Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye

thepepperman · 2nd of October 2009 (Fri)

Well I thought this thread existed already, but I can't find one so let's kick it off! For anyone who hasn't come across it, this is an old Russian manual-focus fisheye made by Zenitar. Although I believe they now come in native EOS mounts, many people have them in M42 screw-type mounts on an EOS adapter.

16mm is not very "fishy" on crop cameras, but gives quite a nice effect on full-frame cameras. This is not a full circular fisheye, but rather gives a full corner-to-corner image.

One issue on the 5D (and possibly other full-frame Canon cameras) is a *very* slight interference with the camera mirror, possibly leading to error messages or darkened pictures. For me, I found that removing the rear filter cured any interference and I'm now happily snapping away. Others have had no issues whatsoever, so it may vary from one camera to another.

Anyway, please post pics, and state the camera and lens mount type you are using. Here are a few of my snaps from the past few days (not that they're anything special!!)

Ignore my giant head (distortion is unflattering!)

PS, if I missed the photo archive thread I apologize!

00dahc · 15th of February 2010 (Mon)

I'm surprised more people don't have this bargain lens?

thepepperman · 16th of February 2010 (Tue)

Grabbed these two shots on Friday; F/2.8 & ISO 1600 if I recall. Quite happy with this guy! This is the ceiling at a local Greek Orthodox church.

newworld666 · 16th of February 2010 (Tue)

I don't use it very often, but here sample test I did last summer ..

It's sharper at F/8 ... and almost soft at f/2.8 .. and I use PTlens to correct geometry

I bought it on a M42 mount just to see what type of picture I could get witha 5DMKII .. but I think soon or late I will buy a canon EF 14mm ..

nrowensby · 19th of March 2010 (Fri)

Distortion test for Canon crop-body cameras:

Nikolas · 22nd of March 2010 (Mon)

Love it on a full frame like the 5d2
The colour saturation is awesome.

Brain Mechanic · 12th of May 2010 (Wed)

Hey I have this lens!! LOL!! I didnt saw this thread earlier!

Still experimenting with it....I think is great!

thepepperman · 14th of May 2010 (Fri)

Very nice! It looks like you're using a crop-sensor camera? I originally had mine on a 30D and was quite happy with the "just-a-bit-fishy" perspective it gave to wide-angle shots on that size of sensor. Some people claim it as a knock against the lens because its not a "true" fisheye on such cameras but I thought it was great.

Brain Mechanic · 14th of May 2010 (Fri)

Yep...I have a Canon 1000D.

k4show · 24th of June 2010 (Thu)

How sharp is this lens in comparison to the Canon?

Supersignet · 27th of June 2010 (Sun)

The Sigma is reported to be the best of the 3

k4show · 27th of June 2010 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supersignet

The Sigma is reported to be the best of the 3

But what comes in second and third?

Supersignet · 27th of June 2010 (Sun)

the Canon second and the Zenitar third. They're all good lenses. The Zenitar is all manual where as the others are AF and auto aperture compatible. All take good pictures.

newworld666 · 28th of June 2010 (Mon)

I don't use my zenitar anymore, since I received the samyang 14F2.8 ... samyang has got an amazing price/quality ratio

ForcedFire · 7th of March 2011 (Mon)

I just got this in the mail today, here's my first shot on a T2i stopped down to f11:

I like how it's just a bit bendy but not full blown fisheye. Not easy to use but it's not bad stopped down.

2nd of October 2009 (Fri)	#1
thepepperman Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 434 IMAGE EDITING OK	Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Well I thought this thread existed already, but I can't find one so let's kick it off! For anyone who hasn't come across it, this is an old Russian manual-focus fisheye made by Zenitar. Although I believe they now come in native EOS mounts, many people have them in M42 screw-type mounts on an EOS adapter. 16mm is not very "fishy" on crop cameras, but gives quite a nice effect on full-frame cameras. This is not a full circular fisheye, but rather gives a full corner-to-corner image. One issue on the 5D (and possibly other full-frame Canon cameras) is a very slight interference with the camera mirror, possibly leading to error messages or darkened pictures. For me, I found that removing the rear filter cured any interference and I'm now happily snapping away. Others have had no issues whatsoever, so it may vary from one camera to another. Anyway, please post pics, and state the camera and lens mount type you are using. Here are a few of my snaps from the past few days (not that they're anything special!!) Ignore my giant head (distortion is unflattering!) PS, if I missed the photo archive thread I apologize! __________________ Steve - Flickr - Twitter - Le Gear Square Peg Images - Website - Blog - Facebook

15th of February 2010 (Mon)	#2
00dahc Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 465	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye I'm surprised more people don't have this bargain lens? __________________ Canon 7D \| 70-200 f/4L IS \| 50 f/1.8 II \| Sigma 30 EX f/1.4 \| Sigma 50 EX f/2.8 Macro \| Tokina 12-24 f/4 \| 430EX

16th of February 2010 (Tue)	#3
thepepperman Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 434 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Grabbed these two shots on Friday; F/2.8 & ISO 1600 if I recall. Quite happy with this guy! This is the ceiling at a local Greek Orthodox church. __________________ Steve - Flickr - Twitter - Le Gear Square Peg Images - Website - Blog - Facebook

16th of February 2010 (Tue)	#4
newworld666 Goldmember Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: on earth Posts: 2,220 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye I don't use it very often, but here sample test I did last summer .. It's sharper at F/8 ... and almost soft at f/2.8 .. and I use PTlens to correct geometry I bought it on a M42 mount just to see what type of picture I could get witha 5DMKII .. but I think soon or late I will buy a canon EF 14mm .. __________________ Marc 5DMKII+1Dx 24L1.4II 85L1.2II 180L3.5 300F2.8nonIS TC2XII ..... Sigma14F2.8AFDG, Zuiko 500F/8 Reflex http://myc-photos.eu

19th of March 2010 (Fri)	#5
nrowensby Goldmember Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 3,403 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Distortion test for Canon crop-body cameras: __________________ --- Nick --- --My Marketplace Feedback--

22nd of March 2010 (Mon)	#6
Nikolas Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,702 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Love it on a full frame like the 5d2 The colour saturation is awesome. __________________ Canon 5D2 20D & 300D 50mm f1.8 mk 2, 24-105 f4 IS L Tokina 12-24 f4 ATX PRO, 400mm f5.6 ATX apo Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 EX DG, 120-300mm f2.8 EX DG Tamron SP pro TC 1.4 and KENKO 2x teleplus pro 300DG and lots of m42 lenses

12th of May 2010 (Wed)	#7
Brain Mechanic Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,976 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Hey I have this lens!! LOL!! I didnt saw this thread earlier! Still experimenting with it....I think is great!

14th of May 2010 (Fri)	#8
thepepperman Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 434 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Very nice! It looks like you're using a crop-sensor camera? I originally had mine on a 30D and was quite happy with the "just-a-bit-fishy" perspective it gave to wide-angle shots on that size of sensor. Some people claim it as a knock against the lens because its not a "true" fisheye on such cameras but I thought it was great. __________________ Steve - Flickr - Twitter - Le Gear Square Peg Images - Website - Blog - Facebook

14th of May 2010 (Fri)	#9
Brain Mechanic Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,976 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye Yep...I have a Canon 1000D.

24th of June 2010 (Thu)	#10
k4show Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,091 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye How sharp is this lens in comparison to the Canon? __________________ ---Gear--- -----Zenfolio----- -----Twitter------

27th of June 2010 (Sun)	#11
Supersignet Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 504	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye The Sigma is reported to be the best of the 3 __________________ Canon 5Dii, Sigma 24mm f1.8, Sigma 50mm f1.4, Sigma 85mm f1.4, Sigma 24-70 f2.8 EX Macro, Sigma 150mm f2.8 Macro, Canon 135 f2L, Zenitar 16mm f2.8 fish eye (on the way) A pile of ocf gear and modifiers.

27th of June 2010 (Sun)	#13
Supersignet Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 504	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye the Canon second and the Zenitar third. They're all good lenses. The Zenitar is all manual where as the others are AF and auto aperture compatible. All take good pictures. __________________ Canon 5Dii, Sigma 24mm f1.8, Sigma 50mm f1.4, Sigma 85mm f1.4, Sigma 24-70 f2.8 EX Macro, Sigma 150mm f2.8 Macro, Canon 135 f2L, Zenitar 16mm f2.8 fish eye (on the way) A pile of ocf gear and modifiers.

28th of June 2010 (Mon)	#14
newworld666 Goldmember Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: on earth Posts: 2,220 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye I don't use my zenitar anymore, since I received the samyang 14F2.8 ... samyang has got an amazing price/quality ratio __________________ Marc 5DMKII+1Dx 24L1.4II 85L1.2II 180L3.5 300F2.8nonIS TC2XII ..... Sigma14F2.8AFDG, Zuiko 500F/8 Reflex http://myc-photos.eu

7th of March 2011 (Mon)	#15
ForcedFire Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 62	Re: Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye I just got this in the mail today, here's my first shot on a T2i stopped down to f11: I like how it's just a bit bendy but not full blown fisheye. Not easy to use but it's not bad stopped down. __________________ T2i //// Glass: EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, EF 400mm f/5.6L ////430EX mkI

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