THE PROS
• The lens has a great ultra-wide-angle field of view
• It is, of course, extremely cheap for a 10mm lens
• The lens performs fairly well if enough light enters it
• Ultra-wide-angle photos may be difficult, yet the results are unique if one gets it right
• Fisheye distortion can be corrected without much loss of field of view
• It is extremely compact, so that one can slip the camera with lens into a coat pocket
THE CONS
• There are no markings on the focus ring -- yet it matters how one adjusts the ring
• Photos have purple vignetting, which needs treatment with software
• One shouldn't use the (supplied) ultra-violet filter to overcome this -- it fuzzes the photo
• One shouldn't think of taking a hand-held shot in anything but very good light
• One shouldn't think of turning up ISO beyond, say, 1600 with this lens
• Any scene that is not very well lit requires a tripod or fixed support
OBSERVATION: Rather dream of the real thing: the Fujifilm 8mm f3.5 lens. But actually, the Fujifilm 18mm f2 wide-angle lens that I have is about as extreme as it gets before one pushes the boundaries of physics. It is enough. This photo, taken with the AstHori lens on a rainy day, is adjusted for vignetting, and sharpened. Ideally, I would see this lens as being used for ultra-wide-angle action shots in good light. Say, feeding pigeons, or cars on a freeway. With my 18mm f2 Fujifilm lens, I can do ultra-wide-angle still photographs -- not action shots.
2 comments:
Who cares??
Thank you. I care. It interests me. But you happen to have chosen a post, for your question, which has attracted an extraordinary interest, as few posts do. And it's a most unusual lens.
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