Canon 8-15mm fisheye - anyone tried it?

From the reflection in the dome it looks like it is sunnier in the key's than in Monterey t'was nice seeing you Sir!

Hi Jean. Great to see you and the Backscatter gang in Monterey as well (sorry for belated reply ... in Indonesia at the moment).

I've been playing with 8-15mm again, and it is interesting how massive the difference in coverage is between the 15mm and 8mm end on a full frame camera. In this case, the Canon 1DsMKIII, and with both photos the lionfish about 3" from the front of the Seacam fisheye macro port (with no sunshades and PVL20).

I'm finding it a very powerful tool on the 1DMKIV too. Very nice zoom range on that one, and a nice addition to the 16-35mm II and 14mm when it is necessary to get wide with any cropped sensor Canon.

If you use this lens, 8-15, the best way is with a macro fisheye port like this one on left (with no sunshade):

The superdome can be used without sunshade, but when you get really close to a subject, particularly at 8mm, it is tough to avoid a shadow from the mass of the back of the dome, because the strobe has to be held behind the lens so as to not appear in frame.

The macro fisheye port is much easier to light and allows much nearer focus as well. I also use this port with my 50mm macro (60mm for Nikon shooters). Same PVL 20 for both lenses.

I have recently come back from Cenderwasih Bay in West Papua, Indonesia and I used the EF 8-15mm on the resident Whale Sharks and managed to get a couple of Photos using the circle end of the this lens. These can be seen in the gallery on the link below.

http://www.mattiovaska.com/gallery/7346

regards

Matti

PS I am using the Aquatica with the 8" dome port as my mini dome doesn't have an option to remove the port shade.

Canon's Digital Learning Center is now using some of my 8-15mm images in a tutorial about the lens at:

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/g...e_gallery.shtml

Plus, here's one from last week at Shark Shootout:

A new perspective to try with my 8-15mm lens, but it will require a new zoom gear from SEACAM before I can try it underwater. All with Tamron 1.4X teleconverter AF1 MC4. It was kind of windy, so ISO 1600 on 1DSMKIII to be able to stop motion, F-8.

15mm at minimum focus, pretty nice close-up capability.

11mm at minimum focus. This is as wide as I can go without vignetting. Check out bokeh ... pretty interesting for a fisheye lens. When focused on normal distance, say 2 feet away, it will look more like a conventional wide angle in terms of depth of field.

8mm, still at minimum focus, hence soft background.

Looks like a good underwater experiment one of these days soon.

If anyone's interested I've also just written a short article on this lens for the European Canon Professional Network website. Not specifically underwater, although I do talk about it (and include one over/under at a swimming pool!)- link here

Hopefully I'll get to take one on a diving trip before too long. That close focus test from Stephen looks very promising!

I shot with the lens in Tonga during my whale tours a few months ago and did a "Gear in Action" review for Canon Australia's pro site.

Gear in Action

I'll have it with me in the Coral Sea next week too so will have more to report after that, but only with a big dome as I haven't cut the petals off my mini dome yet

I shot with the lens in Tonga during my whale tours a few months ago and did a "Gear in Action" review for Canon Australia's pro site.

 

Gear in Action

 

I'll have it with me in the Coral Sea next week too so will have more to report after that, but only with a big dome as I haven't cut the petals off my mini dome yet

Great article Darren, and love those Humpie shots. It's one of my lifetime's ambitions to get out to Tonga and dive with those whales. One day.....

thanks Ferg42.

I just got back from the Coral Sea trip and had an absolute ball with the 8-15, for the first time shooting it circular at 8mm on the 5Dmkii. Very cool. Will post some images soon.

darren