Image source: Photorumors
Samyang announced the development of a new 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye lens for m43 during the Focus on Imaging Show (via ePhotozine): “The Micro Four Thirds System has been developing extremely dynamically lately, which was proved by the growing interest in lenses constructed based on this system. To embrace true needs of photographers, Samyang Optics company, using a wealth of it’s experience in production of the high quality concept version of the fish-eye lens with 7.5mm focus is one of the most impressive outcomes of the works carried out. This ultra-wide-angle lens may become the most compact and optically perfect Micro Four Thirds System lens providing 180 degrees field of vision.”
Hmmm, I am not a fisheye fan but at least we will have a much cheaper alternative of the currently (overpriced?) [shoplink 14820]Panasonic 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye[/shoplink] lens. Click here to check the price of that lens: [shopcountry 14820]
Message to Samyang. Make some decent compact and fast primes and I bet you will sell tons of them!
P.S.: Samyang just released the 35mm f/1.4 for Four Thirds. All Samyang lenses for Olympus can be found on eBay only and under seven different brand names (Click on it to see all Four Thirds lenses from the specific brand!):
[shoplink 20647 ebay]Samyang [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20684 ebay]Walimex [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20649 ebay]Rokinon [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20650 ebay]Opteka [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20651 ebay]Falcon [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20653 ebay]Vivitar [/shoplink]
[shoplink 20652 ebay]Bower [/shoplink]
40 Responses
Is it safe to assume that all of these lenses will be manual focus only?
It’s a fisheye. Try to throw anything out of focus…
The Panasonic 8mm fisheye can focus down to 0.1m. This corresponds to a distance from the front lens element of about 1 inch. At this focus distance, quite a lot is out of focus. Take a look here for an illustration:
http://m43photo.blogspot.com/2010/11/using-8mm-fisheye-lens-as-macro-lens.html
I sometimes use Samyang’s 4/3 version. You have to stop down to f/8 to get something useful, which still needs plenty of sharpening. look here:
http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forums/1_150254743.jpg
Hope the m4/3 version is superior, although I doubt it.
Interestingly, Samyang also announced (last week) that they will redesign one of their lenses for NEX. Happy to see they will also design lenses specifically for m4/3. The 35mm f/1.4 for 4/3 would be a nice candidate to redesign in a smaller and lighter package
I would imagine that any fish eye has problems with light path at wide open settings. A lot of light traveling sideways through the lens and traveling sideways through the aperture is bound to cause issues.
Does anyone have a photo of a wide open fisheye that is not a bit soft?
Your photo seems ok with color cast.
I’m only waiting their fullframe 14 mm on a shift/tilt mount for m4/3…
Another fisheye….yawn…
+1
+1
I wish someday they will produce compact body, fast prime that cover MFT sensor
such as
12mm f2
16mm f1.4
25mm f1.2
50mm f1.4
Doh! I’ve just buyed the 4/3 version + m4/3-4/3 ring….heavy, big and only 140°
What is the point of releasing specialty/novelty lenses like a fisheye?
How many here have…
used a fisheye?
own a fisheye?
want a fisheye?
even care about a fisheye lens?
I used to have a fisheye for my film SLR. I used it like mad for about a week, and then it sat in the drawer. Its perspective is too extreme to ever be anything more than a novelty. As for using it for video, I can watch a fisheye video for about one minute before I get nauseous.
I had (still have) the 8mm Peleng fisheye. It can be used in landscape shots, and when creating ‘surround’ equirectangular photos.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/equirectangular/
They’re interesting for photographing meteor showers. And Bootstrap Bill has done some good work with one.
a fisheye lens is good for a “fish eye” perspective, ie under water.
Underwater shots lose a lot of color with depth and light path. Best color shots are closeup. the closer the better. The wide depth of field and wide angle are perfect with a fisheye lens.
Also, underwater objects appear less distorted since there are usually no straight lines to reference to.
Thanks Snowflake for actually identifying a truly useful fisheye application.
Fisheye is for nature, nature and NATURE, can also use for fun.
Thanks for the compliment RW
There are a number of others who also pointed out some useful applications of a fisheye.
Jon’s equirectangular composition example is cool.
§ http://www.flickr.com/groups/equirectangular/
m4/3photo’s use as a macro is true (which is why it works well as an underwater lens)
http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forums/1_150254743.jpg
sneye’s photo illustrates the wide distorted look that can add a sense that something is amiss, or simply allows one to crams a lot in one photo. http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forums/1_150254743.jpg
And there were the comments that unique nature shots can be made by Inge-m
did you ever use a fisheye?
I agree
Who wants a fisheye lens.
never seen anyone with one, dont know anybody who has one.
How about a 120mm f4 macro, something useful,
or a 10mm f2 wide angle NON fisheye
Exactly who cares about our choice of fisheye from, pany, oly, and now samyang.
Not me.
Oh yeah, another fisheye lens!
Exactly what we need!
Let’s face it, there are enough decent primes and portrait lenses out there already, the world needs fisheyes!
Having had interchangable lens cameras for about 30 years, I’ve not once had the thought that “I could do with a fisheye lens here”.
I would think a lower cost macro lens (e.g about half the price of the 45mm Panasonic lens) at about 60-75mm would have more sales potential. It could be made with APS-C image circle, compatible with NX, NEX and micro 4/3.
I use film macros instead. MF is better for macro anyway,
I really hope that Oly is going to introduce one more, soon.
Grrrr…!
Do they have marketing department?
I appreciate Samyang’s actualization ability much more than SLRmagic.
You may not love every type of lens she makes but at least Samyang makes it
real. SLRmagic just keeps sourcing the lens MIC and over value it.
She is just too smart to hunger the users by announcing the plan with unknown
deal date. Till now, I still see nothing about the so called 12mm f/1.2 but we see 7.5mm fisheye lens here. Well done Samyang, you demonstrate action is much more valuable than talking.
I own a fisheye, I got the Peleng 8mm f3.5 with T-mount. Its smallish and produces full circle on full frame or about 170 degree on 4/3rds. It will be the last and only fisheye I ever buy. It really is a great lens and I got it under $200.
What specialty lens that would be great would be a 12mm f4 Tilt shift. This would sell more than the fisheye! Any small compact lens with fast F-stop, people may just buy the Panasonic version when comes out. So I do think specialty lenses are better for this company.
Thats only the third fisheye coming for µFT you can never have enough native fisheye lenses. Who needs a portrait prime if you can buy 3 fisheye lenses :D.
Three? I thought only Panasonic had a fisheye for native m4/3 at the moment? The only Zuiko fisheye is for classic 4/3rds…
More Fisheyes? #facepalm
What they need to do is take that 35mm 1.4 and chop it down to 1 quarter of its size and give it a m43 mount. I would even accept a reduction to 1.8 Or an extension to 40mm.
Fisheye lenses are cheap and easier to make. Hence the abundance of choices. Distortion is a feature in these lenses.
If designing and manufacturing high quality lenses in large quatities was as easy as some make it seem, then every ma and pa would sell cheap mediocre lenses on ebay!
Oh wait, they already do….
and now 3d fisheye…
!!! The Panasonic fish is way over priced! It is too bad that Samyang has no AF (in any of there lens) but i would consider getting this lens along with the 20mm
The Panasonic lens is expensive but very sharp from f 3.5! sharper then the Olympus fisheye.
I use it for panoramas..
I think Samyang should put out some lenses for real, and not announce them. I am still waiting for the lenses that were announced more than a year ago….
Seems pretty interesting to me. I like fisheye but don’t use them enough to justify the price of the Panasonic. A cheap, small, manual focus version will do the trick for me, even if the IQ isn’t as good 🙂
Here’s hoping it’s sharper than the previous version. My rokinon 8mm is fun to use, but has to be stopped down to f8-f11 for sharpness.
Folks, don’t be so negative: look at this announcement beyond the lens itself. Samyang is the second third-party manufacturer after Cosina that has shown a micro thirds lens made specifically for the system, not adapted full frame, APS-C or c-mount lens. It seems that Sigma will go that way as well and that lens manufacturers have realized there is no sense in making adapted FF and APS-C lenses for these small bodies. So, apart from the not so useful but small and cheap MF fisheye, this is very good news.
Wow this was a nice surprize!
Given Samyang’s keen pricing and generally good optics I’ll certainly be getting one of these.
It’s one kind of lens that really doesn’t need AF and perhaps it’ll show Panasonic a lesson in pricing?