Battle of the Fisheye's - Sigma 15 vs. 8-15L vs. Rokinon 12mm

Just got my Rokinon 12mm 2.8 FF fisheye. I've wanted it since it was announced but felt it was overpriced at msrp. I took advantage of the flash sale for 399 and so now I have it. I still feel this lens will drop to the 280 range by Christmas but couldn't resist. I love the stereo-graphic projection it produces. My fish-eye story goes like this: Rokinon 8mm HD on crop... then on 6D... sold it for the 8-15L... sold it for a Sigma 15 for 2.8 then quickly realized the 8-15 dominated it and repurchased another 8-15L and now I picked up the Rokinon 12mm 2.8. So currently I have the Sigma, Canon and Rokinon... The Canon and Sigma are for sale This Rokinon is a great performer. I'll post up some of the matched images and work on the RAW images later for anyone who is interested. So far in my 30 minutes of owning the lens:

Rokinon VS Sigma @ 2.8 - Rokinon is sharp all the way to the corners minus very very tip of extreme corner (much the same as how the 17-40 performs at very tips) It's noticeably wider thanks to it's stereo-graphic projection.

Rokinon VS 8-15L - The Canon wins in the center for sharpness and most of the center/middle but the Rokinon is sharper into the corners and also controls CA better. The 12mm lens matches somewhere around the 14.25mm setting of the Canon. I posted the Canon 14mm for comparison.

So far... back to manual but it's OK for a fisheye... the center is sharp enough even though the Canon does win however I really wanted the 2.8 and wanted GOOD corners in the 2.8 that the sigma just lacks. I'll pretty much sum it up with that. Just a quick FYI sorta thing.

All images taken at 5.6 to level up the playing field. The Sigma is decent (very center) at 2.8 but the Rokinon is "L" quality at 2.8 all the way to edge which does improve some stopping down. 5.6 should give a pretty consistent playing field.

You can really see how the stereographic projection allows much more side to side and center top/bottom image to be wider compared to a standard fisheye. THIS is what I wanted!

More images

Hah! You poo-poohed me awhile back when I suggested the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm fisheye: https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17498715

anscochrome wrote in post #17649474
Hah! You poo-poohed me awhile back when I suggested the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm fisheye: https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17498715

/facepalm. You suck lol.

Well I even said I really wanted it but wasn't paying 500. Now with some other hobbies I'm doing (phantom 3) and the sale of the 12mm I bit and sure enough it's performance passes my standards so it's a keeper.

The focus thing is the only hit for me... but this focus ring is actually precise and infinity is true infinity... which really impresses me because my previous Rokinon glass had slop in the focus ring... this thing is precise. It also came in better packaging and a decent cloth sac instead of some china crap from before.

when this 12mm falls to sub 300 it'll be a really good steal at that point.

Any CA issues wide open?

Congratulations on your 12FE. PM me in a month or two when you go to sell it.

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17649568
Congratulations on your 12FE. PM me in a month or two when you go to sell it.

Lol... okay will do

Very interesting to see the effect of the different projection geometry. Thanks for posting.

I use the sigma because it's small, cheap, f2.8 and it AFs. the only other fisheye that remotely interests me is the discontinued canon 15L but its not worth the upcharge over the sigma, imo.

ed rader wrote in post #17661582
I use the sigma because it's small, cheap, f2.8 and it AFs. the only other fisheye that remotely interests me is the discontinued canon 15L but its not worth the upcharge over the sigma, imo.

Well... I bought one, brand new in a box. For the same price for the CanonL sells used. I wanted the warranty for whatever reasons. After using it vs. the 8-15L I had to move back to the 8-15L It's only the center that is sharp to my standards and on the 5D3 its' only the center 21 points that allows AF (cross type mode) which I didn't realize would happen before buying it. To frame a fisheye you really need the outer points.

The R12mm came on sale so I bought it and to much of my surprise... it's extremely close to the L quality. The other thing is this is the first Rokinon lens I've own/tried that the zoom ring has zero slop and infinity = infinity. I can focus with this lens quickly and even at 2.8 it creates a subtle blur while keeping subject in focus. Just like my 14mm 2.8 I'm learning the distance to where I need to place the zoom ring.

I much prefer the stereographic projection to the canon/sigma as it produces much better images with people with less distortions presence.

The sigma is a great lens good quality and from what I have read is very close to the canon 15 2.8 but right now the 8-15L still takes the cake as best IQ and this rokinon is ridiculously close and a wee bit better in the corners.

I haven't used my sigma but for 300 shots and it's been sitting in it's box for 6 months... I need to sell it and the canon. I'm uber happy with the Rokinon

How is the coma performance on this lens? I have the 14mm f/2.8 Rokinon and it's primarily used for astrophotography work (where it excels). Now that I've got the 16-35 f/4 to whet my UWA appetite, a fisheye seems like it might be a lot of fun. Any idea if this 12mm FE performs similarly to the 14mm Rokinon for astrophotography purposes?

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17649568
Congratulations on your 12FE. PM me in a month or two when you go to sell it.

hahahaha did you get a PM?

wish it was AF for fun

saaFOTO wrote in post #17732333
hahahaha did you get a PM?

wish it was AF for fun

Nope. The 8-15L and the Sigma 15 are both for sale. The Rokinon is a keeper and probably the sharpest lens in my bag too. Simply amazing.

I've found that this is the one and only Rokinon I've owned that the focus ring is 100% accurate and no slop... I've learned to focus based on what I'm shooting. Not a bad little lens really.

saaFOTO wrote in post #17732333
hahahaha did you get a PM?

wish it was AF for fun

No, not yet. But I did mention Talley in my WTB: Rok 12mm FE thread.

You would use the AF on a lens this wide for about 30 seconds, or two shots, whichever came first. I have the Rok 14mm, and love it as is, manual focus and all. My Sigma 15mm fisheye is my second favorite lens to play with. The AF is the most annoying thing about it. It is shut off most of the time because it gets in the way.

Talley wrote in post #17732421
Nope. The 8-15L and the Sigma 15 are both for sale. The Rokinon is a keeper and probably the sharpest lens in my bag too. Simply amazing.

I've found that this is the one and only Rokinon I've owned that the focus ring is 100% accurate and no slop... I've learned to focus based on what I'm shooting. Not a bad little lens really.

My Rokinon 14mm is a very well built lens. I have no complaints about it - AT ALL. Don't forget to PM me when you are ready to part with the Rok 12mm FE! (If I could find another used one, I'd buy it.) I am too cheap to buy new until I get completely frustrated.

I really didn't use fisheye lenses since so long time, i even don't know why i bought them but i think it is part of fun only.

I don't feel i want to buy the sharpest or fastest fisheye if i don't use it, but if the price allows then why not, for now i have only 2 fisheye lenses, not sure how much this Samyang/Rokinon will replace them nicely, and i don't want to do as you do, here in my country if i sell something then it is gone forever and i can't keep buying same old lenses again and not into used anymore, so i keep what i have until something very very strong better with good price if possible can replace it no doubt, Samyang/Rokinon lenses mostly are cheap so i can buy them anytime later if needed so i am not worry, but i can't just git rid of Canon/Sigma lenses i have just to have newer Sam/Rok lenses, and still i don't feel many new fisheye lenses are way way better than older ones yet, so i don't care about new F-E lenses yet.