Panasonic 8mm F/3.5 Fisheye

The Panasonic 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye is a full 180° fisheye lens for Micro 4/3 cameras and camcorders. Key features include:

• Rectilinear Fisheye w/ 180° angle of view

• Four-inch minimum focusing distance

• Fast, nearly silent autofocus

• Seven-blade rounded aperture ring

Rectilinear Fisheye. The Panasonic 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye provides the classic fisheye look with a full 180º angle of view with loads of distortion. It offers full rectilinear coverage (fills the image frame) on Micro 4/3-sensored cameras.

Exaggerated Perspective. The Pany 8mm can focus as close as 4 inches, providing some interesting close up effects.

Stepping AF Motor. This offers smooth, nearly silent autofocus, which is particularly useful for video capture.

Optics. Its seven-blade rounded aperture diaphragm yields pleasing bokeh. It includes ten multi-coated lens elements in nine groups to help minimize chromatic aberration, distortion, ghosting, and flare.

There are a few different options for wide angle lenses with the micro 4/3 cameras, so I thought I’d write up a quick comparison.
– Micro 4/3 Panasonic 8mm Fisheye The 8mm gives m4/3 shooters the …

There are a few different options for wide angle lenses with the micro 4/3 cameras, so I thought I’d write up a quick comparison.

– The 8mm gives m4/3 shooters the option to get the “fisheye” look in a native m4/3 mount. You’re not sacrificing image quality with this baby lens either; it’s just as sharp as the other great Panasonic pancakes. It’s probably not something that would live on the front of your camera, but it’s great to use for those shots where a distorted image is desired.
– The 7-14 is a wonderful f4 wide angle option for the m4/3 cameras. You get f4 all the way through the zoom, which is great if you’re shooting when there is not a plethora of light. Distortion is mostly limited even at the widest end, and autofocus is definitely fast enough to for most uses. Also, don’t forget the built-in hood that makes shooting outdoors in the sunlight a bit easier.
– The 9-18 is going to give you another great option for m4/3 shooters. It is essentially Olympus’ take on the wide angle, so quality is there just like the Pany 7-14. What it adds is a front filter ring and slightly faster autofocus. However, what you lose is the 7mm wide end, a hood and a fixed f4 throughout the zoom range. If light is not a problem, then the aperture isn’t a big deal. Distortion is also mostly corrected for with this lens.