Wide angle len fisheye on Canon 5D Mark II
Hey guys,
I need some suggestions;
I am wishing to purchase wide angle fisheye lens used for surfing and snowboarding shots, on my Canon 5D MKII.
I currently have the Canon 18-22mm should I purchase 10, 14 or a zoom any advice?
Cheers,
Dan
I’ve found zooms to be more useful because I’m quite a lazy photographer and don’t swap lenses all that much. You will get less chromatic aberrations and fuzziness around the corners with fixed focus which is great when you need stuff printed.
I wouldn’t be able to comment on the focal length though because I’ve never really shot with anything wider than a 18. I had a play once with my friend’s 6mm which was basically 180 degrees. It was really interesting but everything started getting a bit fuzzy at that length.
I hate swapping lenses too, the fact that you need to carry it with you out onto the slopes and beach is a nightmare.
I might go with a zoom. Thanks for your help.
I hate swapping lenses too, the fact that you need to carry it with you out onto the slopes and beach is a nightmare.
I might go with a zoom. Thanks for your help.
if you have a decent camera backpack, a small fish is hardly noticeable…
Also, if you’re using a fish, you’re only going to take fish shots and that means getting right in there. You don’t really need a zoom for that. By zoom I assume you’re talking about a tokina 10-17 or something like that. Go on flickr and take a look at shots by the various lenses you’re interested in. If they all look good then get the cheapest.
I bought a Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Lens, I mainly use my DSLR for HD video and cinematography, its cheaper and more portable than getting something like Canon XHA1.
What did you pay for the Canon lens?
I ask because by and large Canon lenses are more expensive in the fisheye category, and with the amount of abuse fisheyes take in action sports, a similar quality, lower cost option may be preferable.
That being said I highly recommend checking out Peleng’s 8mm fisheye lens. I has an infinity focus option which allows users to take comfort knowing the image will always be fairly clear. As well, its a heavy, steel build which lends a fair amount of stabilization etc during action sports filming (snowboarding, skateboarding…).
The drawbacks of this lens are that it does provide constant vignetting. Although its not bad (can be seen on my videos @ http://www.vimeo.com/turnerflow), it does give a certain look that not everyone is fond of. With the Canon fisheyes you can ‘zoom through’ this vignetting, providing for a different aesthetic which is preferred by some.
Whatever you decide, enjoy your new fisheye, it definetly opens alot of options when shooting actions sports.
cheers
Ian Turner
http://www.vimeo.com/turnerflow