Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Review by Bryan Carnathan

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Review

• Sample Pictures  
• Vignetting
• Lens Specifications
• Lens Images
• Owner's Manual

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by Bryan Carnathan
Review Date: 2004-04-05
Manufacturer ID: 2535A003

The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens is currently one of Canon's two intentionally distorted EF lenses.

The heavy barrel distortion from the 15 Fisheye creates a special effect that is liked by most people (until it is over-used of course). With digital capture, we can now use fisheye-to-rectilinear conversion software to create a corrected picture equivalent to what a 12-13mm rectilinear lens would yield. This is great - but it takes some extra post-processing work and requires some knowledge of what the end-result will look like when capturing the shot.

PTLens is a really easy to use (Low $) rectilinear conversion software program (or Photoshop Plugin) based on Panorama Tools (included and free). Photoshop's lens correction tools can also rectilinear-convert the fisheye distortion. The downside to rectilinear conversion is that the image corners become soft. Reducing the image to 70% or less allows much of the corner sharpness to be recovered at the expense of the pixel size of the image.

Build quality of the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens is reasonable. The metal mount shows it is not a bottom of the line lens. The focus ring feels relatively low quality, but this lens does not cost a fortune either.

Pictured above from left to right are the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L USM Lens, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens and Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens. Below are the same lenses (sans the 14mm L I) with their lenses hoods in place.

The size of the 15 Fisheye is very small - and very nice. It is much smaller than the Canon EF 14mm L USM Lens, Canon EF 16-35mm L USM Lens or Canon EF 17-40mm L USM Lens.

The 15 Fisheye focuses moderately slowly and makes a loud buzzing doing so. Reality is that fast focusing is not very important to most people using this lens. A lens this wide does not need to adjust much to go from close to infinity. FTM (Full Time Manual) focus is not available. The manual focus ring is coarse - not smooth.

Along the same lines, the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens only has 5 aperture blades. This creates undesirable 5-pointed out-of-focus highlights. But, this lens is so wide that it is hard to get the background out of focus. So, this negative point is probably not important to most people either.

When I think of a highly distorted lens, I would expect the most distorted areas of the picture to be of lower quality. But that is not the case with the15 Fisheye. This lens has very nice image quality.

Close subjects tend to be soft at f/2.8 and become steadily sharper through f/8. Distant subjects were sharp wide open and improved little with the lens stopped down. What was most noticeable to me was the relatively excellent corner sharpness even on a full-frame body. The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens easily bests the Canon EF 14mm L USM Lens, the Canon EF 16-35mm L USM Lens and the Canon EF 17-40mm L USM Lens for corner sharpness. At least until it is converted to rectilinear.

Vignetting is apparent at f/2.8, but less apparent than most of the alternatives. Vignetting disappeared quickly as the lens was stopped down.

Flare is moderately well controlled on the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens. For flare, it was much better than the Canon EF 14mm L USM Lens but not as good as the Canon EF 16-35mm L USM Lens.

In harsh/heavy contrast conditions (such as dark tree branches against a bright cloudy sky), CA (Chromatic Aberration) is a problem. It was generally not a problem in my real life shots, but very present under certain conditions.

Like the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens, the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens features a convex objective lens (yes - both the objective lens and the pictures it takes look like fish eyes) and a fixed metal petal type lens hood. Gelatin filters inserted into the rear of the lens are the only filters that can be used on this lens.

Standard screw-in protective UV filters can not be used on this lens. Nor can any other screw-in filters for that matter. A special lens cap is required to protect this lens and hood. Canon supplies a nicely manufactured metal cap that slips on over the hood. A fuzzy material on the inner sides of the cap protects the sides of the hood from scratching and gives it some adhesion to the lens. Unfortunately, it falls off far too easily. Canon has solved this problem on the 14mm L II.

Color and saturation both are fine.

The 15 Fisheye includes more in the picture than the other two f/2.8 ultra wide angle lenses Canon currently makes - the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens and the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM Lens. These images were taken with a 1.3x FOVCF DSLR body. Here is a full frame (Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III) focal length comparison.

15mm Fisheye | 14mm | 17mm | 24mm

The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens' angle of view is so wide that getting adequate flash coverage can be a problem. Expect to minimally need a flash with a built-in flip-down diffuser to cover the frame on a 1.3x or 1.6x FOVCF body. A Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Diffuser will yield complete flash coverage on all bodies. Bouncing the flash may provide adequate coverage as well.

What is the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens used for? Nearly anything that requires an ultra wide angle lens. Similar to the rectilinear ultra wide angle lenses, the 15 Fisheye is useful for wide landscapes, wide day or night sky shots and Interior pictures of houses, vehicles and other confined spaces.

The fish-eye look is appealing as a special effect as well. It invites creativity. With an 8" minimum focusing distance, the 15 Fisheye can create some wild-looking effects. Remember to keep your feet out of the picture.

Architecture and real estate photography often have large subjects and require wide angle lenses - these are more good uses for the 15 Fisheye if distortion is acceptable - or removed.

I am impressed with the image quality from a lens this wide. If you don't mind the severe distortion or are willing to post-process the distortion out, the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens will make a very nice wide angle lens for you.

Bringing you this site is my full time job (typically 60-80 hours per week). Thus, I depend solely on the commissions received from you using the links on this site to make any purchase. I am grateful for your support! - Bryan

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My Recommended Shopping Resources   (Using the links on this site to make any purchase provides support for this site)

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens at Adorama
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens at Amazon.com
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens at Beach Camera or BuyDig.com
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens at eBay (I cannot recommend specific sellers)

Rent the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens   (Using these links for your rental supports this site)

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens at LensRentals.com
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More Information

PTLens

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Review Features

• Sample Pictures
• Vignetting
• Lens Specifications
• Lens Images
• Owner's Manual

The Showcase: Ed Freeman (via thefstopmag)

The Showcase: Ed Freeman

“The Showcase” is a weekly publication featuring a photographer that has caught our eye here at The F STOP. I’ve asked Ed Freeman to answer a few questions about his surf photography, some of which is featured in the new 2009 PDN Photo Annual.  

These aren’t conventional surfing images, please explain what you’ve done to create these images.

They’re shot conventionally with the same equipment all surfing photographers use; a digital SLR and a lens as long as your arm – literally. But then I do a lot of Photoshop work on them – compositing, dodging and burning, retouching. I’ve taken out waves and added new ones, enlarged waves, changed skies, erased extraneous bodies, even combined pieces of two bodies into one – I do whatever is necessary to create images that say what I want them to say. They aren’t “true to life” any more than a Vermeer landscape is “true to life.” What’s true about them is that they FEEL the way surfing FEELS – at least to me they do.

I don’t think your technique has been replicated often in the surfing photography world. Where did you get the idea to break off from the reportage style and turn these images into more conceptual fine art?

I’m not a reporter and I never have been one. If photography is about conveying faithfully what was in front of the lens, then I’m not even a photographer; I’m more of an illustrator. I don’t know anything about surfing, and I can’t – and don’t – approach it from the point of  view of somebody who does. Surfers and real surfing photographers can spend hours discussing the fine points of one surfer’s technique versus another’s, one wave versus another. I’m completely blind to those subtleties. Instead, I’m interested in composition, lighting, the texture of the spray – I’m looking at it from a purely visual perspective. That makes for a very different emphasis, a very different picture.

What was your inspiration in creating this body of work?

I was in Hawaii shooting stock – your basic “palm-trees-swaying-in-the-breeze-at-sunset” stuff, and I happened to drive by a surfing beach one day – the first time I ever saw serious surfers confronting serious waves. And I was blown away by the real life drama of it – men, women, even ten year old kids – who risk their lives to have what surely must be a transformational relationship with the ocean. I couldn’t participate in what were doing – I can’t even swim – but I thought I could convey some of their peak experience in pictures, the adrenaline rush they must have every time they catch a good wave.

How has the surfing community reacted to these images?

They’ve never been published, so I don’t really know. Many surfers are so caught up in the technical aspects of the sport that they look at all pictures analytically – how big is the wave, how good is this particular surfer’s form, what kind of board is he riding, and so on. But some have seen these pictures for what they’re intended to be – impressions, not recordings of specific events. The highest compliment I ever got from a surfer was, “yeah man, that’s what it’s like when I’m out there.”

These images were all done for a book project. What was the experience like of getting this book made?

This is still a book in progress – I don’t have a publisher yet, although I do have an book agent who’s waiting patiently for me to  finish putting it together so she can go find one. I’ve published a  couple of other books and I can say with some certainty that publishing is more work and less money than you ever thought possible. But it’s also immensely rewarding. There’s still something magical about the printed page – seeing your images on it, and knowing that people you will never meet will see and get value from what you’ve done.

 See more of his work at : http://www.edfreeman.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=1&p=0

Alessandro Puccinelli

I found these via waveslide.blogspot. Check it out:

Alessandro Puccinelli

Absolutely stunning wave images from Mr. Puccinelli who I discovered via Rebecca Olive's excellent blog. There's a colour palette in these photos that is making me very happy. Sorry about the layout glitches here, Blogger keeps changing my attempts to centre images and make things look tidy.

Insane Photo: Tardy Surfer Resorts To Cliff Jumping To Catch Up To His Competition Written by: ThePostGame

Tuesday, October 15, 2013 7:35 pm Written by: ThePostGame Staff

A surfer in Santa Cruz was running late for his competition so he was forced to improvise.

That improvisation came in the form of a jump off a cliff 30 feet high and into the Pacific Ocean.

"He timed it perfectly," photographer Allen Hughes told The Daily Mail.

The same could be said of Hughes, who captured the spectacular photo of this anonymous surfer in midair as a huge wave cascaded behind him.

Hughes was alert to the possibility that an intriguing scenario was unfolding at Lighthouse Point.

"Everyone else was watching the surfers out at sea, but then I noticed this guy running along Lighthouse Point," Hughes told the Mail. "I watched for quite a while and before each heat the surfers would climb down to the end of Lighthouse Point and make a smaller 10 foot jump.

"I noticed this guy run down to the end, he was late for his heat."

That was Hughes' cue to lock in on him.

"I could tell he was anxious so I focused my camera on him and before anyone knew it, he ran and jumped off the cliff," Hughes said. "He timed it perfectly and landed just behind the white water and paddled out. I never did find out who he was. The cliff itself must be 30 foot high and the waves were maybe higher."

Although we can all marvel at the artistic quality of Hughes' shot, it ought not to be overlooked that the surfer got away with a rash decision. Not to be a ghoulish buzzkill here, but the outcome could've been far less favorable.

Hopefully this was crazy enough to dissuade any copycats jumpers, and perhaps it can be a lesson to all surfers: Pay attention to the time.

For those hardcore photography buffs that might be curious about the gear, according to Metro, Hughes, 65, captured the moment with a Nikon D300S.

More Surfing: Eight Great Rivers To Hit

Kuni Takanami from liquidsaltmag.com

I just found this on liquidsaltmag.com.. check it out-

Kuni Takanami

by MAC FELLER on MAY 7, 2013 · 0 COMMENTS

Kuni Takanami is a talented surfer/photographer born in Japan and now residing in Australia, Sought after by numerous surf magazines and sportswear companies, Kuni travels the world looking for interesting people and places to capture the light through his unique lens. We spoke with him to learn more.

Where did you grow up, and what was it like?
I grew up in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, where two capital freeways join together (Shutoko and Kanjosen). They say the pollution in the air there is one of the dirtiest areas in Japan. I used to skate at empty lots, parks and streets. I’d also hang out at friends houses playing TV games or we’d cruise around on stolen motorbikes.

When did you start surfing?
I think it was the day after my junior high school graduation ceremony. I was skating a lot then, but one of my seniors was a surfer and he was really popular among the girls. So I thought I would be like that too if I started surfing – turns out I didn’t get that popular!

What drew you to surfing?
I first went to Shonan – the closest beach to Tokyo — by train with a few friends. We were all beginners, so we had no idea what we were doing. I tried to copy the good surfers but I couldn’t do anything with my board.

Surfing made me understand true raw skills, or lack of, that I had. I was just being washed around inside the waves, up and down, and getting in the way of the good surfers. I can’t really explain it but I think that’s when my pride got broken for the first time. I got so frustrated, and I thought to myself, I really want to be tougher. The idea of “becoming tough” became much bigger than the fun itself or even the girls.

In Tokyo, you can talk shit as much as you want to. Wear cool clothes, drive expensive cars… You can say “I am somebody. My friends are actors, I got mad cash, I can do anything!!” … you know? (laughs)

But you can’t do that with the ocean. If you don’t have real skills or awareness out there, the ocean can kill you just like that or even refuse you completely with her incredible power. I just really wanted to learn about the ocean and become a part of the surfers’ circle. I guess I wanted the recognition.

What has been the influence of surfing and how has it changed your life?
If I didn’t surf… I think I would have ended up doing bad stuff (like a pernicious moneylender) or maybe a boxer with the influence of my biological father (Royal Kobayashi was one time World Champion and 6th in the Olympics). Or maybe I would have died from a drug overdose.. I was into some pretty loose shit back in those days.

Who are some of the people you feel are shaping the path of surfing today?
I guess everyone would first think of Kelly Slater. His effort and talent is definitely something, and he played a massive role for today’s surf scene popularity and its economic effect. But I’m getting bored of today’s high-performance and high-technology surfboards and the associated business scene.

It’s much more amazing to have a surf icon like George Greenough still alive! He’s had such an influence on today’s short boards. And we can’t forget Duke Kahanamoku from Hawaii, who brought surfing into Australia. Their generation’s creativity, it’s real. They started from scratch, trying and failing pushed by their passion. Someone like George, he created not only those revolutionary fins, plan shapes and concepts, but also water housings and then proceeded to shoot films and take amazing photos! I have a lot of respect for his generation.

Also, as a Japanese, I respect Wakita-san who charges so hard on the Northshore’s monster waves. Today, there is “Wakita-peak” in Pipe. That means those tough Hawaiians and the whole world has recognized him as “the surfer.”

As everyone knows, the world is facing so many problems. Especially for those surfers who travelled the world to search for the good waves, they directly face and realize how serious these problems are. So, my hero is a surfer who is living the sustainable lifestyle and actually making actions to save the nature. I guess my true hero is my dear friend, like a brother, Dave Rastovich. He loves nature from his soul and he knows that the nature he loves has such a sensitive existence. He knows the ocean so well and he has the skill to become a part of the wave. Dave is not only an amazing surfer, but he’s the ideal and ultimate human being.

All these people I named have given me such colorful inspirations. I think it is a wonderful thing that through my photographs and my work with my wife Angie, we can pass on their legacies to the next generation.

Where did you interest in photography come from?
When I was 14, my uncle passed away and he left me an SLR. That’s when I first owned my own camera and I learned the ropes just by playing around with it. But I admit it was put away in my garage for a long time.

Then I went to my first overseas surf trip when I was 17. I felt that I want to spend more time away surfing good waves. Through travelling, I was able to experience the nature’s powerful beauty and her delicate creations, simple things like the waves wearing a shimmering light’s reflection. Things like that touched me. I guess I had never seen such beautiful scenes growing up in Tokyo’s concrete jungle under the foggy skies of pollution.

So next thing I knew, I had my camera in my hand. I wanted to capture the beauty so I could come back to it anytime, even if I have to return to the concrete jungle when my money ran out.

What do you look for in capturing a good image?
I think it depends on the shoot and circumstances. But I won’t tell you all my secrets as it would take too long and I can’t give free information away to my future rivals (laughs)

But seriously, there is a battlefield photographer called Mr. Miyajima, and in his interview on National TV channel in Japan, he said “It’s all about being in the right place at the right time”. I am on a different field, but I think I can say the same thing.

Right place and right time changes on the purpose of the shooting. Like fashion, landscapes, surf, war, etc. First of all, it’s important to know and find your own “right place & right time” for that specific purpose. To do that, you have to know about the wind, sun position, swell direction and the surfer’s next moves. And you move before they move. On every field, whatever it is, you have to have your camera ready to go so you don’t miss out on any special moments. That’s the most basic key for good photos.

Analog, digital, or both forms of photography? If both, when do you use each?
If I don’t have to worry about the time nor the budget, I would definitely choose analog to create my photography. But if there’s a limitation on time or budget, then digital is the go to.

Of all the places you have traveled to, what place in particular stands out? And why?
I would say India. Not a single day passed without accidents! (laughs) Something is always happening, and their irresponsibility was such a fun element of our trip. Reincarnation philosophy is still well alive in India and for the first time, I recognized death as a very natural thing.

When I was surfing in India, for the first time I thought even if I die right now I would be quite happy. Also, India still holds massive potentials for “unknown waves”. And of course the poverty there is a serious reality. India has taught me so many important things.

What are you most proud of?
I lost my pride a long time ago (laughs). I want to take great photos, I want to express other people’s pride inside my photos.

What are you most grateful for?
My parents, my wife Angie, and my friends.

What brings you the most happiness in the world?
Those moments when I see good waves. My boys Ryder and Hunter. When I am with my family looking at good waves I am on top of the world!

What’s your favorite meal?
Japanese food! Ramen!

What are the positives of life in Japan? And, what are the positives of life in Australia?
Japan has the two totally different faces next to each other. The big city controlling the economy, and the countryside where the slow life and beautiful nature remains. That’s what I like about Japan. It’s handy having both. If you understand the seasons, you can always get good waves. Japanese food is healthy and complex. Everyone has pretty good hearts.

Australia is a massive continent with countless waves. The cities and towns are all alive with strong contrasting yet well balanced nature. There’s a variety of food and good beer! And I love the slow paced lifestyle of Aussies.

What’s next for Kuni Takanami?
I want to keep travelling with my family. Angie and I are still fit and strong, the kids are young and adventurous. It’s a good time for us to be moving around the world visiting developing and remote areas capturing their local lifestyles, their swells, and their realities. I want to capture the many different faces of the earth and share them with the world.

To learn more about Kuni Takanami, visit his website here.