(Clearence) Samyang 8mm T3.8 Asph IF MC Fisheye CS VDSLR for Sony E-Mount
This 8mm fisheye lens provides a diagonal field of view of 180 degrees on a 1.5x crop APS-C DSLR, sports a fast f/3.5 maximum aperture and is available for around £260 for Canon or Nikon cameras with an APS-C size sensor. The design is specifically tailored for recording video, sporting geared focus and aperture rings for use with professional follow focus equipment.
As there is no electronic coupling between this lens and the camera, metering is performed by stopping down the aperture and focusing is performed manually. As fisheye lenses provide extensive depth of field, this shouldn't put you off, especially if the low price is taken into consideration.
Samyang 8mm T3.8 Asph IF MC Fisheye CS VDSLR Handling and features
The build quality of this 8mm fisheye lens from Samyang is very good indeed. High quality plastics have been used for much of the lens barrel and the lens mount is metal. It balances well on the Nikon D300 used for testing, although due to the unique design, stills photographers may want to consider the standard non-video optimised design of this lens. The stepless aperture is easily adjusted accidentally, which may result in wayward exposures.
Focusing and control over the aperture are both manual, as the lens has no electronic contact with the camera. Strangely the aperture ring has no click stops to provide fluid control over exposure if recording video in changing light conditions. Also it is marked in T-stops denoting the light transmission of the lens, rather than F-stops, which denote the physical size of the aperture in relation to the focal length of the lens. Although the maximum aperture is f/3.5, this translates to T/3.8, as some light is lost through the lens. If using a Nikon DSLR that supports metering with manual lenses, it is possible to input f/3.5 as the maximum aperture into the camera and any aperture adjustments will read out on the camera's display, as a Nikon AI coupling ridge is provided on the aperture ring.
Focus distances and light transmission values are marked on the left hand side of the lens, rather than the top, which should make it easier to read when mounted on a tripod or brace for recording video. The geared texture of the focus and aperture rings can be a little rough on your fingers, but they still provide a secure grip and the focusing and aperture rings are adequately damped.
Taking images of anything over two to three metres away is simple, as the lens can simply be left set on close to infinity. For closer distances it is recommended to use the electronic focus confirmation feature of your DSLR, or a dedicated focusing screen for manual focus lenses if taking still using the viewfinder. If recording video, viewing a magnified section of the frame will ensure accurate focusing.
Samyang 8mm T3.8 Asph IF MC Fisheye CS VDSLR Performance
Although the lens is marked in T-stops, for the purposes of testing F-stops have been used here. At maximum aperture, sharpness is good in the centre, but only fair towards the edges of the frame. This characteristic is typical for fisheye lenses and stopping down improves sharpness across the frame. Peak quality is achieved between f/5.6 and f/11, where sharpness in the centre approaches outstanding levels and clarity towards the edges of the frame is good.
