Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 MC Fisheye ??
- Thread starter life4eva
- Start date
Mark Von Lanken
Well-known member
I have the Zenitar 16mm 2.8. It's a great, low cost fisheye. With the crop factor it's only about 26mm, so it's not that wide, but it's the wides lens I own for the T2i.
The Tokina 11-16 is really sweet and is on my want list, but the Tokina is about $600 versus the Zeniar at about $200 or even less used.
Here's a clip with some Zenitar 16mm footage on a T2i.
http://www.vimeo.com/13346965
The Tokina 11-16 is really sweet and is on my want list, but the Tokina is about $600 versus the Zeniar at about $200 or even less used.
Here's a clip with some Zenitar 16mm footage on a T2i.
http://www.vimeo.com/13346965
Looks great, thanks for the footage!
Mark Von Lanken
Well-known member
You are welcome.
Mark Von Lanken
Well-known member
Thanks. I don't have a 5D, but since the 5D has a full frame sensor, I would expect to see barrel distortion since it is seeing the lens as a 16mm where as the 7D and T2i see the lens closer to a 26mm with the crop factor...basically cropping out the barrel distortion.
So final question before I pull the trigger, is it worth it weight in gold aka is it worth it to purchase?
I did a project with a rented lens ( 15mm canon ) and I loved the look from it. I would love to buy the tokina 11-16mm but as a poor College student :crybaby: I don't have that kind of money.
So maybe this lens will fill my void?
Barry_Green
Moderator
It's supposed to. It's a fisheye lens, after all.
As Mark said, on a smaller-sensor camera that fisheye distortion gets cropped out, but on a 5D, the lens is supposed to perform like a fisheye. It even says fisheye in the name. :thumbsup:
I have the 16/2.8 Zenitar and the Tokina 11-16/2.8 . I picked up the Zenitar a few years ago, and for the price, it's a very good deal.
As already mentioned, it's a fisheye. Although it's better on a 1.6x crop, the barrel distortion is still quite visible. As long as you keep that in mind, then it works very well.
The Tokina 11-16 is still quite a bit wider and larger. The Zenitar is a very compact lens.
As already mentioned, it's a fisheye. Although it's better on a 1.6x crop, the barrel distortion is still quite visible. As long as you keep that in mind, then it works very well.
The Tokina 11-16 is still quite a bit wider and larger. The Zenitar is a very compact lens.
What makes a lens Fisheye? The tokina 11-16mm is wider but it does not produce a fisheye effect so I guess size alone does not make something fisheye?
Barry_Green
Moderator
No, you can have "rectilinear" wide-angle lenses, or you can have fisheye lenses with serious barrel distortion. It's not that the barrel distortion is a defect, but rather -- it's the whole point. It's a different type of lens, designed to give that effect.
Thank you. So the Tokina is a rectilinear lens and this Zenitar is a fisheye which creates barrel distortion but on a cropped camera it is not as noticeable as on a FF. I got you, so can this be a poor mans Tokina 11-16 :crybaby:
I'm ready to purchase or maybe save some more money ( couple of months) and just get the Tokina 11-16mm?
Barry_Green
Moderator
Well, I sure wouldn't call it a "poor man's Tokina" because it's fixed at 16mm whereas the Tokina is a zoom, going as wide as 11mm.
Thanks for the help Barry & yes I understand the the Tokina is a Zoom and this is a prime. Basically I was looking for a lens in the 14-16mm range with an f/2.8 aperture. So if anyone knows of any other lens in this range please post it, if not this is my lens!
