Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Pro Reviews

On a full-frame camera such as the EOS Canon 5D Mark II, the EF 8-15mm Fisheye is a wonderfully versatile lens that enables you to switch between circular and diagonal fisheye effects with a twist of the zoom ring. Image quality is very good in terms of sharpness, contrast and resistance to ghosting and flare, although colour fringing can be quite noticeable. For APS-C cameras, the lens is relatively poor value. Image quality is retained but versatility is lost. It merely becomes a diagonal fisheye lens with reduced zoom range, and the heavily distorted fisheye effect is largely lost at the long end of the zoom range on an APS-C camera.

Those looking for a fisheye lens will likely be also considering the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens. The 15 was introduced 24 years prior to the 8-15 L, and it is showing its age from a design perspective. The 15's tiny MF ring is not smooth and has play in it. The 15 has moderately noisy AF and FTM focusing is not enabled. The 15 does not focus as closely. The 15's metal cap is nice but is all-the-time falling off. The 15 is not as sharp in the periphery of the image circle, though it is overall, a sharp lens. The 15, without the modern lens coatings, shows flare more easily. The 15's advantages include the 1 stop wider aperture with images being 1/3-1/2 stop brighter than the 8-15 L's at identical exposure settings. The 15 has a vignetting advantage at f/4. The 15 is smaller and lighter. And important to all of us, the 15 is less expensive. If the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM Fisheye Lens has the focal length range and "look" you want, I highly recommend it. Its price is not cheap and cost will filter out casual buyers, but many serious photographers (both pro and amateur) should consider acquiring this lens. Too much novelty? Not enough real in-demand results? I don't think so. There is a place for the 8-15 L in many kits, but it will indeed be a low shot percentage lens for most of us. It is easy to over-kill the distorted fisheye image appearance, so use this lens as spice - to give your portfolio better taste. The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM Fisheye Lens provides you with a tool that delivers set-your-work-apart images. It will capture images not otherwise capturable.

There's no doubt the Canon EF 8-15mm Fisheye is an exciting and original lens. In one fell-swoop it does the job of four models, three of which never existed in Canon's own catalogue and one of which wasn't made by anyone at all. For the first time, owners of APS-H bodies can enjoy 180 degree diagonal coverage, while those with multiple bodies can relax in the knowledge this one lens delivers proper fisheye coverage to all of them now and in the future.

While we can't tell you quantitatively just how good the Canon 8-15mm &131;/4 L USM Fisheye lens is, we can say that it's both a versatile and fun lens to use. It's basically two fisheye lenses in one, offering full horizontal and vertical 180 degree coverage on full-frame bodies, and a more conservative horizontal 180 degree coverage on all of Canon's EOS lineup, be it full-frame, APS-H or APS-C body.

Apart from the technical and mechanical aspects it is just a pure joy to play and also work with such a lens. We'll not give it the highest marks for its optical performance. However, we still feel that a "highly recommended" rating is appropriate regarding the unique capabilities of this Canon lens.