Nikon AF-S NIKKOR Fisheye 8 15mm F 3 5 4 5E ED Review | 54 Data compared

The Nikon AF-S 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is described by Ken Rockwell as an exceptionally sharp and versatile fisheye lens, offering both a circular image at 8mm and a full-frame rectangular image at 15mm. Its key strengths include rapid autofocus, a robust weather-sealed design with protective coatings, and a very close minimum focusing distance. However, the lens has notable limitations, specifically the inability to use standard front filters due to the bulbous front element, which requires rear-mounted gels. Other, less significant cons mentioned are a lack of depth-of-field scales, the requirement to attach the lens hood to fit the lens cap, and different, more limited zoom functionality on DX cameras.

The Nikon 8-15mm f3.5-4.5E ED fisheye is a unique, highly versatile wide-angle zoom lens designed for Nikon DSLRs that effectively replaces three separate fixed-focal lenses. It features an angle of view of 180 degrees, projecting a fully circular image at 8mm on a full-frame sensor, completely covering a DX sensor at 11mm, and completely covering a full-frame sensor at 15mm. Built to match Nikon’s professional lineup, this gold-ringed lens comes with an electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism, weather sealing against dust and moisture, and a fluorine coating on both the front and rear elements to make cleaning easier. Additionally, its quiet and fast Hyper Sonic Motor ensures reliable autofocus tracking that even works on entry-level bodies (like the D3x00 and D5x00 series) that lack an integrated internal AF motor. The review highlights several pros, emphasizing its exceptional optical performance that beats both Nikon's fixed-focal fisheyes and Tokina's alternative zoom lens. It boasts highly accurate focus repeatability (measured at 99.1%), minimal focus breathing for video shooters, and a very close minimum focusing distance of 0.16m with an impressive 1:2.9 maximum magnification. However, the...

The Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a highly versatile fisheye zoom lens designed for full-frame (FX) and crop-sensor (DX) Nikon DSLRs, though it can also be used on mirrorless Z cameras via an FTZ adapter. This unique lens acts as both a 180° circular fisheye at 8mm and a 180° diagonal fisheye at 15mm on FX bodies, while providing diagonal coverage down to a dedicated "DX" marking on crop sensors. Optically, the lens stands out for its excellent center sharpness even when shot wide open, close-focusing capabilities that reach within an inch of the lens front, and efficient Nano and fluorine coatings that minimize flare and repel moisture. Additionally, its relatively small and lightweight build (17.1 ounces) makes it an easy addition to a photographer's gear bag. Despite its stellar performance, the lens has several notable drawbacks. Performance at the outer edges suffers from noticeable astigmatism, coma, and smearing—particularly at mid-range focal lengths (10-11mm) and close distances—requiring users to stop down to f/11 to get acceptable corner results. The handling is also quite fussy due to a unique bayonet lens...

The Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a highly versatile lens that allows photographers to seamlessly switch between a circular fisheye image at 8mm and a frame-filling image at 15mm on full-frame (FX) bodies. Designed for both FX and DX formats, this "all-in-one" lens replaces almost all legacy Nikon fixed-focal fisheyes and benefits from an internal autofocus drive compatible with modern camera bodies. Optically, it delivers exemplary sharpness all the way to the edges of the frame even at maximum aperture, outperforming older fixed-focal variants. It handles flare and ghosting remarkably well thanks to Nano Crystal and fluorine coatings, while its short 16cm minimum focusing distance allows for creative, close-up perspectives in sports, underwater, and virtual reality photography. The review highlights several key strengths and weaknesses of the lens. The pros include its outstanding overall image quality, excellent corner sharpness, and robust, weather-sealed build quality. It is also praised for its short minimum focusing distance and a protective fluorine coating on the front element that easily repels dust and grease. Conversely, the notable cons are its hefty price...

The Nikon AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8–15mm f/3.5–4.5E ED is a highly versatile "Gold Ring" lens that serves as Nikon’s first-ever fisheye zoom, allowing photographers to alternate between iconic 180° circular images and traditional frame-filling shots. Designed with premium weather-sealing and a protective Fluorine Coat, it includes a innovative electronic diaphragm and a secure clip-on front cap. On a full-frame (FX) body, it yields full circular images at 8mm and frame-filling 175° views at 15mm, while cropped-sensor (DX) bodies achieve frame-filling images from 10mm to 15mm. Its exceptionally close minimum focusing distance of 6.3 inches (16cm) makes it highly efficient for close-focus wide-angle underwater photography, providing creative composition avenues that transform standard scenes into complex canvases. The lens presents distinct pros and cons depending on the focal length used and the shooting environment. Key advantages include its compact size and weight compared to bulky rectilinear wide-angle zooms, superior distortion control over Nikon's older 16mm fisheye prime, and sharp image quality all the way to the edges at its widest settings. However, significant drawbacks emerge, such as a noticeable blue halo/chromatic aberration...

The Nikon 8-15mm Fisheye lens delivers exceptional image sharpness, clarity, and depth, notably capturing intricate details like the spines of soft corals even when shooting underwater at an aperture of f/9. Designed primarily for full-frame cameras, it effectively serves as two lenses in one: a circular 8mm fisheye that zooms out to a 180-degree view, and a 15mm diagonal wide-angle fisheye. This flexibility allows photographers to switch framing styles underwater without dedicating an entire dive to a single perspective. Furthermore, it is compatible with compact dome ports like the Zen 100mm, which enables tighter, close-focus wide-angle shots. It also functions well on crop-sensor bodies as a 10-15mm zoom lens, making it highly versatile for shooters utilizing both camera formats. Despite its benefits, the lens possesses a distinct vignette from 14mm down to 9mm or 10mm on a full-frame camera, rendering this "in-between" focal range mostly unusable because it fails to form a complete circle. On a crop-sensor camera, vignetting occurs below 10mm and never achieves a true circular image. Additionally, shooting circular fisheye inevitably leaves a darker blue ring around...

The PCMag review highlights the Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED as a versatile, pro-grade zoom lens capable of capturing both circular 180-degree images and full-frame fisheye shots with exceptional sharpness, fluorine coating, and build quality. While it matches competitor performance, drawbacks include a high $1,249.95 price point and the need to remove the lens hood to avoid severe vignetting at the wide end.

The Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a highly versatile fisheye zoom lens designed for both full-frame FX and crop-sensor DX cameras. On a DX body, it delivers a frame-filling fisheye effect when zoomed in to 9.5mm, offering a useful zoom range where shapes retain natural dimensions instead of suffering from the severe edge stretching common in standard super-wide-angle lenses. Built to a professional standard, the lens features Nano Crystal and fluorine coatings to repel dust and dirt, a rubber rear gasket for weather sealing, and a built-in AF motor that ensures autofocus functionality across all Nikon DX bodies. Optically, it excels with outstanding sharpness from the center to the corners even wide open, alongside excellent flare resistance that leaves the image virtually free of veiling glare or ghosting unless the sun hits the absolute edge of the frame. The review highlights several distinct strengths and weaknesses for photographers to consider. The "pros" of the lens include its superb overall image quality, excellent corner sharpness, professional-grade build with dependable sealing, an impressive shortest distance setting (0.34x maximum magnification),...

The Have Camera Will Travel review highlights the Nikon AF-S 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED as a specialized lens offering versatile 180-degree circular effects at 8mm and full-frame, diagonal views at 15mm. Optically, the lens delivers high sharpness from corner to corner with excellent control over chromatic aberration. Key limitations include extreme barrel distortion, ease of accidentally capturing feet or tripod in the frame, and a bulky, awkward lens cap system, making it a niche tool rather than an everyday lens.

The Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a versatile full-frame fisheye lens that provides two distinct looks depending on the focal length used on an FX camera: a circular image at 8mm and a frame-filling rectangular fisheye at 15mm. Tested on a Nikon Df body, the lens delivers images characterized by deep, saturated colors and strong contrast that stand out compared to third-party competitors like the Sigma 8mm f/3.5. This high contrast profile makes it particularly well-suited for converting images into punchy black-and-white photographs. The lens serves as an excellent all-in-one option for photographers who enjoy creative distortions, eliminating the need to carry separate circular and full-frame fisheye lenses in their gear bags. However, the lens comes with several operational drawbacks and optical flaws that potential buyers should consider. Chromatic aberration is a notable issue, specifically a thick blue or purple color fringing that rings the circular image at 8mm, which requires aggressive post-process cropping to fix. Physical limitations are also prevalent; the included lens hood visibly enters the frame at any focal length below 15mm, and the corners...

The Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a highly specialized zoom lens praised for its exceptional build quality, weather resistance, and versatile ability to switch between a circular fisheye and a full-frame image. Optically, the lens delivers superb sharpness, high contrast, and excellent flare resistance, with a clever lens hood design that simplifies usage. Despite its high marks, the review notes drawbacks including a variable maximum aperture that drops to f/4.5 at the telephoto end, a lack of vibration reduction, and the inability to use traditional front filters. Additionally, it is characterized as a high-cost, specialized tool, making it a significant investment.