Contents
Conclusion
Pros
- Beautifully crafted and robustly constructed
- Decently fast and very quiet autofocus
- Extreme close-focus ability
- Fast f/1.8 aperture
- Incredibly sharp over most of the frame right from f/1.8 and sharp to the corners by f/5.6
- Beautiful bokeh
- Outstanding color and contrast at all apertures
- Great control of lateral chromatic aberration
Cons
- Some minor longitudinal CA and high contrast edge fringing
- Flare can cause notable ghosting with bright light in the frame
- Expensive
The Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO is a unique lens: it’s the fastest fisheye lens ever made, and it combines a pro-grade build with outstanding optics that produce exceptionally sharp images with great color and contrast. Even the bokeh generated in close-focused shots is quite good. Flare performance could be better and there are a few other minor lens aberrations, but on the whole the lens produces outstanding image quality. The real issue comes down to price. Fisheyes are a unique group of lenses, and I feel that most photographers should have one in their bag. While not an everyday lens, when you need one, there is no substitute. Because fisheyes aren’t lenses that generally see a lot of use, it’s really hard for most people to justify spending $1,000 on one. And there’s the real rub. It’s definitely the finest fisheye for Micro 4/3, and it’s one of the best I’ve used for any system, but it’s hard to recommend because it’s a lens that isn’t going to see a ton of use for most shooters. Note that I’m not saying that the lens isn’t worth $1,000. It is: the pro-grade build and outstanding optics certainly justify the asking price, but I feel most photographers won’t be able to justify that price for their own kit.
That dilemma aside, Olympus has crafted another wonderful lens here. It’s a unique lens, even among other fisheyes, due to its speed and close-focus abilities, and should you decide to purchase one, you’ll be getting a great optic. Kudos to Olympus.
Image Samples
Click on an image to enlarge. None of these images have been ‘defished.’
I’ve found it quite useful at skate parks, my usual shooting habitat. I’ve also used it recently to test against an ultra wide angle Tokina for Nikon. It’s been very good overall and keeps up whether shooting stills or video, using it on E-M1, GH4, or GX8.
Would really love to hear your take on how it compares to the Olympus 4/3 f3.5 version which I have. Does it justify an upgrade? Fisheye sample images on my 500px page are all, except for one, shot with the old Oly both on a 4/3 E-500 and newer mirrorless Oly’s. TIA
Unfortunately I have no experience with the 4/3 lenses.
The original Zuiko 8mm f3.5 shows tons of CA used on my E-M1 and E-M5 II bodies. I still have it and use at times as I do not yet own the Micro f1.8, but it’s just a matter of time….
I recently purchased the 7.5 Rokinon and it is fantastic. It’s turning out to be more than a once-in-a-while lens for me. For hiking, it can’t be beat, it’s easy to defish and the sharpness and contrast is stellar.
Now I’ve been thinking about that 1.8 the Olympus offers and am very interested. To capture some late evening or even night time photography- now that would be quite the advantage. I’ll wait for the price to drop a bit, but I think this lens is worth it.