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Photography News Issue 27 absolutephoto.com
First tests
Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 8mm f/1.8 PRO £729
Specs
Format Micro Four Thirds Mount Micro Four Thirds Construction
The Olympus 8mm f/1.8 is a fisheye lens that has a 180° view and produces a truly frame-filling image – as opposed to circular fisheye lenses that produce a round image on the rectangular format. Its design means straight lines in the centre of the frame stay straight but straight lines away from the centre, thanks to the lack of lens correction, come out strongly curved. The same happens when you tilt the camera up or down. Move in close and you can get some very interesting distortion – especially of faces. Fisheye lenses are not to everyone’s liking and they are bit of a one-trick pony; the novel effect can quickly become tiresome. That said they are fun to use and they can be immensely useful too – for producing 360° panoramas, for example. Also in some softwares any distortion can be corrected in post-production at the click of a mouse so a fisheye can be used just like any extreme rectilinear wide-angle lens. This is a Micro Four Thirds format lens so it’s a petite optic and that is even more impressive if you consider that, not only is it a fisheye but its maximum aperture is a fast f/1.8 – the first lens of this type to boast such a fast aperture. The lens’s only control is the focusing barrel for manual focus. Manual focus is rarely needed because this lens type gives extensive
depth-of-field even at mid-apertures at normal shooting distances. Move in close, though, and depth-of-field is less extensive. Minimum focus is 12cm from the sensor plane which means that the front element is about 2cm from the subject, so take care you don’t bump into the subject with the front element. The curved front element can be a challenge to keep clean and you’ll undoubtedly add the occasional finger smudge without meaning to during use. A degree of protection is provided by the fixed vestigial lens hood but clearly there is no way a protection filter can be employed. The lens does come with a clip-on lens cap. Optically, this lens is very sharp in the centre from f/1.8 onwards. Sharpness is high and so too is contrast, and there’s excellent rendition of fine detail. As you would expect from this lens type, move towards the edges and image quality drops off significantly. The edges get better with stopping down but poor edges is really not an issue with this lens type because you usually put the subject at the centre or very close to it and so long as it’s good there, all is good. This Olympus optic certainly delivers in that regard. With such a wide view, if the sun is shining, you’re very likely to have it in the frame so good flare resistance is important. No problem on that score either. WC Images We used Olympus’s latest OM-D, the E-M10Mark II, with the 8mm f/1.8 lens. The lens is a fine optic delivering impressive images with lots of sharpness and contrast. Raw files were processed in Lightroom CC with default sharpening.
17 elements in 15 groups Special lens elements 3x Super ED, 1 aspherical ED, 2 HR, 1 Super HR Coatings ZERO (ZUIKO Extra-low Reflection Optical) Filter size Not applicable Aperture range f/1.8-22 Diaphragm 7 blades Internal focus Yes, High-Speed Imager AF Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 12cm, 2.6cm from element Focus limiter No Maximummagnification 0.2x Distance scale No Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser In body Tripod collar No Lens hood Integral Weather-sealed Yes, dust and freeze proof Dimensions (lxd) 62x80mm Weight 315g Contact olympus.co.uk
Images Expectations from fisheye lenses are different from normal optics with edge sharpness often less of a consideration so long as the central area is pin-sharp. Fisheyes are great fun to use too, giving a fresh perspective on much-photographed subjects, just use them sparingly.
This lens is very sharp in the centre from f/1.8 onwards
F/4
F/5.6
How it rates Verdict
Few people will buy a fisheye lens on a whim because they have limited use once you have gotten over the novelty of the extremely wide view. That said, used with discretion and only when the situation demands, a fisheye is an invaluable lens and worth having in your armoury. For interiors, scenics, action shots and fun portraits, a fisheye might just give you the edge and at £729, this lens is very good value, bearing in mind its fast aperture and high level of optical performance.
F/11
F/8
Features Environmental seals and very fast aperture pluses
20/25
24/25
Performance Optically very good
Handling Small, light, great feel
21/25
F/16
F/22
Value for money Good value considering speed and quality build
23/25
88/100
Overall If you have a Micro Four Thirds system and want a fisheye, this is the one to get. Pros High image quality, size, fun, fast aperture, robust Cons Novelty soon wears off
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