Laowa is back again with yet another weird and wacky lens. This time it's not one of their bizarre probe lenses, but rather a fisheye lens with a difference: it can zoom. This isn't the first time Laowa has given us such a lens, as it already has the CF 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye lens. But where that's a full-frame optic, the new Laowa CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 Zoom Fisheye is for APS-C bodies, hence the incredibly short minimum focal length.

The CF 4.5-10mm will be available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, L-Mount and Micro Four Thirds cameras, and unsurprisingly with so many mount options, it's manual focus only. However, with such a large depth of field when shooting at these extremely short focal lengths, manual focussing will be very forgiving.

The lens is comprised of 13 elements arranged in 9 groups, incorporating 4 extra-low dispersion elements and a single ultra-high refractive index element. At 4.5mm you'll be rewarded with a huge 180-degree angle of view, and we assume this is only possible by capturing a circular fisheye perspective. Whether or not this changes to a diagonal fisheye image when you zoom to 10mm remains to be seen. This is how the recent Canon RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM works, and it results in a versatile creative tool that's able to give you a range of unique perspectives.

Laowa has managed to keep the new CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 relatively compact, as it measures a manageable 59.3mm in length, with a diameter of 68.9mm. It's also reasonably light at 330g.

Right now we only know that the CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 is coming - there's still no exact release date. Some sources have stated that the lens will be priced at 2780 yuan (approx. $410 / £306), and could have a pre-order price of 2500 yuan (approx. $368 / £275). If true, this would massively undercut the cost of Canon's RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM, which has an RRP of $1,899 / £1,719. The CF 4.5-10mm would also be significantly less expensive than Laowa's own 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye that costs $699 / £699, although both those lenses are full-frame optics.

Hot on the heels of the recently revealed AF 17mm f/1.8 Air, TTArtisan is back with an even wider offering. The 7.5mm F2.0 is a diagonal fisheye lens for APS-C Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony bodies, as well as Micro Four Thirds cameras. The lens captures a huge 180-degree angle of view (150 degrees with an MFT body), and when combined with the 0.12m minimum focus distance means you can compose captivating distorted close-up compositions. The fast f/2 maximum aperture also makes the lens suitable for astrophotography.

Inside the compact 343-370g (depending on mount) metal barrel is an 11-element optical stack arranged in 8 groups. A 7-blade diaphragm is said to provide 'smooth and pleasing bokeh', and there's a dedicated aperture ring with click stops.

As you might imagine from an accessibly-priced, multi-mount lens, focussing is manual and there are no electrical mount contacts for lens-body communication. However, given the relatively deep depth of field available at such a short focal length, even when shooting at f/2, focussing manually needn't be a chore.

And when we say the 7.5mm F2.0 Fisheye is accessibly priced, we mean it. Costing just $139/$149, it massively undercuts any comparable lens from Fujifilm, Nikon, Sony or OM System. So if you want to go ultra-wide with your APS-C or MFT camera, then the TTArtisan 7.5mm F2.0 Fisheye lens looks like a no-brainer.

Buy now from Amazon UK / Amazon US

7Artisans has launched a new diagonal fisheye lens for APS-C cameras. The MF 6mm F2 is, as its name suggests, a manual focus lens, but with the generous depth of field available at such a short focal length, manual focussing needn't be difficult. Various mount options are available, including Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon R and Micro Four Thirds.

7 Artisans says this is its widest-ever lens. Once launched it'll also be one of the widest lenses you can buy for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Laowa produces a 4mm f/2.8, but that's a circular fisheye design, where the new 7Artisans optic is a diagonal fisheye. Consequently, though the Laowa has a shorter focal length, its angle of view is 210 degrees, whereas the 6mm 7Artisans lens has a claimed 220-degree field of view.

With the ability to 'see' behind itself, such a lens opens up new creative possibilities, helped by the extremely short 3.9" / 0.1m minimum focus distance. Such a lens is especially useful in tight interiors, but the fairly fast f/2 maximum aperture also makes the MF 6mm F2 a viable choice for astrophotography.

The lens comprises 10 elements in 8 groups, including two extra-low dispersion elements and two high-refractive elements, which should help minimize chromatic aberration and improve overall sharpness. A 9-blade diaphragm is said to contribute to smooth, rounded bokeh.

The 7Artisans 6mm f/2 fisheye lens is available to buy now from B&H, priced at $179.

Portrait photographers tend to avoid barrel distortion by using standard or telephoto lenses. But when used intentionally, extreme barrel distortion can be a great way to capture creative portraits. And it doesn’t get much more extreme than a fisheye lens.

These ultra-wide optics are so-called because they replicate the ultra-wide vision possessed by fish. They’re often used to capture street scenes, architecture, skateboarding and occasionally portraits. The latter is particularly effective on pets, since the extreme barrel distortion emphasizes the subject’s features – much like a caricature.

Since a dog’s snout is one of its most poignant features, artists often choose to amplify this feature when designing cartoons – think Scooby-Doo, Snoopy and Dug from Pixar’s Up. By getting very close to your subject while they stare directly into the lens, the distortion will enlarge the canine’s snout and make for a humorous (and charming) caricature effect.

While a fisheye lens’s ultra-wide angle of view is its biggest draw, it also presents a challenge when shooting portraits – because it can be difficult to compose shots without distracting elements encroaching on the frame. Add to that the unpredictable nature of animals, and there’s plenty to consider before heading out with your camera…

How to photograph pets with a fisheye lens

1. Choose the widest lens you have

I used the Nikon AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED at its widest to maximize distortion. If you don’t have a dedicated fisheye, you can use the widest lens you have available. Remember to account for the crop factor if you’re shooting on an APS-C camera. For example, a 24mm lens will have a 35mm equivalent focal length of 36mm (or 38.4mm on Canon bodies). As such, it’s easier to get a super-wide fisheye effect on a full-frame camera.

2. Get really close to your subject

To emphasize the extreme barrel distortion, get close to your subject. Small subjects, like my puppy, may require you to get close to the lens’ 0.5ft minimum focus distance. On more than one occasion, the excitable pup licked the front element – so a lens cloth is essential!

3. Remove the lens hood

The 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5’s lens hood isn’t visible at 15mm, but when I was shooting at wider focal lengths it started to creep into the frame. At 8mm – as the picture above illustrates – it dramatically encroached on my shot. I therefore removed it altogether.

4. Find a clean, open space

Super-wide focal lengths cram in a huge portion of the surrounding area. To prevent unwanted details detracting from my subject, I shot in a wide-open space that was free from distractions – a field, park, or large garden are ideal locations. I further eliminated distractions by shooting down at my subject from a higher angle.

5. Make it fun for your pet

Animals can be difficult to work with; however, it’s important not to get frustrated with them. I spent a few minutes before the shoot playing with my pup. This meant she was less excitable, more relaxed and more pliable during the shoot, while also providing me an opportunity to introduce her to the camera gradually.

6. Focus on the eyes

As always, when shooting portraits, it’s best practice to focus on the eye that’s closest to the camera. I used single-point AF to pinpoint the correct eye and continuous-servo AF to help lock onto my bouncing subject. If you're using one of the best mirrorless cameras, there's a chance you can use an animal AF mode to make things even easier.

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Want more tutorials? Make sure you know the exposure triangle inside and out. My fisheye pet portrait isn't the only thing that looks like a cartoon character: this robot camera looks like a PIXAR character and is ready to photograph the moon. And for a change of pace, try my photography-themed crossword.

A new circular fisheye lens for full-frame cameras as been spotted in the wild by Camera Beta. The AstrHori 6mm f/2.8 is yet to appear on the manufacturer's own website, but several hands-on images have surfaced, showing a compact lens design with a typically bulbous front element.

The lens looks as though it'll be available for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-mount cameras. As is typical for AstrHori lenses, it's a fully manual lens with no electronic contacts to enable lens-body communication. However, given the huge depth of field afforded by such a short focal length, manual focussing should be relatively easy.

The new lens will join AstrHori's recently released 6.5mm F2 circular fisheye lens for APS-C cameras. This boasts a 192-degree field of view, along with extra-low dispersion and high refraction lens elements, plus a 9-blade diaphragm. This lens is currently priced at $129, so we'd expect the full-frame 6mm f/2.8 to come it at a similarly accessible price point. There's currently no release date for the full-frame fisheye, but with it already being seemingly fully-functional, it's likely retail examples won't be far away.

Story credit: Sony Addict

I've been waiting for a new Canon fisheye lens for the RF mount ever since the RF mount was announced. Which means I've now been waiting seven years.

Canon launched the EOS R system in 2018. And I understand – there were a whole lot of lenses that were a bigger priority. We were never going to get a Canon fisheye lens for the RF mount before a nifty fifty, for example, or a 70-200mm trinity zoom.

But in the past seven years, Canon has pretty much filled out its entire range now. We've got no less than three RF nifty fifties and three of those trinities. And still no new Canon fisheye lens.

Heck, Canon's RF line is so mature at this point that it's had to invent a whole bunch of completely crazy leftfield lenses for the system. Like the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 and the RF 800mm f/11. And still no new Canon fisheye lens.

Okay, that's not strictly true. We do, in fact, have a pair of fisheye lenses – but they're virtual reality lenses, intended for 3D VR applications. Which really speaks to the point I just made; Canon is inventing all kinds of mad lenses, like the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 Dual Fisheye and RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 Dual Fisheye, but it still isn't giving us an actual fisheye.

And I get it. For 90% of photographers, it probably isn't important. It's been discontinued, but there's still loads of stock of the Canon EF 8-15MM f/4L Fisheye DSLR lens – so anyone who needs one can just adapt that.

But I don't want a fisheye zoom. And besides, it came out in 2011 – that's an eternity ago in camera years. But for a prime Canon fisheye lens, you're looking even further back to the EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye from 1987. After all these years, it really is about time for a new one.

Why do I want a new Canon fisheye lens?

So, to cover the pedantry, yes – I could adapt the old EF lens. And yes, I could look at the third-party options from Laowa, TTArtisan and co. But I don't want lo-fi dumb lenses or old-school tech – I want Canon to show me all the crazy cool things it can do with the RF mount.

But why? Why is fisheye photography so important to me?

Well, actually, it isn't. I'm not really a fan of most fisheye photography – certainly not the circular image "porthole" shots that just remind me of my youth watching old skateboard videos filmed on Super 8.

No, the reason I want a new Canon fisheye lens is because, rather than using it for extreme or circular fisheye photography, I want to use it for travel, landscapes, selfies and "scope" shots. You know, when you're in a super panoramic scene like a mountain range? A fisheye is a great way to "get it all in", to convey the scope and scale of where you are.

Not because it's all wacky and distorted, but just because of the unique field of view. Ditto small spaces, like indoor venues, or even getting a moody shot of somebody in an elevator or a phone booth.

Years ago, I photographed India for a magazine feature and a good 60% of my shots were taken on a fisheye. It's an incredibly potent creative tool – and exactly the sort of thing I want for my R5.

So come on, folks – let's have a new Canon fisheye lens for the EOS R system. And no, I don't mean a third Dual Fisheye.

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Take a look at the best Canon RF lenses that the brand has released so far, and check out the best Canon lenses for DSLRs to pick up the EF glass that hasn't been updated yet. And if you want to feel jealous, here are the best fisheye lenses for other brands 😭.

AstrHori, makers of such optical oddities as the 18mm f/8 2x Periscope Probe Macro lens, has announced a new circular fisheye lens for APS-C cameras.

The AstrHori 6.5mm f/2 fisheye is a fully manual lens for APS-C Sony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Micro Four Thirds cameras. Its 6-element, 5-group optical stack incorporates an extra-low dispersion (ED) element, as well as a high refractive index element to reduce aberrations.

The 6.5mm focal length equates to 10mm in full-frame terms and enables a huge 192-degree field of view, albeit with a circular image projection, while the 0.2m minimum focussing distance makes it easy to capture distinctive fisheye close-ups. The lens itself is very compact, measuring only 64mm in diameter and 52mm long, with the E-mount version tipping the scales at 268g (although this will vary slightly for other mount variations).

Being a fully-manual lens, there are no electrical contacts to facilitate lens-body communication, but you do get an aperture ring and a printed depth of field scale. And with fewer frills comes lower pricing, as the AstrHori 6.5mm f/2 fisheye will retail for just $129, for all mount options.

Order the AstrHori 6.5mm f/2 fisheye from B&H

Viltrox will shortly launch an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for a tiny new pancake lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Called the AF 28mm F4.5 FE, the lens could well become the smallest lens available for Sony shooters, and is nicknamed 'Chip' on account of its potato chip-/crisp-like slimness.

Measuring a mere 15mm long and 60mm in diameter, the lens is barely thicker than a camera body cap and weighs just 60g. It closely resembles the design of Olympus's Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 lens, although the two lenses have a very different focal length.

Naturally, Viltrox had to make some compromises to create such a slim lens. The primary sacrifice being there's no diaphragm, so the aperture is fixed at f/4.5. Another unusual omission is that the lens lacks a manual focus ring, largely because it's so slim there isn't really room for one. Thankfully Viltrox has managed to find space inside the barrel for a VCM coil autofocus motor, so despite the tiny dimensions, focussing is a breeze. Another nice touch is the integrated lens shutter 'cap', which can be flicked open or shut using a small lever on the front of the lens.

You'd expect that a lens this small and simple would be inexpensive to buy, and you'd be right. The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE is priced at $99, with early campaign backers said to receive a 30% discount.

If you'd like to see how the lens performs before you pledge your backing, we've just published our full Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE review - we found it really fun to use!

Innovative lens-maker 7Artisans has unveiled a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens that can capture images up to 2x life-size, enabling incredibly detailed close-ups at double the resolution of a standard macro lens. 

With a maximum 2x magnification ratio, it enlarges the tiniest details to reveal a staggering amount of detail that is impossible to see with the naked eye. And as a full-frame-compatible lens, it makes the most of the greater light-gathering capabilities of the latest mirrorless cameras, such as the Nikon Z6 III, Canon EOS R6 or Sony Alpha 7C II. 

The manual focus lens features markings on the lens barrel to show the depth of field through its f/2.8 to f/22 aperture range. It has been constructed from 14 elements in 12 groups, including two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and two High-Refractive elements to effectively suppress chromatic aberration and deliver exceptional image quality while providing accurate color reproduction. This optical design also helps reduce edge distortion and other aberrations.

With a 0.17m minimum focus distance, as measured from the focal plane, the lens enables photographers to get incredibly close to subjects, but unlike some ultra-macro lenses, it is also capable of focusing all the way to infinity, where its 60mm focal length makes it ideal as an everyday standard prime. The bright f/2.8 aperture and full-frame compatibility, in combination with its nine aperture blades, enable backgrounds to be blown out to create beautiful bokeh, making it double as a fabulous choice as a portrait lens.

The lens barrel has an all-metal construction for enhanced durability, yet it's pretty lightweight at just 550g. A 67mm thread enables the attachment of filters. 

The 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Full-frame 2X Ultra-Macro joins such oddities as the incredibly fast 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 nifty fifty or 7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 fisheye, which surely makes the company one of the most diverse and experimental lens makers out there.

The new lens is available in Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts and has a recommended price of $335.

Check out our guide to the best macro lenses

The British Ecological Society has announced the winners of its annual photography competition, which for the first time was open to everyone.

The competition – Capturing Ecology – celebrates the brilliance and intricacies of the natural world with the selected winning and highly commended images capturing the diverse ecology of flora and fauna from across the globe.

Entries from ecologists, photographers, and students were submitted from 23 countries and six continents. The category-winning images represent captivating stories about 'a life-and-death arms race played out on the smallest scales, the damage alien species can inflict, and the plight of one of our closest relatives against the combined threats of poaching and habitat loss'.

The overall winner and recipient of the title British Ecological Society Photographer of the Year was awarded to Damien Esquerre, a biologist at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Esquerre won for his image titled The Dragon and the Sun, which depicts a bearded dragon basking in the midday sun.

Speaking on the win, Esquerre said, "It is a massive honour to win this important competition and I’m very happy to have my photo showcased to an international audience".

He continued, "I took the photos while doing a bushwalk in Canberra where I lived at the time. I always carry my camera with me and look for interesting photo opportunities. I saw this dragon basking on the tree, and thought I could use a fish-eye lens, which is an extreme wide angle, to and get close to have the dragon as the main subject but include the tree and the sun in the composition. By including the sun the photo was obviously backlit, so I used a flash to fill the strong shadows and bring some detail into the dragon."

The full list of winners can be found below:

Overall Winner: Damien Esquerre

Overall Runner-Up: Danni Thompson

Individuals and Populations (Animals): Filip Jarzynski

Individuals and Populations (Plants and Fungi): Jenn Rose

Networks in Nature: Roberto García-Roa

People and Nature: Roberto García-Roa

Ecologists in Action: Tim Jackson-Bué

Regenerative Agriculture: Lindsay Banin

Speaking on the incredible level of winning images in this year's competition, Professor Bridget Emmett, President of the British Ecological Society, said: "The British Ecological Society is a truly global community, so it brings me great joy to see ecosystems from across the world celebrated in this year’s Capturing Ecology. 2024’s winners showcase the breadth and beauty of biodiversity - spanning Sumatra to Switzerland, and from the Red Sea to The Skerries - all captured through the ever-questioning lens of the ecologist."

A full list of winners and runners-up and their images can be found on the official British Ecological Society website – congratulations to all of the winners!

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cameras for wildlife, the best cameras for landscapes, and the best fisheye lenses.

Canon has unveiled its latest addition to the Cinema EOS lineup – the EOS C80, a compact RF mount cinema camera designed for filmmakers and live production. Building on the success of previous models such as the EOS R5 C and EOS C70, the EOS C80 introduces a full-frame sensor in a form factor that balances portability with professional features.

At the heart of the EOS C80 is a full-frame stacked backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor. This sensor, first seen in the EOS C400, enables 6K recording with 16 stops of dynamic range, which Canon claims offers improved low-light sensitivity and minimal noise. The camera's triple base ISO settings (800, 3200, 12,800) provide flexibility for varying lighting conditions, and an auto-switching mode allows for smooth transitions between these ISO levels in changing environments.

Canon has equipped the EOS C80 with its Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system, which delivers some of the most advanced autofocus capabilities yet in a Canon cinema camera, with face, eye, and head tracking, as well as body and animal detection.

In terms of design, the EOS C80 maintains a compact form similar to the EOS C70, with ergonomic refinements for handheld shooting and gimbal use. A redesigned removable top handle and a brighter LCD panel improve usability in outdoor environments, while the new joystick design offers better control.

The camera also supports Canon's PL to RF mount adapter, expanding compatibility with industry-standard Arri PL mount cinema lenses. Connectivity features include built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet for file transfer, remote control, and IP streaming, enhancing workflow efficiency. Additionally, real-time lens metadata capture and VR capabilities, in conjunction with Canon’s RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens, open up new creative possibilities for virtual production.

The EOS C80 supports various recording formats, including 12-bit Cinema RAW Light and new MP4 formats such as XF-AVC S and XF-HEVC S, which provide high-quality 4K footage with manageable file sizes. These options aim to streamline the post-production process, making the camera suitable for a wide range of professional applications.

The Canon C80 will go on sale for $5,499/£5,339/AU$8,899, and should be available from the end of September in some major markets but in November in Australia. For anyone who can’t wait until then – Canon will showcase the EOS C80 at the IBC show in Amsterdam from September 13-16.

Photographers, like any other artists, are influenced by a range of different factors and creativity is an important aspect of photography just as it is in any other form of art. 

“Music has played an integral part in my work and within my social media presence; to heighten the emotional narrative and connection of my work,” Josh says. “Therefore, it seemed appropriate to capture an image ahead of the world-famous Glastonbury Festival.

“This frame captures the iconic Pyramid Stage against the backdrop of the Orion constellation, bringing together photography, astronomy and music. This self-portrait image mimics the stars that have been before – the likes of David Bowie, Dolly Parton and Sir Elton John.” In this narrative, Josh captures the king of the stars; Orion taking center stage.

The image has been featured on the BBC and various news channels ahead of this year’s Glastonbury festival. Josh dedicates the shot to two of his music idols, Kate Bush and Grace Jones.

Josh’s main gear

Sony A7s III 

Sony has set a high standard for low-light capabilities among mirrorless cameras, enabling the capture of real-time footage and improved signal-to-noise ratio capabilities. “This range of cameras, combined with fast-shooting, wide-angle lenses, is ideal for a power-house setup,” says Josh. “A greater aperture and low-light sensitivity make it possible to reduce the SNR within low-level environments, providing excellent clarity for landscape astrophotography.”

Sigma 15mm f/1.4 Diagonal Fisheye 

In his astrophotography, Josh is fortunate to be testing out the latest lenses on the market, including the Diagonal Fisheye lens from Sigma. “Sigma lenses are revolutionizing the astrophotography market,” he says. “They are the first lenses of their kind to capture wide-angle images with an impressive aperture capability of f/1.4.”

Canon EOS R5 and Canon 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM

Canon’s latest cameras and telephoto lenses are changing the game for astrophotography, especially for solar and lunar targets, as they are perfect for alignment photography. “The R Series from Canon provides a greater megapixel count alongside greater focal lengths, making a superb combination for capturing celestial events,” Josh says. “This could include transits, eclipses and comets, among others.”

Benro Tortoise 24CLV P

Benro leads the market for versatile, affordable, yet durable tripod designs. “I’ve tested a number of different tripods but my preference is Benro’s Tortoise 24CLV,” Josh says. “It is constructed from carbon fiber, but not only is it immensely lightweight, it is durable and more suitable for use in colder environments.”

Last month, Astrhori teased a new macro lens on its social media while asking for product testers. It appears the tests have now been completed as the new Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens has just been announced.

Astrhori is one of many new Chinese third-party lens manufacturers, offering budget lenses for a wide range of cameras including the market's best mirrorless cameras. Its already extensive lineup includes fish-eye, tilt shift, and macro lenses with the new 120mm release its longest focal lengthed macro to date.

The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens is a manual focus full-frame lens, currently available for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L Mounts. Despite its low price point of just $369, it's packed with premium features that wouldn't look out of place next to other offerings in our guide to the best macro lenses.

The lens is constructed of 14 elements in 9 groups which is key for its large f/2.8 max aperture. The 13 aperture blades produce a more rounded diaphragm, which Astrhori states provides "balanced sharpness and attractive bokeh". The quality of the out-of-focus areas of macro lenses is a key factor as the focus plane is often much smaller.

The lens' 2X magnification enables users to capture intricate details on a 'microscopic' level, and by looking at the sample images, the proof certainly is in the pudding. Insects, plants, and product shots enable captures that are not possible with the naked eye.

Macro photographers often shoot delicate subjects or subjects that can be easily affected by too much movement or sound. The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens has added a considered de-click function to its lens.

The macro effect is enhanced further by the long 120mm focal length coupled with a minimum focusing distance of just 0.3M. This enables sufficient image compression and a closer look at those finer details.

Unlike Astrhori's macro probe lenses, the 120mm f/2.8 is more versatile and can be used to capture a wide range of scenes including portraiture. Macro lenses are often used for portraits when the photographer wants to create a dreamy feel, as the compression and bokeh are smooth and uniform.

The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens is available to order now for $369 / £285 / AU $550 (UK and Australian prices are approximate conversions from the US price).

You may also be interested in our guides for the best macro lens, the best cheap lens, and the best lens for portraits.

Despite the fact that the Automat looks and sounds like something from the Communist-era Soviet Union, Lomography has replaced the camera’s Cold War aesthetic in favor of a dead painter from a hundred years ago. That means the Gustav Klimt special editions come wrapped in the visually attractive signature artwork of the Viennese Secession movement painter. This is the Gold Leaf version, complete with gold logos. Whether that makes it any more fun is for you to decide, but it certainly livens up what is a very square and boxy format. 

This is, of course, an instant camera, which means you slot Fujifilm Instax Mini cartridges in the back and tiny, self-developing prints emerge out the side, with an accompanying squeak and a rumble of the infernal internal mechanism. The box it comes in is attractively designed and has all the accessories you could ever want, from three lens attachments (close-up, wide angle, fish eye) to useful things like a remote control and a creative option with a rotating lens blocker for crazy multiple exposures. Even the manual comes in the form of handy and colorful tip cards. It’s an entire ecosystem in a box. 

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Specification

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Price

You can get Instax Mini cameras for $80 / £70 / AU$99, so for $200 / £179 / AU$270 this could be considered fairly pricey, but it does come with a range of lenses and extras.

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Build and handling

It’s built like an East German block of flats so it isn’t ergonomic by any means, but at least the fire button is well placed. Turning it on and off is a little bizarre though - you turn the focussing distance ring on the lens to your preferred setting of 0.6m, 1-2m or Infinite. To turn it off requires holding down a button on the other side of the lens and rotating it back to the off position again. Of course, actually judging focus distances when you come to take photos is pretty hit and miss anyway. 

Going back to the start though, loading the Instax Mini film is very straightforward, just open the back, slot it in, turn the camera on and take an initial photo to eject a dummy first frame. Then you’re ready to go. It works with automatic exposure, so there’s not too much brainpower required, but if the photos are overexposed, which happens with any kind of bright sky, then a trip to the controls on the back is required. These are tiny and crammed in, like the typical proletariat family in the aforementioned East German housing development. There’s a button to turn the flash on and off, one for the multiple exposure function, plus and minus 1 EV exposure compensation, and then a button that toggles between Auto exposure and Bulb (30 seconds).

It’s slightly surreal to find a screw thread for a tripod mount on the base, but consider this something for group selfies out in the open - in combination with the remote control shutter release.

The three additional lens attachments are fairly easy to screw on and off but the effect they have can really only be guessed at as the view through the viewfinder remains the same regardless. In a nod to modern sensibilities, the fire button itself is shiny chrome, making it useful for composing the shot for selfies.

Finally, each Instax Mini cartridge offers 10 prints so there is a series of small LEDs down the side corresponding to the number of shots still left. This is very handy so you don’t lose track of how many shots you have left.

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Performance

Once you get past the arcane method of turning the camera on, then judging the photo distance - anything past 2m is in the Infinite range, then it’s simple and fun to find something to photograph and shoot. With only 10 shots per film it’s easy to run out though, so it pays to be a little more prudent than shooting digitally. A twin pack of 10 prints cost around £15, which works out at 75p per developed print. They are small - the overall print is 54x85mm with an image area of 46x62mm, but this does mean you can build up collections of images in a compact book.

Now, the apertures the camera uses are f/8 and f/22, might have been a recipe for camera shake, but the Instax Mini film is rated at ISO 800 so that helps enormously. The narrower than expected apertures also mean that there’s more depth of field so once you get further than 2m away from the camera, there’s little chance of anything being out of focus. Closer than that, however, and it can be hit and miss, though the little icons on the lens of a single person (0.3m) and two people (1-2m) are handy prompts. The main issue with the prints is not camera shake, but over exposure. On a day with a bright, white sky the photos look like someone poured bleach over them. In those cases, definitely use the -1EV exposure compensation.

The default lens focal length of 60mm means it’s set up for portraits more than anything, so if you want to photograph scenery or a building then the wide angle converter is required, but it’s a case that it’s wider than the default lens than actually being a wide angle. The fish eye lens does give a round, fish eye view, but this crops into what is already a small print. Then there’s the close up lens, which makes things a bit closer, but don’t think it’s a macro lens because, obviously, it isn’t. 

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Verdict

If you have managed to get your shot in focus, not overexposed and the like, then the results are retro and quirky, which is really the market for this kind of thing. It’s fun to be able to see the prints pop out and develop fairly quickly, making them ideal for scrapbooking and the like. 

Alternatives

Want a different flavour of Lomography, then have a look at these Lomo cameras. Alternatively, check out this Instax Mini option. If, though, you just want some film-based nostalgia, see what our writer thought of the movie Kodachrome.

Lomography is renowned for its quirky colorways adding maximum fun to some of its best analog cameras. Lately, in addition to the bright pastels and acid trip colors, it has been harnessing classic art history with collaborations from some of the greats.

Two of the best Lomography cameras the Lomo'Instant Automat and the Lomoapparat 21mm Wide angle will be adorned by the classic artworks of Austrian artist Egon Schiele.

Egon Schiele was a leading figure in the Austrian expressionist movement and is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His artwork was bold, daring, and ahead of its time and the works on these cameras look as contemporary today as when first created.

Schiele worked very closely with Gustav Klimt and you can see influences in both artists' work. Lomography recently issued the Gustav Klimt Collection, much in the same way, and featured some of his most renowned work.

The Schiele Collection features two separate cameras, each offering something different as a camera but also in aesthetics.

Lomo'Instant Automat camera and lenses

One of Lomography's best instant cameras, it features Schiele's intricate sketches Seated Woman with Bent Knees (1917) and the striking Self-Portrait with Striped Shirt (1910), each detailed with gold.

The Automatic instant camera is designed for even the most novice of photographers to experiment creatively and have fun while doing so. Automatically adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, and flash output, each shot is accurately exposed for the given scene.

A great feature of the camera is that it comes with a selection of different lenses offering a more versatile instant camera experience. The camera comes in a box with fisheye, wide-angle, close-up, and splitzer lenses for further experimentation as well as a remote-control lens cap for self-portraits much like the emblazoned artwork.

Lomoapparat 21mm Wide angle

The exciting and bold red-colored camera is adorned and complimented by two of Schiele's most famous works, Self-portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant (1912) and the captivating Portrait of Wally Neuzil (1912), inspiring a playful approach to shooting.

The perfect camera for taking those sunny holiday snaps, the lightweight camera features a 21mm lens and fixed settings for 'perfect exposures every time'. Multiple exposure and bulb modes enhance the playful experience, along with the interchangeable lenses and colored filters.

Above: A gallery of sample images

The Lomography Schiele Collection is available to purchase now – the Lomo’Instant Automat & Lenses Schiele Edition for $199 / £179 / AU$219, and the LomoApparat 21 mm Wide-angle Camera Schiele Edition $99 / £99 / AU$109.

The works chosen to adorn the cameras are exquisite, and act as a reminder to experiment, push boundaries, and have fun while doing so!

You might also be interested in our guides to the best Lomography cameras, the best Lomography lenses, and the best instant cameras. 

At its WWDC event, Apple revealed that Canon has developed a new lens to create spatial video for Apple Vision Pro: the Canon RF-S 7.8mm f/4 STM Dual.

This new lens, which currently works exclusively with the APS-C Canon EOS R7, makes Canon the first camera manufacturer to jump aboard the Apple Vision Pro express and create a dedicated lens for the platform. 

The Canon RF-S 7.8mm f/4 STM Dual is the company's third Dual series optics, and another pillar of its EOS VR System – which records the 'feed' from both the left and right lens to a single image sensor on a single camera, rather than the user having to sync two cameras and manually stitch the feeds together. 

It sits alongside the just-announced Canon RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye (another APS-C optic designed for the R7) and the full-frame Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye (which works with the EOS R5 and R6 Mark II). 

However, while those are Dual Fisheye lenses – with the bug-eyed, View-Master-style design – intended for stereoscopic VR applications, the new Dual lens is intended for stereoscopic 3D applications such as spatial video. 

"Spatial video can also be used by pro videographers to tell powerful brand, product, and creative stories," Apple explained at WWDC 2024. "To make creating and sharing spatial videos with commercial audiences easier, Canon will offer a brand-new spatial lens for their popular EOS R7 digital camera. 

"It can record gorgeous spatial video for Apple Vision Pro, even under the most challenging lighting conditions. Spatial videos can then be edited in Final Cut Pro for Mac and shared and viewed in the new Vimeo app for visionOS."

Canon itself offered a little more detail, explaining that the lens' field angle is similar to the human field of view – making it perfect for this kind of use. In addition, unlike the new RF-S 3.9mm Dual Fisheye, the new lens appears to feature a full servo autofocus system. 

First second look

I've actually seen the Canon RF-S 7.8mm f/4 STM Dual before – but it wasn't called that yet. I got up close and personal with a prototype of the lens at The Photography & Video Show 2024 in Birmingham, England, where the product name, focal length and filter thread had all been artfully removed.

As you can see in the side-by-side, the prototype that Canon showed me in Birmingham is virtually identical to the finished product. It's also interesting that Canon had also created a prototype VR headset, but told me that its focus is on the optics side – clearly, it's leaving headsets to the likes of Apple. 

"We're opening up VR to more people," David Parry, the imaging product marketing lead at Canon EMEA, told me. The decision to produce the RF-S 7.8mm Dual and RF-S 3.9mm Dual Fisheye as APS-C lenses "should lower the barrier to entry and make recording Virtual Reality [VR], mixed reality [XR] and augmented reality [AR] footage much more accessible".

The Canon RF-S 7.8mm f/4 STM Dual will be available in the fall, pricing to be confirmed. You can check out a quick overview of the RF-S 7.8mm Dual and RF-S 3.9mm Dual Fisheye lenses below.

If you're interested in the best Canon cameras, you might want to check out the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless cameras and the best Canon lenses for DSLRs.

An extremely rare, and huge, collectable lens has become available to purchase, the Nikon fisheye 14.3mm f4.

The lens is available to buy from the Leica Store Lisse, in the Netherlands.  

"We currently don't really have a price in mind yet, as we aren't officially putting it up for sale at this time. We are happy to have it in our collection ourselves! Although we never know what offers might come our way..." Martijn de Clercq from the Leica Store Lisse told DCW.

This museum-worthy, one-of-a-kind, lens is a piece of photography and optics history, and was originally made for Disney with plans to use it for futuristic film and theatre viewing with 360-degree screens. 

Made by Nikon, the lens could be fitted to IMAX film cameras shooting onto 70mm film.

With some professional engineering, this lens can be adapted to attach to multiple modern cameras, including the Leica S, and Hasselblad XCD. Its speed of f4, which translates to f2.8 on 35mm can be considered ultra-fast for a fish-eye lens.

In the photo below, the giant lens is sat next to the Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.2, which takes a moment to even notice in comparison!

Described by Leica Store Lisse as “the holy grail of (fish eye) lenses,” they add, “Considering this lens is one of a kind vs the dozens of copies of the 6mm, features 70mm coverage vs 35mm of the 6mm, has a similarly ultra-fast aperture scaled up to 70mm, you can begin to understand the significance of what we have on our table today!”

Fisheye lenses date back to 1906, when inventor and physicist Robert W. Wood developed a lens based on how a fish would view the world underwater.

The lenses were used in the 1920s when they were used to study cloud formations, when they were known as whole-sky lenses, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that the fisheye lens became more popular, and mass-produced.

Nikon released their first consumer fisheye lens in 1962 and the style of photography became synonymous with the swinging sixties. Many famous album covers were taken with fisheye lenses including Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Are You Experienced, and The Rolling Stones ‘Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass).

Check out our guide to the best fisheye lenses on the market. We've also put together our guide to the best Nikon lenses. 

Panasonic Holdings Corporation will soon present a new camera calibration technology using artificial intelligence that estimates accurate and robust camera angles from a fisheye image. 

Self-driving cars, drones, and robots all require accurate travel estimation abilities to enable them to position themselves and navigate when moving.

To achieve this, most technologies use specific measurement systems, such as gyroscopes and LiDAR, additionally attached to the cameras. To reduce size, weight, and cost, the technology needs to be able to estimate travel directions using only image capture.

Panasonic Holdings commented:

“Panasonic Holdings aims to contribute to helping customers' lives and work through research and development of AI technology that accelerates social implementation and training of top AI researchers.”

Fisheye lenses are ultra wide-angle lenses that produce strong visual distortion to create a wide panoramic or hemispherical image with an extremely wide angle of view, far beyond any rectilinear lens.

You might not be able to afford one for your camera, but you probably know them from a reversing camera.

The wide-angle lenses use a special mapping or ‘distortion’ as opposed to producing images with straight lines of perspective, or rectilinear images.

Despite their wide-angle abilities, fisheye lenses can cause the viewer to struggle with angle estimation because of the distortion.

To address this problem, Panasonic Holdings has developed a method designed for functions including broad surveillance and obstacle detection, essentially harnessing the wide angle capabilities of a fisheye lens, but recalibrating the images to remove the distortion and make the images easier for humans to process.

Panasonic Holdings said:

“Specifically, this accurate and robust method based on pose estimation can address drastically distorted images under the so-called “Manhattan world assumption;” the assumption that buildings, roads, and other man-made objects typically are at right angles to each other. Since the method can be calibrated from a single general image of a city scene, it can extend applications to moving bodies, such as cars, drones, and robots.”

The proposed technology will be presented at the main conference of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2024, as a research outcome of the REAL-AI program for developing top human resources in the Panasonic group. The conference will be held in Seattle, Washington from June 17 to 21, 2024.

Take a look at our guide to the best camera fisheye lenses. We've also put together a guide to the best dash cams, and the best budget dash cams.

One of the biggest names in conference cameras has just announced a significant new model in the form of the Meeting Owl 4+, which brings more resolution and more functionality to the popular 360-degree device.

The Meeting Owl camera uses a fish-eye lens in the top of a speaker and microphone (which looks more than a little Owl-like). This gives it a 360-degree view of the room so, if it's placed in the middle of a meeting table, it can see every participant. Built-in AI then crops and selects the speaker for the video feed – a popular approach among the best conference cameras, but the design has made the Owl an iconic brand.

The device is a serious-looking charcoal compared to the cheery white/grey of the Owl 3. The most significant change, though, is that the eyes are no longer the device's only means of communication – they're now optional. If you "prefer a more professional Owl" they can be turned off, and a standard LED will still indicate status.

The new Owl 4+ includes 8 microphones with a pickup radius of around 18ft (5.5m) according to Owl Labs, but the biggest feature bump is the arrival of a 4K Ultra HD feed from the 64-megapixel camera sensor. Powering this is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 rather than the 605.

Other changes from the previous edition are a built-in K-lock, Security-conscious IT departments will appreciate that the device can also be used with Ethernet using an adapter, rather than just Wi-Fi – and indeed the power can come this way too. PoE (Power over Ethernet) is an option (as well, of course, as outlet).

Conscious of the needs of enterprises, Owl also offer a 'The Nest' software tool for remote management of multiple Owl devices and accessories. The accessories include room cameras and speaker bars to enable the devices to be used as part of larger conference room setups, details of which are available on Owl Labs own site (including, I was impressed to see, cable run illustrations).

"Non-verbal communication is crucial in the workplace for collaboration and rapport, and studies have even shown that non-verbal communication is at least as important as verbal discussion, if not more,” said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. 

The new Meeting Owl 4+ is available now for $1,999 and £1,999, while the Meeting Owl 3 will remain on sale.

Check our guide to the best 4K webcams and the best conference room webcams, and if 360 photography on the go seems interesting, we've got a guide to the best 360-degree cameras too!

In my years as a photographer I’ve bought my way through a few systems worth of cameras and lenses. Be it a medium format film system right through to my current Fujifilm setup as a former ambassador (the program ended, not my love of the system). My current lens setup runs from a 7.5mm fisheye up to 600mm (using a 300mm with a 2x teleconverter). Despite this, I still firmly believe that anyone could be happy with two lenses and shoot the most common subjects with them with ease.

I bet you think I’m going to say the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8. Sure it’s the classic professional set, but they’re big and bulky and not at all an agile set for the average photographer. The two biggest genres of photography are scenics and portraits. Both of these can be covered with the lenses I’m suggesting. Wide lenses suit landscapes, cityscapes and broad nature, while medium telephotos suit portraits.

In full-frame terms, the lenses I’m suggesting are the 16-35mm and the 85mm. On my Fujifilm X system, it’s the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 and the XF 56mm f/1.2. Now, I’d prefer if there were an f/2.8 version of the 10-24mm for astrophotography, but f/4 is still fine for scenics, where you’d normally be shooting at f/11. The zoom gives you room to change your view and enhance the foreground. 

85mm (56mm on an APS-C crop-sensor camera) is a very flattering lens focal length for portraits. The compression allows the nose to balance well with the face and helps the ears look proportional. Wider lenses make the nose look larger and bloat the face.  I’ve even shot ¾ portraits using this by zooming with my feet. 

Being a prime, you also get beautiful bokeh with the shallow depth of field. While most are f/1.2, Canon’s RF 85mm f/2 is a gorgeous lens for the money and a worthy investment, especially as it also does macro. I love the new 56mm for Fuji, especially the weather sealing.

Best of all, the combined weight and size makes this set easy to bring everywhere. They’re well suited to a smaller messenger bag, or a day bag with your lunch and laptop. You no longer need to worry if you can bring a camera with you for light travel because you know these lenses will cover most of your needs. 

Checkout our complete guide to the best Fujifilm XF lenses

The Lomography Society International has been flying the flag for retro-style film photography since being founded in 1992 and actually re-introduced the 110-cartridge film format itself in 2012. That same year saw Lomography launch two 110 format cameras in the shape of the Fisheye Baby 100 and the Diana Baby 110. Since then, the popularity of film formats, especially the funky, retro styles offered by Lomography, has increased significantly. 

What Lomography is selling is not so much an outdated format, but a lifestyle where creativity, fun, and retro colors are more important than any technical quality. This brings us to the Lomomatic 110 Camera Metal, and its sister camera, the Lomomatic 110 Camera Golden Gate. As the names suggest, the Metal one, looked at here, comes in a high-quality metal body, while the Golden Gate has a cheaper build quality but has beige and orange, 1970s-style coloring.

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Specifications

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Price and availability

At $159 / £149, the Lomomatic 110 is expensive considering you can pick up vintage 110 film cameras for under $50. However, the Golden Gate version without the flash is a slightly more reasonable $99 / £89. 

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Build and handling

No complaints about the build quality of the Lomomatic 110 Metal, it has a rock-solid case and quality glass lens. It looks and feels good to hold but actually using it throws up a few issues. 

To start with, the method of turning the camera on and advancing the film isn’t infallible. You simply pull it open, side to side, and snap it shut again. However, on the return when closing, it often catches, requiring the process to be repeated. Sometimes it appears to have taken a photo but actually hasn’t, so the film doesn’t advance. 

The other main complaint is that the fire button is too recessed and close to the buttons that set Bulb exposure and the ISO rating. Consequently, it’s all too easy to press the wrong thing and stand there wondering why it didn’t click. This is especially the case when rotating the camera vertically and makes for truly ungainly handling. 

The obvious space limitations of such a compact body also mean that the other controls are not the most accessible, particularly the Day/Night aperture slider which is on the underside.

The optional flash fits on the side and feels like it should rotate, increasing the creative possibilities, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. The setting slider for fill-flash in the daytime and full flash for nighttime is also recessed far too much making it more difficult to use than it should be.

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Performance

For a camera that styles itself as fun and creative, it’s a lot more fiddly than you might expect. The film advancing issue is one thing, but if you’re less than 3m away there’s that mental calculation involved in estimating the distance and then setting the right distance on the focus slider. 

Obviously, being a bit out of focus is part of the charm but there are limits. The focal length of the lens is 23mm, but the film is much smaller than 35mm, so that translates into a viewing and shooting distance of around 50mm (in 35mm terms). 

It means that it’s far more suited for portraits than it is for landscape shots. If you want to photograph something like a building, church, monument, and so on, you’ll need to stand some way back to get it all in the shot.

Having an aperture slider to select between Day and Night, for which read f/5.6 and f/2.8 is handy, giving a bit more control over the depth of field but the metering is easily fooled by bright skies and backlit subjects. 

Fortunately, there’s a workaround here, in that the ISO setting can be changed at any time, so if the film is rated at ISO 200 and you switch the setting to 100, it lets in more light, which is useful for backlit subjects, although if the subject is a person then you’re better off using the flash - if you have it. Judging whether to change the ISO setting comes down to the experience of using the camera as, obviously, there’s no immediate feedback here.

The other area where experience comes into play is if the light is murky, but it isn’t night time. With the shutter being set automatically, there’s a reasonable chance of camera shake in gloomy conditions, more so if you are still on the Day aperture setting. Knowing how the camera performs under various lighting conditions will help deliver better results, but the initial set of prints is likely to have a few duds in there. 

The other, related issue is using the Bulb setting because there’s no screw thread for a tripod. Fortunately, the body has a flat base, so find a flat surface to shoot from and all will be well. If not, then the results will be blurry.

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Sample Images

Lomomatic 110 Camera: Verdict

Looks great with fantastic retro styling but is awkward to use, has fiddly settings and it isn’t the cheapest way to get on the vintage 110 bandwagon. Still, there is a decent range of funky film stocks, loading and unloading is easy and the glass lens helps give decent results under bright lighting conditions.

AstrHori's first full-frame autofocus lens has now been released for the Nikon Z mount – and at just $250 for an 85mm f/1.8, it might be the best value-for-money portrait lens released so far this year. 

AstrHori is a third-party lens manufacturer that makes some of the market's most affordable lenses, including tilt-shift, macro, and fisheye – and in recent times, the low price point does not mean low performance. 

Following the example of other third-party Chinese lens manufacturers that have historically only produced manual focus lenses, AstrHori has started to develop AF lenses. It recently released its first full-frame AF for Sony E mount, and now it has come to the Z mount. 

The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens offers one of the most popular portrait focal lengths, enabling the user to isolate the subject and compress the background. The lens can also be mounted on APS-C cameras, providing an equivalent focal length of 127.5mm – not far from the Nikon Plena. 

The lens is constructed with 9 elements in 8 groups, and the wide f/1.8 aperture offers low light performance and creative potential. The shallow depth of field combined with the focal length produces extremely soft bokeh, which AstrHori states is "well-suited for a rich detail of a portrait".

The autofocus capabilities are what sets this lens apart from the rest of the ArtHori lineup, offering a fast and accurate AF system compatible with eye and face tracking. This is particularly useful in combination with the stepping motor, which drives quiet continuous autofocus, making the lens ideal for stills and video alike. 

Other notable features include electronic contacts for communicating and transferring EXIF data, a USB-C port for future firmware updates, and a multi-layer coating that has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting. 

The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens is available now for $250 / £222 from Amazon or direct from AstrHori. Although we have yet to get our hands on this lens and put it through DCW testing, for the price and the specs alone it strikes me as a great deal – and perhaps even the best bargain of the year.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon Z lenses, the best Nikon camera, and the best lenses for portraits. 

It's a sad day for me, and anyone who loves quirky Micro Four Thirds lenses that used to be calling card of the format: the Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 Lens has been discontinued. 

This little $89 hunk of plastic has been arguably my favorite lens from the moment I bought it. Cheap and cheerful? You betcha. Punches well above its weight? Damned straight it does. 

At first glance, it's just a nasty little toy lens. Plastic element, fixed f/8 aperture, nothing more than the glorified body cap that its name suggests. But man, it is so much more. For starters, just look at how tiny this thing is, on an already tiny Olympus camera: 

It weighs absolutely nothing and is so small that it can always come in my camera bag for when I want an ultra-wide perspective of something. And how often does that happen? Actually, a lot. 

Lanscapes. Selfies. Group shots. Vlogging. Heck, the first time I travelled to India I ended up using this lens almost the entire time – including to photograph a magazine assignment. 

I don't have any better quality versions to hand, but here are a handful of shots I've taken using the lens that I've grabbed straight from my Instagram (@jamesartaius if you want to check out some of my other stuff). Even in crunchy low res, hopefully these illustrate just how versatile the 9mm Fisheye Body Cap is:

So the news that it has been discontinued, reported by Asobinet in Japan, brings me great sadness. The sister 15mm body cap, which unlike the 9mm has truly terrible image quality, was also discontinued recently. It's possible that it will be produced in future, with the OM System branding, but I don't think it's exactly going to be a top priority for the manufacturer.

There is a "proper" Olympus fisheye, of course, the M.Zuiko 8mm f/1.8 Pro lens, but that comes in at a shade under a thousand bucks rather than a shade under a hundred. And it's also huge, so not exactly something I can slip in my lapel pocket like I can with the 9mm Body Cap.

Anyway, I'll be snapping up a spare copy as a backup (you can see how well used mine is!). And if you've made it this far, check out a video I shot with it at a funfair in Mapusa, India, of a car and a motorcycle driving around the wall of death:

You might be interested in the best Olympus / OM System cameras, along with the best Olympus / OM System lenses like this one.

We've come a long way, baby. The first time I experienced virtual reality was using a first-generation Virtuality VR headset to play a videogame with a crude flying pterodactyl in 1992, then later to pilot a giant robot in a battle royal. And of course, there was the Lawnmower Man movie starring a pre-James Bond Pierce Brosnan. 

Since then, 3D and VR has come back into vogue with technologies like Oculus, Meta Quest and PlayStation VR, which have become increasingly affordable ways to consumer immersive content. However, the ability to create this content is not nearly so affordable – but Canon plans to change all that.  

At The Photography & Video Show I had the chance to chat to David Parry, the imaging product marketing lead at Canon EMEA, who explained that, "3D is super important for us. And we’re talking about 3D, 180°, real VR." 

The company already has a VR lens for its EOS R system, the Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye launched in 2021. However, this was initially a premium product that only worked with the full-frame Canon EOS R5 – though later compatibility was expanded to the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. 

Having proven the technology, Canon now plans to further democratize it by bringing it to RF-S cameras such as the Canon EOS R7. 

"We’ve got two cameras here with two lenses, this is a stereoscopic VR lens and then we’ve got a stereoscopic 3D lens here," explains Parry. "They’re designed to fit an APS-C sensor. And the beauty of that is, we’re opening up VR to more people."

ABOVE: Watch David's Canon VR presentation 

More affordable lenses to work with more affordable bodies certainly invites a wider audience of creators. However, Canon is going one step further by introducing an all-in-one system that does everything.

"What I’m really excited about it this little guy in the middle here," he continues, pointing to a small box about the size of a cigarette packet with two lenses, one of which swivels around to the rear.

"This is a two-in-one 360° and VR. It does 360°, with this lens flipped around behind, and then you flip that lens out, you’ve got 180°, 3D VR in one product. Shoots 8K, shoots 4K as well. Something else we’re looking is live streaming – live streaming VR. This is the future, this is what’s super, super exciting."

What's remarkable to me is that two years ago we had a 180°-only, 8K VR setup that cost four grand for the camera and two grand for the lens, and had to be full frame. Today, we're looking at a compact, all-in-one 360° VR device that can shoot 8K and live stream it – all for a fraction of the price.

None of these products are yet official, though Canon seems confident that they will be here sooner than later. And, personally, I can't wait. 

You might also be interested in the best Canon cameras, along with the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless and the best Canon DSLR lenses. 

Sigma has revealed that it will be announcing a new product(s) next week, and without any further details, it has left us with the question: what is it? 

Before product announcements, Sigma likes to keep us in suspense by launching a live YouTube video that counts down to the announcement date, which in this instance, is March 26, 2024. Rather cryptically, there are no further details or hints at what kind of product we might see on the day, but we do know when and where the presentation will occur. 

Sigma state in its video description, "From 21:00 JST [12:00 GMT / 07:00 EST] on March 26th (Tuesday), we will be broadcasting SIGMA's new product presentation live. In addition to introducing new products, we are also planning a corner where we will answer comments and questions received via chat during the broadcast, so please turn on your notification settings and watch in real time!"

Sigma is a leading Japanese imaging specialist that makes some of the best third-party lenses for mirrorless cameras on the market. Its Art, Sport, and Contemporary lens lineups have offered photographers outstanding quality glass at a more affordable entry point than native lenses. In addition, Sigma has been creating some of the industry's favorite cine lenses, with the Sigma 65mm T1.5 FF chosen as the benchmark lens for the recent Camera Assessment Test undertaken by the Giant Screen Cinema Association due to its exceptional quality.

Earlier this year Sigma released the Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports and the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art, two lenses that wouldn't be further apart, meaning that correctly guessing what lens is coming next, is even more difficult. 

A lens for one of these lines could well be a valid guess for the upcoming announcement but we must not forget that Sigma also produces the Sigma fp and Sigma fp L, full-frame mirrorless cameras that offer hybrid shooting features. With the Sigma fp L released in 2021, it may be time for an update. Could we see a new Sigma fp camera?

Speculating on new product launches is fun, but it won't be until next week that we get any definitive answers. The market is amid vintage overload with film and retro cameras very much in Vogue with the younger consumer, could we see a new retro compact camera to compete with the Fujifilm X100VI? Sigma's last compact camera, the dp Quattro, was introduced 10 years ago in 2014. The possibilities are endless, so we will just have to wait in excited wonder until the announcement!

You may also be interested in our helpful guides on the best mirrorless cameras, the best hybrid cameras, and the best cine cameras, as Sigma makes compatible lenses for each. 

Lomography is no stranger to adding a pop of color to its cameras, and the new Fisheye No.2 camera is the latest camera to receive a makeover, with what might be the juiciest edition yet. 

Lomography is a camera, lens, and film manufacturer focused on experimental analog products that unleash new creative possibilities. The best Lomography cameras offer something unique, and the Lomography Fisheye No.2 is no exception. Direct flash fisheye snapshots are certainly not the norm, but despite the medium, they look modern and offer something different from traditional events or holiday snaps. 

First released in 2009, the Lomography Fisheye No.2 is a 35mm film camera with a fixed 10mm lens for a wild fish eye experience, ideal for capturing creative snapshots. The camera lens is fixed focus and captures a set aperture of f/8, and the built-in flash provides a further creative license. A removable viewfinder gives the user the option to shoot from the hip and live in the moment - a way of life suited to this camera. 

As if making quirky experimental analog cameras wasn't niche enough, Lomography often adds new color editions to inject even more wackiness. We recently saw an update to the Sprocket Rocket panoramic camera with fresh new colors, and the Fisheye No.2 is the next camera model to get a makeover.

Papaya Pop is the latest edition and it certainly provides an explosion of color! A bright orange exterior with yellow polka dots will certainly be a summer statement and is ideal for those heading to sunny climes.

Lomography's ethos is to create products that encourage creative fun and experimentation with the analog process, and they constantly succeed. The Fisheye No.2 was already a neat camera for taking unique analog snapshots, and the introduction of the new Papaya Pop edition has made it the perfect camera for your holidays!

The Lomography Fisheye No.2 Papaya Pop is available now for $79 | £69.

Analog photography is certainly making a resurgence, and you can find more information in our guides to the best film cameras, the best 35mm film stock, and the best film scanners. 

Sigma claims this is the world’s first f/1.4 diagonal fisheye, the unique feature here being its f/1.4 maximum aperture. This alone would make it a very interesting option for astrophotography, where extreme angles of view and extreme lens apertures are highly desired, but Sigma has built in a number of other features to tempt stargazers too.

The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN is a so-called ‘diagonal fisheye’, which means that while there is strong curvature towards the edges of the frame, the image does still fill the frame – as opposed to a ‘circular fisheye’, where you just get a circular image with black borders.

Sigma says the 15mm F1.4 DG DN can be used for landscapes, portraits, architecture and more, though it’s astrophotography where its advantages are most likely to be felt, especially with the attention Sigma has paid to its optical and physical design. Indeed, it looks set to become one of the best lenses for astrophotography for Sony and L-mount users, if not one of the best fisheye lenses – albeit a pretty expensive one.

It uses a highly sophisticated design consisting of 21 glass elements in 15 groups, including four FLD and three SLD low dispersion elements to reduce sagittal coma flare and other aberrations. According to Sigma, its new lens can precisely reproduce bright points of light across the whole frame, even when shooting wide open at F1.4.

All this glass contributes to a formidable all-in weight of 1360g, and to make this easier to mount on a tripod, Sigma is including a removable tripod mounting collar. Other features include a built in rear filter holder – and filters can be stored in a special locking lens cap – and a Lens Heat Retainer for serious astro shooters who use heating pads to keep the lens warm in cold conditions.

Controls include a manual focus lock with disables the focus ring – perfect when you’ve focused on the stars and don’t want to accidentally shaft the focus – a customisable AF-L button, a de-clickable aperture ring and a dust and splash resistant design that also includes a water and oil repellent front coating.

Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye specifications

Optical construction: 21 elements in 15 groups
Angle of view: 180° 
Diaphragm: 11 aperture blades (rounded diaphragm)
Min aperture: f/16
Min focus distance: 0.385m
Max magnification: 1:16
Dimensions: 104.0 × 157.9mm
Weight: 1360g

Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye price and availability

The new lens joins a group wide-angle F1.4 DG DN Art lenses including the Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN | Art, 20mm F1.4 DG DN | Art and 24mm F1.4 DG DN | Art. Although it has a longer focal length than the Sigma 14mm lens, the unique properties of fisheye lenses mean that normal focal length/angle of view comparisons don’t apply, and the 15mm fisheye actually has a much wider angle of view of 180 degrees, versus the 114.2 degrees of the 14mm rectilinear lens.

The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye will be available in L-Mount and Sony E-Mount versions and will be on sale from March 14 at a price of $1,999 / £1,869 (about AU$3,045).

Canon has been looking into the future and sees that VR has a part to play in its portfolio. The company already has the RF 5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens as part of its full-frame lineup. In fact, some new VR lenses were on display while in development concept guise, for APS-C based cameras and a standalone device for capturing VR while working in run-and-gun mode.

All of these were interesting devices; some might have competition in our guide to the best 360 cameras, but clearly Canon are preparing for a new wave of content creation for devices like the Apple Vision Pro, Meta, and Sony goggles.

As an integral component of the EOS VR System, the RF 5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens is designed to be paired seamlessly with the EOS R5 C, EOS R5 (firmware 1.5.0+), or EOS R6 Mark II (firmware 1.2.0), in conjunction with one of Canon's VR software solutions. Together, they enable the creation of immersive 3D content that can be enjoyed on compatible head-mounted displays, such as the Oculus Quest 2 and others.

I tried the content created from the lens / platform as I visited the Canon stand today at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, and wore a VR headset while watching a band play. The experience was fully immersive and enjoyable. While not in full 360, the same video is displayed when looking behind you.

Nice to see a camera company start experimenting with new ideas and content creation methods. I hope to try and see if I can get some content from my next trips to Alaska captured in VR. We shall see!

Kandao's pre-show spoiler seen in the flesh

On the subject of 360, Kandao had already given us forewarning of the new Qoocam 3 Ultra 360 8K dual-sensor camera for CES this year and think it could be a bit of a hit. The company also makes some great 360 hardware for conferencing as well as “action” cam style 360 cameras and this one is the newest of the range and out later this year. We now know that pricing will be less than $1000 when it arrives in the US this year. 

I've been reviewing the Kandao QooCam 3 for a few weeks and it's an excellent 360-degree camera, but before I've even finished we've learned the camera is to get a more powerful bigger brother with the addendum 'Ultra' to its name.

That makes a lot of sense given that Kandao have a wealth of high-spec 360-degree camera experience, which we've seen not only in consumer cameras but in their numerous contenders for best conferencing cameras like the Kandao Meeting Pro. It also makes sense in the context of the competition; if the QooCam 3 has broadly the same specs as the Insta 360 X3 – perhaps the best-known consumer 360-degree camera – then this is a swipe at that company's prosumer option.

The QooCam 3 Ultra will be revealed at CES 2024, the massive consumer electronics show which runs January 9-14 in Las Vegas. Styled like a taller version of the square QooCam 3, it has dual 1/1.7 sensors and fish-eye lenses, four built-in microphones, and a six-axis gyroscope. In-camera live-streaming and even live stitching will be supported, suggesting Kandao are aiming to dominate a future in which streamers don't even need to point their cameras, and viewers might be using goggles.

The maximum video capture will be 8K at 30fps, while 5.7K can be recorded at 60fps. The Ultra will also support 10-bit HLG video recording, while the camera can capture stills at 96-megapixels. A DNG8 Raw+ algorithm will allow, say Kandao, "capturing enhanced panoramic photos that preserve rich image details and deliver exceptional quality."

Admittedly we'll need to reserve final judgement on the QooCam 3 Ultra until the pricing is announced. One of the big advantages of the QooCam 3 is that it is relatively affordable, which I imagine will serve to further ignite interest in the 360-camera field (personally I first got hooked before the QooCam 3 came out with the aforementioned Insta360 X3, and am still enjoying experimenting with this new way of thinking about imaging). 

For many thinking of taking the leap, a bit more resolution will make a difference (remember that the 8K is across both lenses, so once you start editing you tend to crop out detail). Will Kandao make the price as appealing as the package?

Check our guide to the best 360 cameras or if you would rather choose direction, check out the best action cameras.

Lomography has jazzed up its 35mm film fisheye camera, Fisheye No.2, by introducing a new colorway – Grape Jam. 

Subtle is not a word that can be used to describe Lomography's cameras, and that is certainly the case with its newly updated purple-and-lime green colorway on the Fisheye No.2. The best Lomography cameras have character in abundance, and this is no exception!

The Fisheye No.2 is a camera that has been out a little while, and one that offers a unique experience to film shooters by providing a fixed focus fisheye lens on a 35mm camera body. The camera is exceptionally lightweight and portable, and rocks "a vibrant PU leather purple coat with a sassy pop of green on the viewfinder", designed to turn heads and grab attention.

The lens has a focal length of 10mm and an ultra-wide 170° angle of view, with a pair of shutter speeds (Bulb and 1/100) along with an f/8 aperture. The detachable viewfinder enables users to shoot from the hip or traditionally, by attaching it to the camera's hot shoe.

The camera is capable of shooting multiple exposures, an increasingly popular trend among new film shooters. Another feature is the built-in flash, which is a neat creative tool enabling you to capture unique party shots.

"This funky gadget offers fun for everyone, beginner or advanced, with exciting features that allow creativity to soar," says Lomography.

The new Grape Jam colorway is out now, along with the existing models, Acapulco La Quebrada and the original (black and silver) – check out the official Lomography website. 

So, what is Lomography? 

If you read this far and wonder what the hell I've been talking about, you won't be alone. The Lomographic Society International was established in Vienna in 1992, and it's an organization dedicated to experimental film photography. It prides itself in not just recreating traditional film cameras and lenses, but experimenting and pushing the boundaries of film photography – as is evident with the Lomography Sprocket Rocket, Fisheye Baby, and the Lomography Konstruktor F.

Lomography doesn't just make cameras, it also makes some of the best film for 35mm and medium format cameras, the best Lomography Lenses, and it makes some of the most unusual festive photography gifts. 

I must admit, given a choice, most photographers would probably not choose to shoot landscapes with a rangefinder camera. At this point, I will admit that I am talking about a Leica – the superb 60MP Leica M11, to be precise.

First things first, the Leica M series is thought by most to be a little quirky and a bit of a throwback to the pre-single lens reflex era. It is also considered to be, by many, more of a street photographer’s camera. Well, here’s a funny thing, Oscar Barnack, inventor of the Leica, developed it as a small, compact camera that could be carried easily and discreetly on hikes and holidays. The fact that it became a favorite of the photojournalist is another story.

I must admit, I pondered long and hard about shooting landscapes with the Leica rangefinder. After all, framing accuracy is not going to be absolute using illuminated guidelines in the viewfinder, although it is a good starting point. At least there is also a bright and sharp screen on the rear of the camera for fine-tuning. I did buy the optional electronic viewfinder that slides into the accessory shoe for my original M10, but found I hardly used it.

The lenses are all manual focus (do you really need autofocus for shooting a landscape?) but the image on the rear screen will jump to 100% when the focus ring is rotated, which can be helpful, and of course, there is focus peaking, which I often use. However, I still am a huge fan of the split screen focusing patch in the viewfinder – again, quirky on a modern camera but also very effective.

One of the main worries with switching to the Leica rangefinder system is perhaps the lens choice – or, more accurately, the lack of choice. When I was a Nikon user, I was able to call on lenses such as the 14-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm, all in one camera bag, with an assortment of other lenses (often left at home) such as tilt shift, fisheye, and super telephoto. 

Leica sells prime lenses from 21mm through to 135mm for its M-series rangefinder cameras, along with a couple of close-up macro lenses. The choice is not huge, but do you really need every single millimeter of every single zoom lens? I don’t. I looked at what I was shooting and what focal lengths I used the most, and found I was looking at the world roughly through a 35mm or 50mm viewpoint. I now have a 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, and a 90mm, and guess what – 75% of my work is with the 35mm and 50mm lenses.

Another big quirk shooting landscapes with the rangefinder is that, when you use graduated filters – or any filters or polarizers – you cannot see them through the viewfinder. You must use the rear screen or optional electronic viewfinder. In fact, the optical viewfinder gets substantially blocked by the filter holder I use – a bit frustrating at times, but it’s not an insurmountable problem.

I love shooting landscapes with the M11. Quirky, yes, perhaps an acquired taste or just plain incomprehensible to most, but the results speak for themselves and I love using it, quirks and all.

if you're thinking of taking the leap, we keep a guide of the best Leica cameras and the best Leica M lenses… along with the best Leica alternatives.

How good is your photographic knowledge? Do you know your f-stop from your stop bath? Our new weekly quiz will test you out with 10 fun multiple-choice questions. How well will you do?

Want to know what you scored? Find out on the answers page…

• Now try last week's photo quiz

The answers to the Photo Quiz #3

Answers

1. b

2.  d 

3. a

4. d

5. c

6. b

7. c

8. c

9. d

10. b

How did you do?

10 points - You're a photo mastermind

8-9 points - Fantastic, your a photo brainiac

6-7 points - Really good score

4-5 points - Respectable, but no cigar

2-3 points - We'll keep your score secret

0-1 points - Epic fail

• Now try last week's photo quiz

How good is your photographic knowledge? Do you know your f-stop from your stop bath? Our new weekly quiz will test you out with 10 fun multiple-choice questions. How well will you do?

Want to know what you scored? Find out on the answers page…

The answers to the Photo Quiz

1 b   Wetzlar

2 a   Robert Capa

3 c   Kiss

4 c   Magic wand

5 b   Filter diameter

6 c    George Harrison

7 b   Fine art print fron an inkjet printer

8 c   Curves

9 a   2.5x

10 c  Model release form  

How did you do?

10 points - You're a photo mastermind

8-9 points - Fantastic, your a photo brainiac

6-7 points - Really good score

4-5 points - Respectable, but no cigar

2-3 points - We'll keep your score secret

0-1 points - Epic fail

Every heard of Google Trusted Photography? Well, it's a thing – an important thing. And almost anyone can be part of it.

Google Street View is an innovation that has revolutionized how we experience and interact with the world around us. Whenever I’m going somewhere new, I use it to check what the outside of the building and its surroundings look like, just to be sure I am definitely in the right place! Almost everyone who uses Google Maps would’ve seen or heard about the Google Street View car, but Google’s Trusted Photographers also play a massive role. 

• Check out the best 360 cameras - perfect for capturing panoramas, 360 video, selfies, action and so much more

Since Street View launched in 2007, over 220 billion images and more than 10 million miles of streets have been captured. What started as a farfetched idea to build a 360° map of the world has been a remarkable success, enabling people to explore cities, towns and landscapes from anywhere on the planet. For both businesses and travelers, it is an incredibly useful tool that helps increase visibility and can keep you safe (from ending up somewhere you don’t want to be). 

While a large proportion of the world has been photographed on a sophisticated 360° camera mounted on a vehicle, trekkers and even underwater vessels, lots of images have been uploaded by the general public who have a passion for panoramic shots. 

Google’s Trusted Photographers are made up of people who have shared more than 50 high-quality, seamlessly stitched-together panoramas to the Google Street View app. While technically anyone can upload, there are some strict criteria that need to be met – and phone snaps just won’t cut it. 

How do you become a Google Trusted Photographer?

1. You should already have a background in photography and access to the necessary equipment, including a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a fisheye lens. 

2. Have a look at Google’s online training resources; they will help you understand the best practices for capturing 360° images and cover essential topics such as camera setup and post-processing techniques. 

3. When you’re ready, apply to become a Google Trusted Photographer through the Google website. Then it’s just a waiting game while Google reviews your portfolio to ensure you meet its criteria.

4. If your application is approved, you’ll need to complete a certification process whereby you upload a high-quality, 360° image that shows off your skills and technique. 

5. Only once you have your certificate will you gain access to the Google Street View app and associate tools, which enable you to capture photos and upload them directly to Google Maps for everyone to see!

Before you get any crazy ideas to quit your job and become a Google Trusted Photographer full time, it’s worth pointing out that the role is in fact unpaid. Boo. There is potential to earn a steady income if you reach Trusted Pro status, but only if you manage to sell your services to local businesses looking to invest in virtual walkarounds. 

The role of Google Trusted Photographers remains integral to how we experience and engage with our surroundings, and we have a lot to thank them for. So, the next time you embark on a virtual journey using Google Street View, remember the skilled individuals behind those captivating images who make it all possible.

Stay safe in your car with the best dash cams, along with the best front and rear dash cams and the best backup cameras. 

A new super-wide-angle 9mm lens to be released by 7Artisans for full-frame mirrorless cameras. 

Full-frame mirrorless cameras are to receive yet another new 9mm super-wide angle lens, this time from 7Artisans. The manual focus 9mm f/5.6 lens will be available for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L mounts. It shares a list of features with the new best wide-angle lenses and looks to be an exciting option for super-wide shooters. 

The 7Artisan 9mm f/5.6 is a fully manual lens, designed for full-frame cameras. Its ultra-wide angle gives a huge view of 132 degrees, ideal for landscape photography and astrophotography. An angle of view this wide can enable the user to capture more of the scene and provide a creative perspective. Despite the focal length, the angle of view does not fall into the fish-eye territory and instead, thanks to two aspherical lenses, provides quality image edges and controlled distortion.

This lens has a smooth all-metal design that makes it more durable but does not stop it from being conveniently lightweight and compact. Weighing in at 463g and with a lens length of 78mm, this lens can be used by photographers on the move, who require a lighter kit.

Another increasingly desired feature, that up until recently I had not been aware of, is the sunstar ability. This lens creates 10-point sun stars by way of its 5 aperture blades, allowing for a pleasing symmetrical light flare. The aperture itself can be used from its minimum of f/5.6 through to its max of f/22.

Other notable features include a 20cm minimum focusing distance, 70mm lens diameter, 2 ED lens elements to suppress chromatic aberration, and a de-clicked aperture ring. The de-click option for the aperture ring has been increasing in popularity, especially with manual focus lenses. It allows a smoother aperture switch when videoing reducing camera shake.

The 7Artisans 9mm f/5.6 Full-frame Wide-angle lens will be officially released on October 13, 2023, at the price of $479 | £459 | AU $749.

Canon looks to be very much in step with the rollout of major headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro. It has just revealed a consumer-friendly hybrid camera, built to produce content in both 360° and 180° VR modes. 

Moreover, at IBC 2023, Canon not only showed off a prototype (in a glass box) but showed off some specs: it will capture 8K 30fps, 4K 120fps, and offer live streaming.

• Some of the best Canon cameras already embrace 180° 3D VR

The prototype's design bears a resemblance to the Canon PowerShot V10 but possesses a hinge, enabling one of the lenses to be rotated from back-to-back mode (which would capture full 360°) to a side-by-side position like human eyes, reminiscent of the Insta360 Evo. Presumably this mode would work like other 360 cameras, while the 180 would be stereoscopic like Canon's own Dual Fisheye lens.

The Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye is a tool already well-established in the 3D VR creation market, but it requires a Canon EOS R5 (for 8K) or Canon EOS R6 Mark II to work – a not inconsiderable cost. What might at first seem somewhat like a Heath-Robinson approach is, in fact, its chief virtue for creators, though; by using a single camera (a single sensor at that) there is no chance of synchronicity issues.

Personally, I tend to think of 360° cameras as offering the chance to recompose video after the fact. But VR180 live streaming is a growing trend, supported by TikTok, so creators can share their view as go. There is already a 6K device in this space, the Calf camera, for $1,499 / £1,250, but nothing from a name as big as Canon yet. Despite the heft of its brand, however, Canon seems to be planning to charge less.

According to an interview with Alex Baker from DIYPhotography, Canon is looking at under $1,000 (about £820 / AU$1,590) – though couched with the words "probably" and "maybe." Under the price of the Canon EOS R8, anyway. Another way of looking at it is the most obvious competitor, at least in 360 terms, which is the Insta360 One RS, which has 1-inch sensors (but can't do the 180VR mode). That goes for a little below that price.

The only remaining piece of the puzzle for Canon – should you decide to keep your money in your pocket until we know more – is what the company will offer to compete with Insta360 or GoPro in terms of editing software, if anything. 

Check our guides to the best 360-degree cameras or the best or – if viewing is the issue – take a look at our guide to the best VR headset or – fun fact – did you know you can use some of the best FPV goggles to view 3D images?

The Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount has one of the most fully fleshed out lens lineups of in the business, with Panasonic, Olympus, Leica, and third-party lens manufacturers churning out glass for a wide range of users from professionals to camera beginners, and everything from fisheye to super telephoto.  

Today, Panasonic is launching two newly redesigned Micro Four Thirds lenses – alongside the Panasonic Lumix G9 II – to take advantage of the latest improvements in sensor, autofocus, and image stabilization.

At the time of writing, Panasonic has a lineup of 32 MFT lenses – of which 15 are Leica DG lenses. This is a specific line of lenses designed for MFT cameras, made under Leica's strict conditions for high-quality optics, precision engineering and build quality to earn its approval. 

They are a part of a wider collaborative effort between Panasonic and Leica, and attest to the companies' close partnership throughout their other product lines (including the L-Mount Alliance). 

Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 35-100mm f/2.8 Power OIS

Not strictly a mark two version of the lens, the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 35-100mm f/2.8 Power OIS lens has been redesigned from the original Panasonic-branded version, this time featuring Leica’s input to meet the latter's rigorous standards. The lens aims to provide photographers with improved performance and mobility, and is designed to be compact and portable for handheld photography and video with Dual IS to keep things steady.

The lens features a zoom range of 35-100mm, making this the Micro Four Thirds equivalent to the popular 70-200mm lens on a full-frame camera (which is the standard workhorse telephoto for many professional photographers) when the 2x crop factor is applied. The new lens maintains a bright f/2.8 aperture throughout its entire zoom range, improving low-light performance and enabling more depth of field and subject separation.

The lens structure includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and one UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) element, and also features Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology – all of which are incorporated to minimize ghosting and flare while preserving color quality.

The Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 35-100mm f/2.8 Power OIS is set to be available in November 2023, with a retail price of $1,149 / £1,099 (Australian pricing TBC).

Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3 II Asph. Power OIS

The Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3 II Asph. Power OIS lens is an update on the previous Leica lens, aiming to provide a versatile solution for photographers interested in both macro and ultra-telephoto photography. 

The lens features a significant focal length range, spanning from 100-400mm, which is equivalent to 200mm to 800mm on a 35mm camera. And when paired with the Panasonic DMW-TC20A 2.0x teleconverter this jumps to a massive 400-1600mm in range. This makes it suitable for capturing subjects such as wildlife and sports events, even from far, far away.

Additionally, when paired with the same 2.0x teleconverter, it enables a 1600mm full life-size macro shooting capability, which can capture fine details in subjects like flowers and animals. Always worth noting, though, it that the use of this teleconverter does reduce the maximum aperture by two stops.

This lens incorporates a structure comprising one aspherical lens, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lenses, and one UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lens.

The Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3 II Asph. Power OIS lens is expected to be available in late November 2023, with a launch price of $1,599 / £1,499 (again, Australian pricing TBC).

Find out more about the best Micro Four Thirds cameras, which features some of the best Panasonic cameras.

Canon has released an immersive 180° VR meditation featuring cute rescue kittens playing among soft pastel-colored blankets and toys. Aptly named Meow-Ditation, the six-and-a-half-minute experience invites you to focus on breathing, relax your body and guide you through a meditation focused on creature comforts. 

Shot using a Canon EOS R5C and the Canon RF 5.2mm Dual Fisheye f/2.8 L lens, the interactive YouTube video enables you to move around the screen using a headset or mouse / cursor to explore the environment while listening to a calming voice. It directs you to listen to your body,  provokes a sense of calmness, and enjoys the playfulness and free-spirited nature of kittens. 

• Check out the best Canon cameras perfect for vlogging, photography or professional filmmaking

This is one of Canon's strangest and most unusual uses of VR but, one that demonstrates the endless possibilities when it comes to virtual reality technology. Made in collaboration with renowned cat photographer, Andrew Marttila, (@iamthecatphotographer) and VR experts Keeley Turner and Hugh Hou, the relaxing voice combined with a soothing voice is the “purrfect way to de-stress”. 

Obviously you get the full immersive experience if you watch using a VR headset. When viewing on a desktop or laptop you can move your cursor to move around the scene, and when viewing on a camera phone or tablet you can tilt the device to change the view. 

Canon’s RF 5.2mm Dual Fisheye Lens was made specifically for professional VR production with a stereoscopic VR lens that captures two high-resolution images on a single full-frame sensor – and was designed with the Canon EOS R5 and R5C in mind. 

Footage can be seamlessly aligned, synchronized and stitched with Canon’s VR utility, which supports 8K RAW footage. You can also import and covert Canon’s VR footage into Adobe Premier Pro using Canon's EOS VR plugin.

Previous applications of the Dual Fisheye lens include recording dance videos and breathtaking high-resolution nature experiences, but this is by far the most creative and calming use of the Canon’s most unusual-looking lens. It gives a whole new definition to meditation and whether or not you're a cat lover, it’s hard not to feel less stressed after watching the video. 

You can purchase the Canon VR Content Creator Kit, containing an EOS R5C and the Dual Fisheye Lens, directly from Canon. 

See the differences between the two bodies in our Canon EOS R5 vs R5C head to head. And check out the best VR headsets for the 180° or 360° experience. 

Moment started making lenses a decade ago, with the mission to turn your phone into a better camera. The T-Series is the next progression, bringing mobile photography and filmmaking ever closer to what you can capture on a traditional camera.

Designed for the latest generation of the best camera phones, the T-Series also sees Moment back to supporting Android with lenses that support bigger camera sensors and wider apertures. Adding another layer of glass and re-inventing the patented bayonet interface.

• These are the best lenses for iPhone and Android phones

The new T-Series captures the magic of what Moment first created with the company's original Wide 18mm lens: optics that are crisp, easy to use, and ready for any adventure. Sharp edge-to-edge, these new lenses bring a new perspective to your phone.

These new T-Series lenses will feature fan-favorite focal lengths of a 14mm fisheye, 18mm wide-angle, 58mm telephoto, Macro 10x, and finally the company's anamorphic lenses that come in either a 1.33x or 1.55x squeeze – with options of blue or gold flare.

What makes these new T-Series optics better than the previous generations are that Moment has redesigned them from the ground up, adding more glass to the lenses, lenses resulting in increased resolution and improved MTF scores (to match the up to 108MP sensors in today’s smartphones). 

High-quality, low-dispersion fluorite optical glass also reduces chromatic aberration and purple fringing, with additional elements aiding in less distortion and improved edge resolving power. These improvements result in materials equal to those that Sony reserves for its high-end GM professional lenses, according to Moment.

The manufacturer has also improved the bayonet mount for the new T-Series lenses, increasing the size by 20% to support new, wider main cameras and the addition of sensor-shift stabilization. This increased space enables more light to reach the sensor on your phone, and reduces the chance of vignetting while taking images or recording video.

What Happens to M-Series Lenses?

Nothing! Moment plans to keep them available to customers for years to come, especially for anyone rocking a phone made before 2022. The company still has plenty of phone cases for Pixel, Galaxy, and iPhones – even as far back as the iPhone 8 or Pixel 1!

If you own M-series lenses, here is what you need to know… 

1. Future iPhone compatibility
Moment intends to continue making M-Series, drop-in lens mounts for future iPhones. It can’t guarantee they will work with the same level of sharpness or without vignetted corners, but will functionally make sure you can mount your M-Series lenses on future iPhones.

2. Future Android compatibility
We're at the end of the line for M-Series kit working with new Android phones, since most have moved to lens interfaces that are too large for the bottom of the lenses. Moment will continue to support older models with Android cases, but all the new Android cases will be T-Series only.

3. Trade-In Program
Moment is offering a 120-day trade-in program for existing customers. Send in your M-series lenses, the company will check their quality, and send you a store credit to pick up any of the T-Series gear.

Check out the best iPhones for photography and the best Android phones – including the best Samsung phones, the best budget camera phones and the best burner phones. 

For a long, long time we've been recommending the Nikon D3500 and the Canon EOS Rebel cameras as some of the best cameras for beginners. They don't cost much but they take high-quality images, you can swap lenses and you have many of the manual controls of professional cameras to help you learn about photography.

But the Nikon D3500 is no longer available new, and the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 looks like it's not far behind. That might seem natural enough as mirrorless cameras take over from old-school DSLR designs, and we have new low-cost mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z30 and Canon EOS R100 to replace them. Most of the best Nikon cameras and best Canon cameras are now mirrorless, so what's the problem?

Cost is not (the only) issue

Canon and Nikon have done well to keep the cost of their new models down, but even so beginners are faced with an outlay up to two times higher than for previous beginner DSLRs. The Nikon Z30 is cheap but has no viewfinder (you have to step up to the Nikon Z50) and the EOS R100 uses last-generation sensor, AF and video technologies (you have to step up to the Canon EOS R50 to get up to date).

But the real issue is lenses. The Nikon D3500 and EOS Rebel line were backed up by a large ecosystem of own-brand and third-party lenses from fisheyes to ultra-wide zooms, to superzooms to telephotos. You weren't just buying a camera, you were buying into a system of almost limitless potential.

Their replacements are very different.

Where are the lenses?

At the time of writing, Canon has released just three dedicated RF-S lenses for its smaller format cameras – two kit lenses and a telephoto zoom. Nikon has gone a little further, matching that and adding a semi-wide prime and a video-centric ultra-wide zoom for vlogging. 

But neither system has anything like the depth and breadth of lens choice of the old-school DSLRs they're replacing. They offer a foothold in each company's larger full frame camera systems, but they are not in any way complete systems on their own. Not any more. And there's no definite indication they ever will be. 

The fact is that the best Nikon Z lenses and best Canon RF lenses are almost exclusively for their full frame cameras.

So while the Nikon Z30 and Canon EOS R100 are, truthfully, very good value for modern mirrorless cameras and excellent tools for beginners, they are not the complete camera systems that their forbears were.

If you want a mirrorless replacement in every sense for those old beginner DSLRs, then you have to go for a brand that specializes in smaller formats, like Fujifilm or OM System, or bite the bullet and step up to one of the cheapest full frame cameras. 

If anyone asks me now about the best cameras for beginners today, I'm going to have to point them towards cameras that have proper lens systems behind them, not just cameras which are cheap.

Best budget DSLRs
Best cheap mirrorless cameras

Canon might have been in the camera game since 1933 but the now-legendary EOS range of cameras – and matching EF lenses didn't launch until March 1987. If it were a person, it'd be a millennial!

The EOS stands for Electrical Optical System, though it is not a coincidence it is also named after Eos, the goddess of dawn. The debut camera was the Canon EOS 650, which launched alongside the EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. In the 36 years since Canon has gone on to manufacture a jaw-dropping 110 million EOS cameras and 160 million EF and RF mount lenses. 

Canon cameras are renowned for being some of the best DSLRs and best mirrorless cameras in the world. From the groundbreaking Canon EOS 5D series launched in 2005 to Canon’s latest, top-spec mirrorless powerhouse, the EOS R3, Canon has always been an innovator pushing the boundaries of camera technology. From 2003 to 2022, Canon maintained the top share of digital SLR sales and, in March 2023, it produced its 110 millionth camera – a Canon EOS R6 Mark II. (The R6 II was originally released in November 2022, but is still being manufactured.)

• The best Canon RF lenses include a range of primes, telephoto, and zooms

Alongside the EOS system cameras, Canon has two lines of lenses – EF mount lenses for full frame and APS-C DSLRs and RF mount lenses for its mirrorless system. In total, Canon has an impressive 115 lenses in its EF and RF lineup including a range of telephotos, primes, wide-angles, macro lenses, and the specialist (and rather peculiar) 3D VR Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens.

There have been many stand-out moments for Canon along the way, such as the launch of the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM which was one of the world’s first lenses to have image stabilization – a feature that is now standard in almost all professional lenses.

As well as image stabilization, Canon has introduced lenses with silent focussing such as the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L, a SSC (super-spectra) and SWC (subwavelength structure) coatings which help to reduce chromatic aberrations and lens flare plus many of Canon’s professional lenses have focus locking, different focus modes plus a zoom ring lock to stop lenses accidentally extending when in transit. 

It’s been two years since Canon launched the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM lens and in May 2023 one of these primes became the 160 millionth EOS interchangeable lens to be made. Though they might not be quite the round numbers that 100 million cameras and 150 million lenses were, both those milestones are even further in the rear-view mirror and Canon continues to innovate, inspire and take image-making tools to the next level. 

Also check out the best Canon DSLR lenses which include a range of EF and EF-S mount lenses

ShiftCam is an experienced producer of gadgets that are designed to enhance your experience of smartphone photography. Gadgets such as the ShiftCam ProGrip enable your smartphone to look and behave more like a classic camera thanks to a Bluetooth shutter button that you can tap to snap a shot. 

ShiftCam also sells a series of lenses in their ProLens range that expands the capacity of your smartphone’s camera to capture wider or closer shots. The forthcoming LensUltra Series (due to be released in July and currently featuring on Kickstarter) builds on the existing ShiftCam ProLens series by introducing 7 new lenses and a couple of filters. We got hold of a pre-release set of LensUltra lenses and filters and put them through their paces. The 1.88x Anamorphic lens wasn’t available for us to look at, but we did have a similar 1.33x anamorphic lens to play with. 

The ShiftCam LensUltra series can be preordered on ShiftCams's official store.

Specifications

Wide-angle lenses: 
16mm Wide Angle
200° Fisheye

Cinematic lenses: 
1.33x Anamorphic
1.55x Anamorphic

Zoom lenses:
60mm Telephoto
75mm Long Range Macro
10x Traditional Macro 

Filters:
VND Filter
CPL Filter

Key Features

The LensUltra Series is designed to enable smartphone photographers to capture closer views of distant subjects using the 60mm Telephoto Lens, magnify macro subjects courtesy of a 75mm Long Range Macro Lens or a 10x Traditional Macro Lens, capture a wider field of view with a 16mm Wide Angle lens or a 200º Fish Eye lens and even record cinematic footage courtesy of 1.33x and 1.55x Anamorphic Lenses. 

The LensUltra series also features a VND and CPL filter that will help you capture better-looking smartphone shots, and we’ll explore these in detail later in this review.  

All of the lenses are compatible with ShiftCam Camera Cases for the iPhone 11 onwards and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. These camera cases feature tiny threads that enable you to screw a LensUltra Series lens securely and precisely over an existing smartphone lens. Other smartphone models will require the use of a ShiftCam Universal Mount to clip the lenses over the smartphone’s camera.

Build & Handling

The new LensUltra series is designed to build on the existing ShiftCam ProLens legacy by producing even better-looking results.  All of the lenses in the LensUltra Series have fluorite crystals in their composition, which is a first for mobile lens technology. Fluorite helps enhance image quality by reducing chromatic aberration (color fringing). It also helps your smartphone capture more accurate colors and sharper shots.  

We were given a big box of LensUltra lenses to test, though when they are released in July they will be sold as individual lenses. Each lens in the box felt satisfyingly heavy, a reassuring hallmark of a quality product.  In fact, the Long Range 75mm Macro was particularly hefty at 109g which made our iPhone feel a bit top-heavy. The 60mm Telephoto also weighed in at 109g.

As we were using an iPhone 14 Pro Max in our test ShiftCam included a compatible camera case. We then screwed a LensUltra lens into the metal thread that overlapped the iPhone’s main 24mm camera.  This meant that if we switched to the iPhone’s 0.5x Ultra Wide or the 3x Telephoto camera then the image was obscured by the attached ShiftCam lens, so all of the third-party lenses were only accessible when using the iPhone’s 24mm camera.  This is not a problem though as the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s main camera can capture 48MP results (compared with a smaller 12MP for its Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras).  Each attached ShiftCam lens worked well in conjunction with our iPhone’s 24mm main camera when shooting video or stills.

Performance

Above: Watch our review video of the LensUltra kit with samples and how they compare.

We’ll go through the lenses one by one to compare their performance.  The 10x Traditional Macro needs to be placed within 10-15mm of its subject to get it in focus.  This is fine for capturing shots with detailed close-ups of static subjects such as flowers or rocky textures.  However, if you’re trying to snap a macro image of a moving subject such as a bee then it will probably fly away when faced with the extremely close proximity of the 10x Traditional Macro lens. 

One of the stars of the UltraLens Series is the 75mm Long Range Macro. Long Range is a relative term when it comes to a macro lens, but with the 75mm Long Range Macro, you can get a small subject in focus from further away - between 5-7cm. This gives you the edge when shooting subjects such as a bee as you’re less likely to scare them off (or obscure the subject with your smartphone’s shadow).  To capture a better-looking macro shot set your smartphone’s Camera app to shoot in slow motion Video Mode. You can then follow a fast-moving insect with the smartphone for a few seconds and export the best frame of video as a macro still. 

The iPhone 14 Pro Max that we used to test the LensUltra series has a 13mm Ultra Wide Angle lens that captures extremely wide-angle shots. However, these images have a size of 12 MP. By attaching ShiftCam’s 16mm Wide Angle lens to the iPhone’s Main camera we could capture wide-angle stills up to 48 MP.  Although the 16mm Wide Angle lens isn’t as wide as the Phone’s Ultra Wide camera it still captures a satisfying wide field of view and lacks the more extreme distortion produced by the iPhone’s Ultra Wide camera (such as elongating people when filmed from a low angle or stretching them horizontally at the edge of the fame).

The LensUltra series 60mm Telephoto lens isn’t as powerful as our iPhone 14 pro’s 77mm Telephoto camera, but the iPhone camera’s telephoto lens only captures 12 MP shots.  By screwing the 60mm Telephoto onto our Main camera we were able to capture telephoto shots with a 48 MP resolution.  The ShiftCam 60mm Telephoto is also worth considering if you own a lower-spec model such as the iPhone 14. That model camera lacks a telephoto camera. The iPhone 14 does have a 5x digital zoom but this produces far fuzzier results than you’d get using ShiftCam’s optical 60mm Telephoto lens. We found that the iPhone’s native lens produced a slightly sharper and more detailed-looking subject than the LensUltra telephoto could.

The 1.33x Anamorphic lens was the most fun to use during our test. This lens captures a cinematic widescreen aspect ratio by stretching the frame vertically.  In an anamorphic clip, people look very thin and tall so you need to ‘de-squeeze’ the clip by scaling it to 75% in the y-axis using an app such as Final Cut Pro.

After scaling the shot you have a cinematic look with black ‘letter box’ bars at the top and bottom of the frame. The 1.33 Anamorphic lens also features distinctive-looking horizontal lens flares that are another hallmark of anamorphic footage. This creative lens inspired us to shoot a cinematic style ‘cop show’ title sequence to show off its distinctive properties. We’re looking forward to getting hold of the 1.55x Anamorphic Lens at a later date to see how it compares with the 1.33x version.

The last lens in the LensUltra Series is the 200º Fisheye. This creative lens produces distinctive and deliberate barrel distortion radiating outwards from the center to the edge of the frame. Straight vertical lines on buildings quickly become curved. These distortions are even more noticeable when the camera tracks or dollies down a corridor in a video sequence. This type of distortion might be useful for creative work such as creating a dream sequence in a video drama or showing a character’s Point of View (POV). It can also produce distinctive and creative architectural photos.

The CPL (circular polariser/linear) Filter is designed to minimize reflections. You can rotate the filter to adjust the way it performs. We found that it was very effective, enabling us to reduce the cloud reflections in our test shot so we could see into a car’s interior.  The CPL filter would be useful when you need to photograph exhibits that are behind glass in a museum or see through the reflective surface of a river or ocean. Traditionally CPL filters also darken blue skies which helps the clouds pop out more in contrast. We found that the LensUltra CPL filter produced a subtle darkening of the sky when we took it for a sunny coastal test shoot. Our test kit also included a VND (Variable Neutral Density) filter to enable us to capture more sky retinal in bright light, but we were unable to mount it on our supplied ShiftCam iPhone case.

We did experience a one-off performance issue with the ShiftCam case. On the way to a shoot, I decided to remove the plastic case so I could clean my iPhone’s lenses. As I pulled the case off the iPhone the metal plate that contains the lens mounting threads popped out and clattered to the floor.  Fortunately, I was able to re-insert the plate into the plastic case’s groove with a bit of fiddling. The mounting plate remained securely in place for the rest of our test shoot (and has stayed in place for subsequent shoots.) I now clean the iPhone lenses without removing the case. 

Verdict

Critics might say that although the LensUltra series may be of high quality, how can they produce better results if your smartphone’s lenses are inferior?  Surely a LensUltra lens is only as good as the lens that it’s mounted over? This is true to a degree, but the LensUltra series also provides smartphone photographers with a wider range of compositional choices, such as allowing you to zoom closer with the 60mm Telephoto or capture cinematic lens flares with the 1.33 Anamorphic lens.  You can also capture superior macro shots featuring a better bokeh using the 75mm Long Range Macro than you can via the iPhone’s Macro mode (which uses its Ultra-Wide 13mm lens for macro photography). 

We were particularly impressed with the cinematic hallmarks captured by the 1.33x Anamorphic lens and if we had to purchase just one lens, then this would be the model as it provided us with a creative springboard for our video-making. Our second ‘must buy’ would be the 75mm Long Range Macro as were able to capture clear shots of pollinating bees with ease. Fortunately, the lenses and filters in the LensUltra series will be available to purchase individually, so you can pick and mix from them to suit your specific photography and videography needs.

The ShiftCam LensUltra series can be preordered on ShiftCams's official store.

Read more: Find out more about the best lenses for iPhone and Android cameras in our guide. What's a lens without a good camera behind it, check out our guide to the best camera phone.

For the 29th consecutive year, Canon has won a slew of IF Design Awards – one of the world's most prestigious awards within the field of design. 

The world's biggest camera manufacturer picked up eight awards in total, six of them for imaging products including the Canon EOS R7 and Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens. 

However, Fujifilm managed to rack up a couple more. Like Canon it took home more awards in other areas of industry (24 in total), but scooped up 9 for its camera equipment including the Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-H2S. 

The IF Design Awards was established in 1953 to bring international recognition to the best in industrial design, covering everything from AR glasses to air conditioners, typefaces to tea leaves, and washing machines to wristwatches.

Other manufacturers picked up awards for camera kit, too. Nikon snagged four, including one for the Nikon Z30, while Sony and Panasonic picked up one apiece for the Sony FR7 and Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX.

Given the stiff competition among imaging specialists alone, let alone the whole world of industrial design, it's amazing that Canon and Fujifilm did so well. But for Canon to take home awards for almost three decades in a row is simply remarkable.

Here are the imaging-related awards in full:

Canon EOS R7
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro
Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye
Canon XF605
Canon ImageProGraf TC-20
Canon ImageProGraf TC-20M

Fujifilm X-T5
Fujifilm X-H2
Fujifilm X-H2S
Fujifilm XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro
Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR
Fujifilm XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR
Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR
Fujifilm VG-XH Vertical Grip
Fujifilm FT-XH Vertical Grip

Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX

Sony FR7

You might also be interested in reading about the best mirrorless cameras, from all manufacturers. You can also check out the best DSLRs, and if you're feeling argumentative you can read our takes on DSLRs vs mirrorless cameras and Canon vs Nikon, to see which kit we think is best.

An RF mount fisheye zoom is coming to the Canon lens lineup and is set to be similar to the EF version for DSLRs. Like all RF lenses, it will fit both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras making it a worthwhile purchase for anyone, even if you’re considering upgrading your system in the near future. 

Typically, fisheye lenses are usually wide-angle prime lenses that produce a strong visual distortion so a zoom fisheye is certainly a niche product. The EF mount Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM was released over a decade ago and allowed users to shoot circular or full-frame images. Being a zoom lens, it was a lot more versatile than any other fisheye lenses available and for many years was the only zoom fisheye lens available (until Nikon launched the Nikkor 8-15mm AF-S f/3.5-4.5E ED lens in 2017).

• Check out the best Canon cameras from the latest mirrorless systems to older still much-loved DSLRs

Fisheye lenses are commonly used to film skate or music videos as they produce a completely different look to a standard lens giving it an artsy super-close-up twist. While some people absolutely despise them, labeling them as ‘tacky’ others swear by them for producing content that is eye-catching and creative. 

So far, Canon has said very little about the upcoming but according to Canon Rumors this niche RF lens but it’s said to have a brand new optical design and judging by other RF lenses, it will be pretty similar to the EF version in terms of focal length and speed. We reported on the patent for this planned RF fisheye back in 2020.

Currently, the only Canon-made fisheye lens available for RF cameras is one of the strangest looking lenses of all time - the Canon RF 5.2mm fisheye lens f/2.8 Dual fisheye lens but it’s aimed more at filmmaking for Virtual Reality than photography. The RF lineup is certainly missing a more creative stills lens so if the rumor is true it will sit nicely among the RF lenses already available. From independent lens manufacturers, there is also the RF-mount Laowa 4mm f2.8 Circular Fisheye.

With no news of when Canon might make the official announcement or how much it will cost we can only speculate but based on the prices of mist RF mount lenses, it won’t be a cheap investment. When the EF mount version came out it was around $1,300 and lens technology has progressed a lot since then and everything has gotten more expensive.

Why not also check out the best wide-angle lenses for when you want to shoot without distortion

Packing for a long weekend with the family on a budget airline, there was no room for a grown-up camera. Not even my trusty A7iii. But I wanted to try something other than the iPhone which is almost surgically attached to me, so why could I do? I'd been itching to try a 360-degree camera for an extended spell, and this seemed the perfect moment.

The device in question is my latest personal splash – the Insta360 X3 – which I acquired in part because I'm always trying to get new gadgets to lure me onto the bike and this has an awesome Third-Person Bike Handlebar Mount. Anyway, that's a discussion for another day; I certainly wasn't getting the bike in the luggage bin!

Tucking in the X3, however, was no issue. The camera isn't like a thinner, longer action camera and the lens cover (which, admittedly, does require care) stayed attached. The other essential was the "Invisible selfie stick," so called because the mount is below the back-to-back fisheye lenses and so easily processed out by the otherwise spherical view the camera captures at 5.7K.

Portability wasn't really my concern. This all slipped into a pocket of my long-suffering back-pack. I already included a power adapter with a USB-C charging cable for my assorted devices.

What did bother me was whether the exposed lenses were really safe in the real world, whether my family would hate me for waving a selfie stick around like a tourist (even though, well, we were tourists), and how easily editing could take over the joys of European coffee shops or family time in the AirBnB.

Were ruggedness and exposed lenses a factor?

Well, yes and no. You always have to look after a camera when you're going somewhere sandy, and it's always a faff so, on the one day we took the train to Vigo and tracked down a beach, I started to get a bit anxious.

It wasn't that I was planning on going in the water – that wasn't really an issue, since the camera is waterproof – I was more concerned about scratching the glass. As it happened we didn't have long, and my son was more interested in the rock pools (and quicksand) near the sharp rocks, so I hopped simply followed with a low birds eye view.

I suspect I was more worried than I needed to be, but at the time the device was very new. 

Using a selfie stick

I've always been a bit of a selfie-stick skeptic, at least out loud. I'm a grown man with very little viewer appeal, I regularly remind myself, and I don't regularly post walk-and-talk videos, but to be honest, I've always liked well-designed devices like the DJI OM6.

Here, though, the point of the stick is more than just a better angle on yourself – it offers a different perspective on whatever kind of shot you're looking to get. You have a wide-angle camera which can see in any direction which the pole just lets you navigate into the right place. It's a lot more like my true love – drone operation – without buzzing and terrifying people with whirring blades.

If you've never tried it, the creative potential isn't immediately apparent. I found that the more I tried it, the more ideas I had, and the more I wanted to try again.

We were staying in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, destination of many pilgrimages, and we walked onto Easter processions in progress. This felt a real chance to get involved in a wholly different way to standing to the side with a big lens. Instead, I had something discrete and touristy, but could perhaps sneak in close a few times.

At one point I even suffered selfie stick envy. I spotted another X3 on the tip of the 3m (10ft) Extended Edition pole being wafted over participants of a religious ceremony and sullenly realized they were getting better footage. To my surprise, even this ridiculous rod didn't seem to garner much attention from the presumed subjects, either. Selfie sticks are normal now, it seems, and my family didn't mind either.

The app and editing

No question, this is addictive and it takes time. I did find, however, it was possible to manage use of the app to do some things fast, and leave other things to longer periods of alone time. The app can even be a bit distracting when shooting as it offers a bigger screen and easy access to features via wireless connection (which is why my phone appears in a lot of photos and unedited videos!)

The app does churn through even the generous battery of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but that was all I had with me to make my initial experiments. It is also very powerful in terms of fine detail if you want, with keyframe and all kinds of tweaking as well as the preset effects you've seen on social.

Insta360 Studio is also available for Mac and PC, and this is a great way to come back to the photos and videos later to make more refined changes or just examine them in more detail. A lot of the originals taken in anything but bright sunlight look a bit gloomy but the 143MB is processed through the 'PureShot' feature to create very creditable images.

The fact I stopped to find a few photos for this article says two things. Firstly that I didn't produce many at the time (or at least they didn't go where the usually do, as you have to actively transfer them to the normal phone gallery). Secondly that the Insta360 Studio app is dangerously addictive – clicking and dragging, pulling in and out in attempt to find the 'just right' angle from a 72 megapixel spherical still.

5.7K worth of video is, in truth, rather less to play with and there were shots I wouldn't have bothered trying on reflection – or I'd have pushed to be closer. Live and learn.

So, did it ruin the trip?

No, not for the reasons suggested, at least. The few quickly shared (via Apple Photos) images were enjoyed by all, but when I asked my partner if the 360-degree camera (or the app) had been a problem she said "No, it was great – it was nice to be able to take family photos without having to give the phone to strangers and at one point even though you'd gone away a bit we knew where you were because we could see the stick!"

What about over-using the app? "I don't remember you doing that – what I did notice was how we didn't see many of the pictures. When you take a picture with a camera or a phone everyone can look at the screen there, but that didn't really happen with that camera."

She's right; the 2.29-inch touchscreen isn't very big and much of the tweaking is quite an involved process on the app. There is even a photo-turned video (an app effect) that shows me using the phone as a viewfinder for what was meant to be a family shot from the AirBnB windows!

As for the camera sticking out, there were a couple of times I felt I could capture a timelapse of a busy street so attempted to maintain my speed – you might say I was letting photographic goals interfere with family time, but clearly it was within acceptable limits.

Should you go for it?

If you're looking for something new and different, I feel like we've hit a resounding yes. If you like your photo and video experience to be a continuum – across camera, sharing platform, and computer – then yes. There is just so much more to experience, and – it seems – it can be done without spoiling things for others (they'll even want to see more)!

Check our list of best 360-degree cameras to see if the Insta 360 X3 which I chose is the right one for you, and don't skimp on the accessories.

We have been waiting for the XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR for what seems like an eternity in the world of camera journalism. Fujifilm dropped this lens onto its official roadmap a year ago to get everyone tantalized, but the day has finally arrived. 

The XF 8mm lens offers the widest focal length prime lens currently available for Fujifilm X-Mount cameras (in first-party lenses at least), and I doubt there will be anything wider unless Fujifilm decides to make a fisheye lens. 

Previous to this lens the widest offering from Fujifilm directly was the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR, although this is a bulky and expensive lens. By contrast, the XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR is incredibly light and compact, and won’t break the bank. But is this decreased size a compromise and will the XF 8mm actually be any good?

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Specifications

Focal length: 8mm
Lens mount: Fujifilm X
Full frame: No
Image stabilization: No
Aperture range: f/3.5-22
Angle of view: 121°
Minimum focus distance: 18cm
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.12x
Number of elements: 12
Number of groups: 9
Diaphragm blades: 9
Filter size: 62mm
Weather sealing: Yes
Dimensions: 68.4 x 53mm
Weight: 215g

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Key features

The XF8mm lens boasts a massive 121-degree viewing angle, double what our human eyes can see. That means you can capture some seriously wide and unique shots. Landscape and travel photographers, as well as street shooters looking for a fresh perspective, will absolutely love what this lens brings to the table.

The XF8mmF3.5 R WR lens is made up of 12 lens elements in nine groups, including three aspherical elements and two ED elements. Fancy jargon aside, what this means is that it's designed to minimize distortion, aberrations, and ghosting, giving you sharp and clear images with all the tiny details intact.

The lens is also incredibly compact, at just 52.8mm in length (without the lens hood) and a featherlight weight of only 215g. You can carry it around all day without feeling like you're lugging around a ton of gear. Despite its small size, Fujifilm managed to squeeze in a manual aperture ring and a focus ring, so you still get that hands-on control. You've got an aperture range from f/3.5 for those low-light situations to f/22 for front-to-back focus. There is also a 62mm screw-in filter thread for all your filter needs, like UV and polarizing filters.

The XF8mm should be lightning-fast when it comes to focusing, with Fujifilm claiming it locks onto your subject in just 0.02 seconds, which is especially handy when paired with Fujifilm's latest cameras featuring subject-tracking autofocus.

The build is also tough. It's weather resistant, so it can handle some rough conditions, Fujifilm sealed the barrel at ten different spots to keep out dust and moisture, and it's even designed to work in freezing temperatures as low as -10ºC. Additionally, the front element is coated with a special fluorine coating that repels water, grease, and stains, so no need to worry about smudges ruining your shots.

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Build & hHandling

The build of the lens is superb, the XF 8mm fits in effortlessly with the rest of Fujifilm’s lens lineup with their classic aesthetic, with the metal chassis feeling great in the hand. The lens's weather sealings and coatings all really got put through their paces during an intensive few days of testing in Malta, with the lens being subjected to a lot of sea spray and hot dusty streets, and I am glad to report no obvious sign of any immediate damage internally, and the front wiped clean with a soft cloth.

What surprised me most is how compact and lightweight the lens is. Usually, wide-angle lenses are some of the heaviest and bulkiest lenses around, as they typically contain more glass elements to flatten out the picture. Fujifilm’s design team has done a great job here, I could carry around the lens on the Fujifilm X-S20 without it feeling obtrusive at all.

The lens has a manual focus ring that turns smoothly, and the ring has a textured metallic finish that is grippy, but not quite near the level or rubberized focus rings of other brands, although this is a trade-off of classic retro looks versus functionality which I am happy to accept.

The lens aperture ring is tighter than some of the other Fujifilm lenses I have tested. I know that there is some debate over this, but I prefer my aperture rings more on the stiff side, otherwise, I frequently find it naturally slipping into the wrong aperture without me noticing. The aperture ring turns smoothly, but also ticks nicely into each aperture value. The aperture ring also locks in Auto, and can be unlocked with a little catch on the lens, which is perfect to again prevent accidental movement, or for anyone who prefers to dial in their aperture on the camera instead.

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Performance

Photo performance surprised me quite a lot, I was not expecting a lens of this size and weight to be able to produce images as clear across the entire frame as the XF8mm produced. There are some issues with diminishing corner sharpness, although that is really to be expected at this field of view even on the best of lenses, and honestly, on the XF 8mm, it is not that bad. 

The perspective, while not verging into fisheye territory can be distorted when presented with a lot of vertical straight lines, although this can be corrected somewhat in post-production, although I also enjoyed shooting in tighter spaces and the unique field of view offering a sense of scale, with big buildings looming over me. But the perspective is perfect for open landscapes, or immersive feeling shots. This lens was perfect for shooting on big open cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. 

I will admit that I am not usually a fan of a wide-angle perspective, as I usually like to focus my photography on smaller details. Affordable wide-angle lenses' photo quality is often a little tacky, and good wide-angle lenses tend to be a big financial investment as well taking a large spot in my kit bag. However, the Fujifilm XF 8mm is the perfect combination of size, price, and quality for me to get excited about wide-angle photography.

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Sample gallery

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness is excellent in the centre and mid-frame, even when shooting wide open. Any ultra-wide lens will struggle to generate high corner sharpness scores when shooting our close-range test chart, as the corners of the chart are so far away from the lens, relative to the centre. Even so, the XF 8mm still returns respectable corner sharpness scores for a lens so wide.

Fringing:

Lateral chromatic aberration is just about visible in the corners of frame, and is so at all apertures, though it's by no means distracting.

Distortion: -6.77

The lens produces pronounced barrel distortion if corrections are disabled during raw processing, but in-camera distortion compensation would normally eliminate this.

XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR: Verdict

Fujifilm shooters have an affordable first-party ultra-wide-angle lens worthy of the system. With an impressive 8mm focal length (equivalent to 12mm on a full-frame camera), this lens allows you to capture an expansive scene that will leave you in awe. Despite its small and lightweight design, the lens boasts excellent build quality, featuring a smooth focus ring and a well-dampened aperture ring that ensures precise f-stop adjustments. 

The image quality remains very strong in the center of the frame, it slightly underperforms in the corners, which is a common characteristic of such a wide-angle lens, distortion is also minimal depending on your subject. However, before making your purchase, it's crucial to consider whether 8mm is the right choice for you, as the extreme angle of view can be challenging to work with. However, if you are a Fujifilm shooter looking for the ultra-wide-angle lens experience, then there is certainly a lot to love about the XF8mm.

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If you are a Fujifilm shooter and looking for more wide-angle options, your other best choice is the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens, although this is a very large and expensive beast. Although this does give you the versatility of shooting from 8mm to 16mm, which is equivalent to 12-24mm on a full frame camera.

Alternatively, the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR is a smaller and lighter option, however, is not quite as wide and has a narrower maximum aperture, this lens however does have optical image stabilization, so if you plan on shooting video, this could be the deciding factor.

Find out more about the best wide-angle lenses in our guide. You can also find out our choices for the best Fujifilm lenses, and the best Fujifilm cameras.

Fisheye lenses can be a great way to experiment and find new creative subjects in photography, with an array of new angles to explore, allowing you to capture the full scene in front of you for epic street photography and landscape shots.

Most photographers will use a fisheye lens for the circular aesthetic and extreme barrel distortion that it creates, but not all of the best fisheye lenses on the market are the same, and this budget lens, in particular, didn't always create the perfect circle but more of a fishbowl effect with a bulging center depending on the subject. 

During our test of the new AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, we found that it worked perfectly for a short time, and captured sharp enough shots - but as we explain in the performance section of this review, there was a bit of a hiccup when shooting with this lens during a trip up North. 

The budget-friendly nature and superb price of this lens make it desirable for those looking to experiment with fisheye lenses without having to commit to an expensive purchase for something they're not too familiar with. Great for beginner photographers and pros alike, this lens should cater to all who are looking to delve deeper into the waters of fisheye photography and receive pretty decent quality at a bargain price. 

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Specifications

Release Date: December 2022
Mount: Sony E / Canon RF / Nikon Z / L-Mount / GFX
Full frame: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Autofocus: No
Lens construction: 11 elements in 8 groups
Angle of view: 185 degrees
Diaphragm blades: 5
Aperture: F/2.8 to F/16
Minimum focusing distance: 0.2m
Filter size: Not specified
Dimensions: 90mm wide x100mm long
Weight: 757.5g 

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Key features

The AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens boasts a large viewing angle of 185 degrees, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.2m, and has been optimized for use with full-frame mirrorless cameras. The lens is pretty big and has been equipped with a multi-layer coating which is said to suppress any light flares and enhance color fidelity. 

This lens was tested using a Sony A7III camera body, and put into action during four separate shoots including a dynamic TFP cosplay session hosted at a prison, as well as a 7-hour journey up north to delve into some street photography and landscape shooting which is where this lens truly shines. 

The nature of ultra-wide angle lenses makes them exceptional at capturing dynamic scenes, especially at night, and the maximum f/2.8 aperture of this lens not only helps in low-light conditions but it also allows for subtle bokeh too!

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Build and handling

Probably the most convenient part of this lens is the on-body clicked aperture ring which controls the lens diaphragms with ease and can allow you to change your f-stop in seconds. To focus the lens, the barrel itself conveniently twists in scale to shift the focus and allows for focusing to infinity, ensuring crisp quality throughout.

This design is particularly helpful for those like myself who struggle when the luxury of autofocus is taken away. Manual focus is definitely something that takes some getting used to for photographers who have always relied on autofocus, but it's a worthwhile learning curve and will help to sharpen your photographer's eye.

Handling this lens is a breeze, and the all-metal lens barrel and metal mount feel great and super sturdy in hand, while also offering the reassurance that it can withstand a knock or two should the worst happen. 

The lens cap is also very durable and could sometimes even be a big struggle to remove from the lens due to the tight grasp that it has on the front lens. I noticed once when removing the cap that it had actually left a glue-like residue on the lens hood from where it had stuck so tightly (see image above). 

Overall the build quality of this lens is superb given the unbelievably low price that AstrHori and Pergear have it retailing for, at less than US$300 / £200 at the time of writing this review. 

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Performance

The first time I used the AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens was at the beach, and the second time was in low-light conditions during a cosplay photography shoot set in a prison cell. The lens performed exceptionally well during the quick 5-minute shoot, but I imagine it would have struggled a lot more without the additional lighting (thank you to Digital Camera World's Alistair for coming to the rescue!). 

The image below was captured at the event using the fisheye lens, I had never considered using this type of lens for portraiture or cosplay photography before but was pleasantly surprised with the results that it produced. I had no reason to suspect any issue with the lens at this point and the image is pretty sharp. 

The third time using this lens however was when out and about exploring the streets of Sunderland in the UK. It was at this point that I noticed after capturing a photo of a bridge near the marina that the image featured a bizarre central blur. It's worth noting that I did not use any kind of cleaner or lens wipe on the fisheye prior to shooting, I always use a microfiber cloth when necessary. 

The blur can be seen in several images from the below image galleries, but the strange part is that this mysterious blur could physically be seen on the lens - and would not wipe off - but it would also completely vanish occasionally too and then re-appear throughout the day when checking and using the lens. 

Very confused by what on earth was going on with this lens, I googled the issue and found only one helpful resource. It turns out that blogger Yukosteel had a similar problem with another budget fisheye lens, made by 7Artisans. Yuko disassembled this lens and found that it had thick traces of glue all throughout the construction, being cheaply made, which would be prone to melt in direct sunlight. 

The UK weather isn't hot at all right now, so I predict that the heat from the thick lens cap might be what's causing the weird blur to disappear or melt away, and then return once the lens is back to colder or room temperatures. I'm not brave enough to start disassembling this lens just yet, and its strong construction doesn't seem to allow for it either with no visible screw holes. 

I contacted AstrHori and Pergear in the hopes of discovering if there is a quick fix for this issue, or if it is a common fault when manufacturing affordable lenses. Pergear confirmed that there is a blur spot that is dependent on the temperature. The full response can be seen below.

"That is common that the lens is all made of metal if the environment is cold it might find a "blur spot". It will disappear when the lens's temperature is the same as the environment's temperature. It will be gone after a while as well. Just like our eyeglasses when you are in the winter outdoors."

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Sample images

Some of the images in the gallery above are super sharp without any blur on them, but others as you can very distinctly notice have the obvious blur circle in the middle, despite being taken both before and after the other shots on the same day.

The same can be seen in the image gallery below of portrait-oriented shots from the same shoots using the AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens. 

The photos of fish below were also captured at the same location as the nature photos. I realize that photographing fish with a fisheye lens might be a little on the nose, but I can never resist shooting a koi fish pond when I see one, and this one in the Sunderland Winter Gardens was especially beautiful. 

You might also notice as the images go on that the first few are blur-free, but the following have a subtle fog circle as the shoot progresses longer in duration and, if my theory is correct; the lens begins to get colder.

AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye: Verdict

This AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens is without a doubt a fantastic bit of kit for those who don't want to spend a fortune on investing in an expensive professional fisheye lens. As you can see from the unedited image galleries, it's very capable of taking a sharp photo when focused correctly, and is very user-friendly in its design. 

Manual lenses will definitely take some getting used to for those who rely on autofocus all the time (guilty) but if this isn't a dealbreaker for you then it's a great way of practicing to perfect your focus and it will make you a better photographer in the long haul. This lens is heavy, though. So keep that in mind if you're looking to travel around with it or take it on your next vacation. 

The downsides of this lens are of course its lower quality manufacture, resulting in the magical disappearing blur spot that I experienced, but I've since found that keeping the lens cap off lessens this defect. If you can afford to splurge a little bit of cash and get a higher quality fisheye lens then there are definitely better options out there than this one, but for the budget-conscious; look no further. 

Read more: If you are a photographer on a budget, then you might also want to check out our guides to the best cheap prime lenses, as well as the cheapest full frame cameras. We also have some helpful tutorials on how to take striking images with a fisheye lens and these ideal fisheye lens camera tips to help you get started.

In exciting news for any Fujifilm shooters itching for a new wide-angle prime lens, leaked images have just given us our first look at the upcoming Fujinon XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR lens.

This lens has been on the Fujifilm roadmap for quite some time, after being teased at an X-Summit in 2022 – and it is actually the last lens for the X-mount that has been officially to be on its way. Although, with the next X-Summit just around the corner, there might be a new roadmap for X-mount cameras and lenses in store.

• Check out the best Fujifilm lenses available right now

The Fujinon XF 8mm was revealed to the world with just an outline sketch, which left us wondering how bulky this super wide-angle lens would end up being in reality, as these lenses are often not the most compact. However, these leaked images – courtesy of the always well-informed FujiRumors – show an impressively small lens when mounted on what looks like an X-T camera. 

Styling-wise this lens blends in with all the most recent Fujinon lenses, with a manual aperture ring, and it will also be weather sealed for resistance to dust and moisture. At f/3.5 this optic is respectably bright for some low light shooting, although at 8mm (a 12mm full frame equivalent), it won't provide much depth of field or subject separation.

Importantly, unlike the plethora of 8mm third-party lenses for the X-mount, the Fujifilm XF 8mm lens will not be fisheye but will be rectilinear. A rectilinear lens is designed to produce images with straight lines, without any noticeable distortion. This means that the lens can accurately reproduce the straight lines of architectural or geometric subjects, without causing them to appear curved or distorted. In contrast, fisheye lenses, purposely distort the image in a way that can create a unique visual effect.

Previously the only way to get as wide as 8mm with a Fujinon lens was with the very large and very expensive Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR, with the nearest prime being the Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R. So it is great that there is a new option for wide-angle enthusiasts that hopefully will be much lighter and cheaper than previous offerings.

Read more about what is in store from Fujifilm with our Fuji rumors hub. You can also find out more in our guides to the best Fujifilm cameras and the best fisheye lenses.

Fisheye lenses are quite specialized optics and not to everyone’s taste. Their strong curvilinear distortion has a certain creative appeal and may offer some technical applications such as measuring cloud cover or astrophotography, but they’re probably not a lens type you would use every day – especially a fisheye zoom.

The other example that comes to mind is the Nikon 8-15mm fisheye zoom for F-mount DSLRs, but that swaps from a circular view to a full frame capture at opposite ends of the zoom range.

The HD Pentax-DA Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED, however, captures a full frame image at both ends of the zoom range. At 10mm it covers an impressive 180 degrees diagonally, while at 17mm it’s a much less extreme 100 degrees.

Pentax does say that you can remove the lens hood and get a near-circular image on a full frame camera (the Pentax K-1 or K-1 Mark II), but essentially this is an APS-C lens for smaller format cameras like the new Pentax KF.

You can find out more about the Pentax DSLR system with our guides to the best Pentax cameras and best Pentax lenses.

Specifications

Mount: Pentax KAF
Full frame: Yes/No
Autofocus: Camera body
Stabilization: No
Lens construction: 10 elements in 8 groups
Angle of view: 180-100°
Diaphragm blades: 9, rounded
Maximum aperture: f/3.5-4.5
Minimum aperture: f/22-32
Minimum focusing distance: 0.14m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.39x
Filter size: N/A
Dimensions: 67.5 x 70mm
Weight: 323g

Key features

The focal length range might sound similar to conventional rectilinear ultra-wide zooms for APS-C cameras, but with fisheyes the normal relationship between focal length and angle of view breaks down, and the key factor is the angle of coverage. At 180 degrees at the ‘wide’ and (and that really is very wide), this Pentax lens goes wider than any rectilinear equivalent.

This does mean the front element is very bulbous and the dedicated lens hood so shallow that you might scarcely notice it’s there. It also means you can’t fit filters, but then that’s common to a lot of ultra-wide lenses.

The maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5 may be a factor when shooting in dark interiors, but it’s not going to affect depth of field, which is going to be huge at practically any aperture, unless you get very, very close to a foreground subject.

Build and handling

The HD Pentax-DA Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED is quite a nice lens to use, except with autofocus. The zoom action is smooth, and there’s a quality feel to this lens and how it handles.

However, the autofocus is driven by the camera body – the lens has no AF motor of its own – so as usual with body-driven Pentax lenses, the autofocus is noisy, choppy, and hesitant. When it focuses it seems to do it pretty accurately, but the responsiveness and finesse are a million miles from any modern rival, whether it’s a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. Pentax fans must be a pretty forgiving bunch.

There is a manual focus ring, but the distance scale is short with little precision and, because it’s a zoom, there is no depth of field markings for quick zone focusing or hyperfocal distance settings.

Performance

You wouldn't expect pin-sharp optical quality across the frame from a fisheye lens, and this one does show some softening and color fringing at the edges, but then these lenses are designed for their creative impact, not pixel peeping – and this one does perform pretty well. The 10-17mm zoom range is fairly modest, and probably most useful for compositional control. 

The autofocus is quite noisy and choppy, as usual for Pentax's body-driven AF (this lens does not have an AF motor of its own), but it's not a big drawback since fisheye lenses are typically used in a slow and considered way anyway, and you can always use manual focus instead and exploit the huge depth of field at these short focal lengths.

The HD Pentax-DA Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED does produce remarkably even illumination across the frame, which is great for both indoor and outdoor shots. Our outdoor samples do show strong purple fringing at the edges of the frame, however, which has not been fully corrected in-camera.

Verdict

Do you actually need a fisheye zoom? The Nikon equivalent of this lens makes sense in that it offers either a circular or a full frame fisheye effect depending on the zoom setting, but the Pentax lens delivers a full frame image at both 10mm and 17mm – on APS-C Pentax bodies at least. The zoom function does, however, offer some perspective and compositional choices, which could be useful for interiors.

Optically, this lens is adequate rather than good. No one expects flawless edge-to-edge sharpness from a fisheye, though, and you do get good center sharpness and remarkably even illumination across the frame.

Read more: You can find out more about the Pentax DSLR system with our guides to the best Pentax cameras and best Pentax lenses.

Canon has laid out its plans to achieve an astonishing sales figure of $7.5 billion (approximately £6.2 billion / AU$11.2 billion) in its Imaging Group by the year 2025.

How does it plan to do this? By expanding the EOS R system and doubling down on video and VR. Which likely means more products like the Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR lens, which works in tandem with the Canon EOS R5 and video-centric Canon EOS R5C.  

• Whatever's coming next, these are the best Canon cameras right now

The plans were laid out in the company's overall corporate strategy, published earlier this month, laying the groundwork for how it does and develops business over the coming years. 

The overall strategy outlines the company wide plans, but the strategy for the Imaging Group in particular explain the growth areas that have been identified to reach that intended ¥1 trillion sales figure. 

"The main products currently supporting the Imaging Group are the EOS R System, the Cinema EOS System, professional camcorders, broadcast lenses, network cameras, etc," explains the document.

"For the purpose of shooting and viewing images, we have grown this business. From now own, however, through the development of new technologies and responding to market changes, we are promoting expansion into new business areas, namely image experience, image utilization and utilizing components".

Canon intends to maintain "overwhelming number one market share" of the interchangeable-lens camera market by expanding the lineup of EOS R cameras and lenses. Specifically:

"In recent years, the demographic of video-oriented users, such as video creators, media users, and SNS users, is thick and growing. We aim to expand the scale of the R system by including functions and performance that respond to user requests not only for still images but also for videos. 

"Also, the world of imaging is changing from 2D to 3D to XR. In anticipation of these future demands, we will also focus on the deployment of EOS VR systems and work to expand awareness of VR, improve the usability of apps and software, and create an environment where users can enjoy VR images."

The company also outlined plans to improve productivity by continuing to shorten the development process by advancing simulation technology (with some products already using the tech to the extent that prototyping is not required). Products will also be developed in a more standardized design format, rather than designing every product individually. 

In addition to expanding its network camera business, advanced surveillance, and remote video production system for IP cameras, Canon is also planning to push further into XR – 'expanded reality', which encompasses technologies like VR, AR and MR (virtual, augmented and mixed reality).

The strategy referenced, in particular, Canon's volumetric video system and the 3D VR experiences made possible by EOS R – so it certainly seems like the R5 and Dual Fisheye lens setup is a sign of things to come. 

Both strategy documents are worth reading in full, if you have the time. Especially interesting are Canon's plans to solve the ongoing supply chain problems (including plans to "to break away from human dependency" with further automation)…

If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in reading about the best Canon lenses and the best Canon RF lenses for the EOS R system. Away from cameras, Canon also makes some of the best image-stabilized binoculars, too!