BillEricPhotography]

Nicholas Barese you are going to love using it fisheye. They go against everything that we try to do usually as far as Distortion and straightening things out. But the images are so much fun to look at!

[@miamiSincar]

wow great picture

[@BillEricPhotography]

Thanks

[@paulhenkelman1651]

Good review!! Thanks for info as I'm considering a wide angle for my D750.

[@BillEricPhotography]

Happy to help!

[@davidk6264]

I bought my fisheye lens to stitch together 360 photos. Later I came to appreciate the pictures the lens made taking single shots, especially in urban areas. Beware the photography police saying 8mm looks dizzying, the distortion must be corrected, and lines must be straight. I have had a couple of comments like this. A lot of youtube videos teach how to 'fix' fisheye lens pictures.

[@BillEricPhotography]

I think the distortion is the point! Why else would you get one? Without it it's just another wide angle lens....that's no fun!

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

I'm considering buying the Nikon version of this lens and using an adapter to fit it to a Panasonic m43 camera. I believe this converts it to an effective 16mm lens, and I believe the distortion will be less due to not using the whole lens, but that's OK for my use case. Can you think of any deal breakers I might have missed, or do you think this is a reasonable option? This setup is about 20% the costs of going native m43's on the lens.

[@BillEricPhotography]

I'm not really sure if it's going to give you a true 16 mm type of look or you're still going to get some of the distortion. I guess if you're okay with that it could work. For me the beauty of this lens is the distortion. If you're looking for 16 mm to shoot landscapes why not just get an inexpensive wide-angle lens?

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

@@BillEricPhotography The "inexpensive wide angle lens" is about 5x more expensive, and the minimal distortion from this setup wouldn't be a big deal (more functional use than artistic use). I'm still hesitant to do it until I find someone else who has and can confirm there are no "trap doors" with the setup (including the Fotasy NG adapter). Thanks for your input.

[@TheGoodContent37]

All your photos look fantastic! About the difference in distortion between the 8mm on a crop sensor and the 12mm on a full frame, why do you say the 8mm is more distorted? I have seen several images of people comparing those two lenses from the exact same spot on a tripod and both lenses create the exact same image and distortion. Is there something I'm missing? I'm actually looking to buy one of those lenses but your comment on the 8mm being more distorted has made me spiral to infinity researching everywhere if that was true xP

[@BillEricPhotography]

I don't mean to confuse you. I have used both and just felt the 8mm was more distorted but if you've seen comparisons that say they are the same it may be true. I never directly committed them. Either way I think you will be good. They are fun lenses to have in your bag. Thanks for watching!

[@TheGoodContent37]

@@BillEricPhotography I placed a lot of weight on your opinion due to your clear talent and experience. I think I'll go with the 8mm on my full frame regardless of the loss of resolution, if needed I could just upscale with AI. It might be true that the 8mm gives more distortion. I just watched a video of another photographer I respect that claimed the fisheye look was "more sutil" on the 12mm one. And seeing some Flickr photos of the 8mm on full frames it actually seems as if the effect was stronger on the 8mm than on the 12mm. There are not too many photos of the 12mm with super distorted images.

[@BillEricPhotography]

@TheGoodContent37 I've had that lens for a long time and it's never disappointed me. And unless you're really blowing it up huge I don't know that you need all of that resolution. Plus you'll save a few dollars.

[@Cappa7donnA]

thank you sir for sharing :) Great information and on subject

[@BillEricPhotography]

My pleasure Denis!

[@1AFVeteran]

I wish you had mentioned what were the best settings for taking pictures with this lens. Some say set the aperture to F5 to F11 and set the focus ring to infinity and ISO to Auto. Did you find that the focus on this lens is very minimal or non-existent? Thanks for your response.

[@BillEricPhotography]

You really don’t need to pay much attention to the focus, especially at smaller apertures. And yes, stopped down to f8 or so will give you the best results.

[@mathersdavid5113]

Image quality is poor at f/3.5. Stop down to f/5.6 to f/11.

[@sniperv]

Been wanting to get a fisheye for a while now. Maybe I’ll do the Roki 12mm f/2.8. It’s pretty affordable.

[@BillEricPhotography]

The 12 mm is a nice lens but it's not as distorted as the 8mm

[@ईपिएसकोरियाकामदार]

Wish it has some cool fish eye distortions

[@BillEricPhotography]

ईपिएस कोरिया कामदार it definitely does but it depends how you angle the camera and how much off level you are.

[@JacobSever]

Would this work well for action/sports? Specifically skateboarding. Skateboarding + fisheye go hand in hand. Just wondering how it would react with fast speeds, provided the focus is pre-set and the shutter/ISO are also pre-set. Can we freeze an image with a relative sharp center?

[@BillEricPhotography]

I think so. Just keep your shutter speed around 1,000 of a second.

[@neklamp2431]

Do you know if it's compatible with the ftz adapter???

[@BillEricPhotography]

It definitely is. I have used it with it without issue.

[@SenorGancho]

Hey Bill I have a Canon 5D MkIV with the APSC Rokinon 8mm It works okay and often have to take the lens hood off. What would be the difference if I got the full frame rokinon aside from going from 8mm to 12mm? Thanks so much. Enjoyed your video but buy a toque and get out there in winter (says the Canuck from up north and take some shots :-)

[@BillEricPhotography]

I'm a warm weather guy! There would be absolutely nothing wrong with getting the full frame version. I know on my Nikon I have to set the camera into DX mode which basically makes it a crop sensor so that the 8mm works perfectly on it. I'm not sure how Canon handles crop sensor lenses on their full-frame cameras. But I've heard good things about that 8mm. I think Eric is going to be having a review of a different full-frame fisheye soon. I think it's an l artisans lens. Keep an eye out for it.

[@1adidasas]

I have this lens and love it, but want a full frame version for landscape/astro photography. Did you test out the 12 mm or the 14mm Rokinon fisheye? Also, my version of the 8mm is very sharp and almost a no-brainer to use. Was the full frame as sharp?

[@BillEricPhotography]

Sunny Moon I didn't have an extensive preview with it I put it on my camera for a little while at the photo plus Expo in New York. But the thing that I immediately noticed is that it wasn't as distorted as what I was hoping for. you might want to see if you can find a more extensive review. But I totally get wanting a full frame version for that so you could take advantage of your full sensor. Bill

[@chiphenson8882]

Watched your video and very close to getting this lens.. would u say this is a good choice for the canon 200D if I wanted to use it for filming and shooting skating. I’m guessing I can get nice and close. Good thing is I’m off to Disney land pairs in a week and would be nice to get a fish eye lens for both holiday shoots and filming skating in the future, there are so many lens types and prices and most reviews always seem to stick to saying just positive views about the lens, problem being they were probably sent the lens for free to give a positive review, but good to get a review on someone who has picked it and paid for it and is still happy with it? I’ve looked at so many budget lenses and I’m hoping iv come to the end of my search,

[@BillEricPhotography]

I would definitely recommend this lens for that camera. And you are correct, all our reviews are for gear we paid for and use, and it’s based on our own real world experience. For the price and quality, this is a great fisheye!

[@nickykwan9794]

I tend to get overexposed pictures in situation where its really well light up. Usually need to tune down via EV compensation drastically. Do you encounter that and what's your workaround solution? No doubt it shine superbly in low light environment, simply awesome. Thank you.

[@BillEricPhotography]

Hi, if you are shooting an aperture priority you can just close down your aperture a bit. Also using exposure compensation to knock it down a stop or two of light. You can also use an ND filter if you want to shoot at a wide aperture.

[@nickykwan9794]

@@BillEricPhotography Using manual often than not. Thank you for the advise. Will try pop on those filters.

[@BillEricPhotography]

If you are shooting in manual either raise your shutter speed to make the shutter close and open faster or close down your aperture those two things will make the image darker.

[@jirtydersey2799]

Question does this work with a Canon EOS 40D?

[@BillEricPhotography]

Rokinon makes a version of this lens that works with Moe's cameras. You need to know if your camera is a crop sensor or full frame and then look for the one with the Canon mount that fits your sensor size.

[@PhotographyByLenny]

Thanks. This was very helpful. I want a wide DOF with this lens. I tested it at F/11 at Infinity and everything was out of focus. I may have gone beyond infinity with my focus ring. The L marking on the focus ring at Infinity confused me. I'm going to try it again at 3 feet and report back to you.

[@BillEricPhotography]

Set your distance at around 3 ft and everything will be in focus no matter what aperture you use. There is very little depth of field with a lens this wide.

[@josiahmacdonald7507]

Awesome video. Would this work on a canon dslr camera?

[@BillEricPhotography]

Thanks! Yes they make it in a Canon mount.

[@christophermcglothlen5707]

Would you mind sharing your opinion of the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 vs the Altura 8mm f/3 lens? Price point is about equal but tech specs might pint one way or the other. Thanks in advance!

[@BillEricPhotography]

We haven’t used the Altura so can’t really give an opinion on it, but the Rokinon is a great lens and fun to use, I can’t imagine that the Altura could be noticeably better.

[@christophermcglothlen5707]

Disney Image Makers Thank you for such a quick reply! Happy shooting and keep the videos coming !

[@BillEricPhotography]

You got it Chris! Thanks for watching!

[@EyeShine4YourLife]

How does it work for a bit of video footage? I am looking to get something for a different view for both video and photo and want to invest in some sort of fish eye for a bit of playfulness in both aspects.

[@BillEricPhotography]

I wish I could tell you but I've actually never used it for video. I just ordered the same lens for my Canon M50. That camera is much better for video so I will give it a try on there when I get the lens.

[@DruGaTecH]

Check out Matt McGuire that's what he uses for his drum cover videos.

[@bwaysbways2619]

Would this work on a canon t5i ?

[@BillEricPhotography]

Yes definitely. Make sure it's for Canon.

[@PhotographyByLenny]

Thanks. I have a friend who is a wedding photographer for Disney in Orlando. Rick Ferro. Do you know him?

[@BillEricPhotography]

I actually don't. Sounds like a great gig!

[@PodmoreProductions]

sick video, thanks for the tips

[@BillEricPhotography]

Happy to help!

[@motionsick]

If shooting Sony, Clear View Zoom bypasses the need for the full frame lens.

[@BillEricPhotography]

So it basically only uses a portion of the sensor?

[@motionsick]

@@BillEricPhotography yes. it's a lossless crop on the sensor.

[@BillEricPhotography]

Sounds pretty good. My Nikon d750 just uses less of the sensor when in crop mode.

[@monkey_kang]

6:42

[@jimwlouavl]

I was thinking of the 12mm fisheye for full frame before this. Would the 8mm give a circular image on FF? Does the camera control the aperture or do you have to stop it down yourself?

[@ephraimwilliams8855]

October 2023. Bill: Hi. Are you still using this lens? All of my pictures come out out of focus. I’m using a Nikon D3300. HELP!

[@BillEricPhotography]

Hi, yes I do still use this lens. It's definitely on the older side now but it's been pretty reliable. With a lens this wide you really shouldn't have to worry about focus too much. Just set the focus ring to about 3 ft and everything past that should be sharp. Are you doing long exposures? Maybe you have some movement in the camera.

[@ephraimwilliams8855]

Thanks. No long exposures yet. Just experimenting. Going forward, I will be sure to set the focus ring to 3ft. This is a manual lens AND I’m using a D3300 AND I mostly shoot with my Z6 now! In other words, it’s a bit like having a split personality experience! 😱🤯😵‍💫. (The lens was given to me and I decided to put my D3300 to use again.)

[@BillEricPhotography]

@ephraimwilliams8855 You can definitely use it on your z6. Just put the camera in DX mode and you'll be able to use it and the image will fit the frame.

[@leonardopena4555]

hello I have a question, this lens is for the nikon d810? it work perfectly?

[@BillEricPhotography]

Yes this lens will work perfectly on the Nikon D810

[@simoncharacter01]

thanks for bearing the cold weather. hahha

[@BillEricPhotography]

Sometimes it's rough heading into the treacherous weather down in Florida! 😊

[@sarahdeclet2093]

I’ve never considered buying a fisheye, but having watched this, now I want one to have fun with!

[@BillEricPhotography]

Sarah Declet it's a fun inexpensive lens that lets you create some really interesting images. Plus it's fairly small so it doesn't take up much room in your bag. ~Bill

[@caponekingpinking9917]

I only use Nikon I bought a fisheye lens. Nikkor

[@BillEricPhotography]

They are fun lenses!

[@caponekingpinking9917]

@@BillEricPhotography how would I shoot a building or city landscape with them

[@BillEricPhotography]

Get close and don't worry about the distortion. Everything will bend in the image.

[@BillEricPhotography]

We have been promoting and singing the praises of 3rd party lenses like Sigma and Tamron here for a long time. Even using some nice Rokinon lenses! Definitely the way to go to get the most value for your money.