2023 Buying Guide: 10 Best Canon Fisheye Lens for Photography

Fisheye lenses offer a unique and interesting way to add a new perspective to your photography. In this article, we will look at 10 of the best Canon fisheye lenses currently on the market and explain what each one has to offer so that you can find the perfect one for your needs.

Fisheye Lens vs. Wide Angle Lens

Before we start, it is worth noting that all fisheye lenses are wide angle lenses. However, not every wide angle lens is a fisheye lens.

That said, here is a quick comparison between fisheye and wide-angle lenses.

Field of View

A fisheye lens has a wider field of view than a wide angle lens. They can have a field of view of up to 180 degrees, while a wide angle lens typically has a field of view of around 90 degrees.

Focal Length

Fisheye lenses have a shorter focal length than wide angle lenses. This means that they can capture a larger area in their frame.

Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash

Image Distortion

Fisheye lenses often produce images with strong visual distortions. For example, straight lines appear curved, and images can have a circular "fisheye" appearance. This is because of the way that fisheye lenses bend the light.

On the other hand, wide-angle lenses do not exhibit these types of distortions. Straight lines appear straight when shot with a wide-angle lens.

Perspective

As a result of image distortion, fisheye lenses have a different perspective than wide angle lenses.

Fisheye lenses have an exaggerated or "wobbly", very curvilinear perspective (when shot wide open), whereas wide angle lenses have a relatively rectilinear perspective.

Photo by Carter Moorse on Unsplash

Cost

Fisheye lenses can be more expensive than wide angle lenses. This is because they are often specialty lenses that are not as widely used.

Benefits of Fisheye Lens

1. Their wider field of view allows you to capture a larger area in your frame.
2. Fisheye lenses often produce images with distortion which you can use to create special effects.
3. Fisheye lenses can offer an expressive, unconventional perspective that is not always possible with other wide angle lenses.
4. Fisheye lenses are great for taking action shots in sports like cycling and skateboarding because you can get very close to your subject without sacrificing context.

Now that we have a better understanding of the difference between fisheye and wide angle lenses and their benefits, let's look at 10 of the best Canon fisheye lenses currently on the market.

10 Best Canon Fisheye Camera Lens to Buy In 2023

1. Canon Ef 8-15MM F/4L Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com

This 15mm wide angle lens allows you to capture a lot of what you see when you look directly in front of you. One of the things that makes this fisheye lens stand out from others on our list is its amazing image stabilization, which means that your photos will come out very clear and stable.

Specifications

• Focal length: 8–15mm
• The angle of view/field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Both Manual and Autofocus
• Maximum aperture: f/4
• Image quality: Very sharp high quality images.
• Minimum focusing distance: 6 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Great build quality
• Greatly suppress chromatic abbreviations.
• Has a fluorine coating that makes it fingerprint and dustproof.

Cons

• It is expensive.

2. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED VR Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com

This lens comes with an 8-15mm focal length range and features Nikon's Vibration Reduction technology to help reduce blurriness and image stabilization to ensure that you get clear photos.

Specifications

• Focal length: 8-15mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Autofocus
• Maximum aperture: 4.5 mm
• Image quality: Creates amazing circular high quality images
• Minimum focusing distance: 6.3 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ Mirrorless cameras/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Can act as a diagonal fisheye lens and a circular fisheye lens
• Lightweight making it easy to carry around
• Has a nano coating that helps control flares and ghosting

Cons

• It may not work with previous DSLR versions.

3. Rokinon 12MM F/2.8 Ed UMC Fisheye

Image Credit: amazon.com

The Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Ed UMC offers all the image quality you would expect in a fisheye lens. It is built with a solid metal body, which means that it is designed to survive some rough use.

Specifications

• Focal length: 12
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Image quality: Incredible image quality
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 7.9 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ Mirrorless cameras/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Anti-reflection coating helps reduce flares.
• It has an aperture indicator on the barrel of the lens, which allows you to easily adjust your aperture settings.

Cons

• No autofocus

4. Samyang 12mm Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com

This is a unique lens that offers you amazing creative options. It has a manual focus, which can take a little bit of time to get used to in the beginning, but once you have it down it will be easy to shoot with.

Specifications

• Focal length: 12 mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Image quality : Razor sharp at the middle with little chromatic aberrations at the corners.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 7.9 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ Mirrorless cameras

Pros

• A lot of mount options
• Exaggerated bowel distortion gives you great pictures.
• Has a dedicated manual focus ring
• Produces smooth bokeh
• Really good for video
• Wider field of view with minimum bulge in the middle.

Cons

• Its minimum focusing distance is low compared to other fisheye lenses
• Lacks Autofocus

5. Rokinon 8MM Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com 

This is a very cool fisheye lens and has a very good build quality. It's manual, which is great for video work.

Specifications

• Focal length: 8 mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 167 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus
• Maximum aperture: f/3.5
• Image quality: Sharp defined images.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 12 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ APS-C canon cameras/ Sony

Pros

• Very affordable
• Made of high quality material
• Smooth focus and aperture rings

Cons

• The lens is not weather sealed

6. Tokina 10-17mm AF Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com 

The Tokina 10-17mm AF Fisheye Lens is a special way to get the wide angle shots that you want with your camera. This lens is ideal for architecture, landscapes, and anything else where you want an extremely wide angle view.

Specifications

• Focal length: 17 mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus and Autofocus
• Maximum aperture: f/3.5
• Image quality: Superb image quality with minimum aberrations.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 0.14m
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Good for blurring backgrounds
• The zoom function helps you get more details
• Has a lightweight and compound design.
• Fast Autofocus
• Lens has a waterproof and finger proof coating

Cons

• Its plastic build isn't very durable.
• Can produce strong chromatic aberration at the corners

7. Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8L DUAL FISHEYE lens

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 A Canon L-series lens can use gelatin filters at its widest aperture of f/2.8 and an EF mount compatible with existing Canon EOS DSLR cameras, plus an EF-EOS R Utility and plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro - was introduced today in Tokyo, Japan by Canon Inc.

Specifications

• Focal length: 5.2mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 190 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus Sharp, high contrast images
• Maximum aperture: F/2.8
• Image quality: Produces high quality virtual reality images and videos.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 7.9 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS Mirrorless cameras

Pros

• Can produce high quality dual fisheye images
• Images are recorded internally on a single full frame image sensor, meaning complex stitching and syncing aren't necessary.
• The subwavelength coating helps shoot in any light by utilizing more light waves than a normal lens, resulting in a brighter and clearer picture.
• Dust and water resistant
• With Adobe Premiere Pro plugin, you can automatically convert your image without leaving Premiere Pro.

Cons

• It is a bit costly

8. Meike 6.5MM F2.0 Ultra Wide Circular Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com 

It is a great lens for wide angle photography, and it can take shots of any subject easily with its large-diameter fisheye lens. It also has a versatile circular ultra wide-angle filter that can be rotated 360 degrees using the power switch on the lens's barrel.

Specifications

• Focal length: 85 mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 190 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus
• Maximum aperture: f/2.0
• Image quality: Produces unique circular images with strong distortion
• Minimum focusing distance (for closeup shots): 19 cm
• Compatibility: APS-C mirrorless cameras, Full frame

Pros

• Very affordable compared to other fisheye lenses
• Has a multilayer nano-coating that helps reduce flare
• Durable metal construction

Cons

• Lacks Autofocus

9. Panasonic 8mm Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com

The Panasonic 8mm Fisheye Lens is an incredibly fun lens to have and use, and it's perfect for capturing those crazy, wide-angle shots. It attaches to your camera using a mount and is relatively lightweight. This lens is often used by photographers who enjoy shooting wide angles, including the sky and clouds in the frame.

Specifications

• Focal length:
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Autofocus
• Maximum aperture: F/3.5
• Image quality: great image quality though it may vary across the aperture range of the lens.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 3.94 inches
• Compatibility: Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ Mirrorless cameras/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Lightweight
• The inner focus system allows for long working distances.
• Silent autofocus operation
• Distortions are automatically corrected.

Cons

• Not suitable for outdoor weather

10. Meike Mk-6-11MM Fisheye Lens

Image Credit: amazon.com

The Meike Fisheye lens is a budget-friendly option. It does not come with all the bells and whistles that some of our other options have, but it certainly gets the job done.

Specifications

• Focal length: 6-11 mm
• Angle of view / field of view: 180 degrees
• Focus: Manual focus
• Maximum aperture: f/3.5
• Image quality: Produces rounded images with notable distortion.
• Minimum focusing distance (for close up shots): 5.91 inches
• Compatibility: Full-frame/ Canon EOS/ Canon DSLR cameras/ Mirrorless cameras/ APS-C canon cameras

Pros

• Solid metal construction for durability
• Comes with a Lens hood and Lens cap for additional protection
• Minimal flare
• Reasonable price

Cons

• Not the best for taking videos
• The zoom ring and focus are close to each other, and this might cause confusion when operating.
• It is a bit heavy.

Conclusion

Choosing the right lens is essential for every photographer and videographer. We are confident that this guide will help you pick the right lenses for your needs and stay happy with your purchase. However, remember that a good lens alone cannot guarantee you a successful photograph. You also need to exercise good judgment and technical skills. Thank you for reading.

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