Product Description

Canon offers a Fisheye lens with a 180-degree angle of view for unique and intriguing effects. The wide depth of field makes it even more interesting. The short minimum focusing distance of 8 in. (20 cm) gives new meaning to close-up shots. The lens has a fixed petal-type hood and a gelatin filter holder at the rear.

Product Details

• Brand: Canon
• Model: 2535A003
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 4.00" w x 4.50" l, .95 pounds

Features

• 15mm fisheye lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras
• Ultra-wide 180-degree angle of view for capturing entire scene
• Minimum focusing distance of 8 inches for enhanced close-up shots
• Built-in filter holder accommodates up to 3 gel filters at once
• Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 2.4 inches long; weighs 11.6 ounces

Amazon.com Product Description
Love the fisheye effect? Turn to the Canon EF 15mm fisheye lens, which offers an ultra-wide 180-degree angle of view for capturing scenes well beyond your natural field of vision. As with all fisheye lenses, the 15mm provides a ton of unique and interesting effects, with a minimum focusing distance of 8 inches giving new meaning to close-up shots. Best of all, the lens is tack-sharp throughout its entire focus range. The lens--which includes a fixed petal-type hood and a built-in rear filter holder that holds up to three gel filters at once--carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 15mm fisheye
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 180 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Overall linear extension system with AFD
• Closest focusing distance: 0.7 feet
• Filter size: Rear gel holder (accepts up to 3 precut gel filters)
• Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter, 2.4 inches long
• Weight: 11.6 ounces

From the Manufacturer
Fisheye lens with a 180º angle of view for unique and intriguing effects. The wide depth of field makes it even more interesting. The short minimum focusing distance of 8 in. (20 cm) gives new meaning to close-up shots. The lens has a fixed petal-type hood and a gelatin filter holder at the rear.

A full-frame fisheye lens that’s ideal for special effects with any EOS camera, film or digital. It focuses as close as eight inches (0.2m), and is tack-sharp throughout its focus range. Up to three gel filters can be inserted into its built-in rear filter holder.

Wide and Fast
If you need an ultra-wide angle and a large aperture, one of the following lenses will fit the bill. Ultra-wide-angle lenses can capture scenes beyond your natural field of vision. The EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye, the widest of them all, has a 180° angle of view. For more normal-looking wide-angle shots, there are longer wide-angle lenses up to 35mm with the maximum aperture you need.

Customer Reviews

My African Wide Angle
I bought this lens as I was walking out to Africa for a month and a half safari. I didn't own a true wide angle lens and I had just spent most of my budget on a 70-200mm USM "L" lens and a 1.4x extension.

I wanted to get the widest lens I could get but I didn't have the big bucks to get the 16-35L or the 14mm L so I got this lens figuring I could correct in Photoshop CS2 later.

This is what I found:
1) I have a 20D and it doesn't barrel distort anywhere near as bad as I had thought it would....I imagine it distorts quite a bit more on a 5D or other full frame sensor but on the 20D, 10D, 30D, or Rebel it is not that bad.

2) It does distort enough even on the 20D that its noticable on every single inside shot and on many panoramic shots....to the experienced professional, you'd notice it even in panoramas.

3) For the computer person: I find it very easy to correct the barrel distortion in Photoshop CS2 very easily....I use a plugin (there are several on the web)

4) I tend to like the barrel distortion look on some of my pictures.


Pros
1) Image Quality is superb. For not being an L lens, this lens has some amazing color, sharpness, and saturation. They spared very little in grinding this lens. Some of my best African pictures, daytime and nightime were taken with this lens and they were fabulous.

2) Build pretty well, metal mount, metal integrated hood...but not up to L standards by any means....to its credit, it survived 14 days by vibration ridden truck treking across the Kalahari desert with all its dust, mokoro canoeing in the okavango delta for over a week, hiking, elephant riding, and the five diamond resort at victoria falls (the last one was easy for the fisheye)...

3) It is a Fisheye lens and if used properly, it can create some amazing pictures and views...for example In Botswana in the Okavango, I knelt down next to a Gigantic Baobab tree and pointed it up towards the sky, The fisheye captured not only Rex the guide standing next to the tree but the entire massive trunk of the Baobab AND ALL of the canopy of the tree way above. Everything! I know of few lenses that would let me do that. It was an amazing shot only possible with a Fisheye.

4) It focuses to about 12inches.

5) f/2.8 makes it very good in low light situation.

6) The integrated hood comes complete with a nice metal cover.

Cons
1) Its not built like an L:
a) no USM motor so you can hear the whir as it tries to focus
b) no moisture seals etc
c) It does have a metal mount

2) It is a fisheye lens -- I found out after a month and a half what this meant....it doesn't stay on my camera much. I take it out when I need a certain effect or when I plan to retouch in Photoshop. It distorts visibly on a 20D and I imagine quite a bit more on a full frame.

3) Integrated Hood...can't put screw on filters...but it does have a gel filter holder.

4) No bag.

My veredict:
1) I've purchased a 16-35mm Canon "L" and that lens stays in camera most of the time when I want wide-angle but when I need a special look or I really want to capture everything, I bring out my 15mm Fisheye. I won't sell it, I don't regret buying it. I learned what a specialty Fisheye lens is and its staying in my arsenal for those special shots.

2) I can't compare against non-canon lenses but I can say that Canon quality here is extraordinary. I would knock them on the construction but the lens is built well enough and the "glass" itself is spectacular so 5 stars.

3) I ordered from Amazon 3 days before my trip --- it arrived the next day. Great Service. Thx Amazon.

Probably the best lens I own
Let me first start off by saying - long time canon user. I own 6 or 7 lenses, including three L series lenses, and this is by far one of my favorites - if not my absolute favorite.

I shoot mostly glamour and erotica type work on a 20D. So right there, this lens is not a true 15mm for me - but 1.6x15mm.

It's sharp as a tack. It's light weight. It's very short (I call it the nub lens). And it's autofocus is amazing.

Very little barrel distortion...

and highly recommended. This lens is probably as sharp (if not sharper) than my 24-70 2.8L or my 17-40 4.0L lens.

Fun Lens, but Limited Practicality
The fisheye lens is a lot of fun, and I enjoy using mine. However, I find that the practicality of the lens is minimal. I don't usually want my "serious" photographs to have fisheye distortion.

I don't tend to like the 1.6x crop on Canon's lower-end digital SLR cameras, but with the fisheye this has an interesting benefit: it's reasonably easy to use the fisheye as a standard wide-angle lens, since most of the distortion is removed by the 1.6x crop. You can still get distortion, but it's a lot easier to compose a shot without it using a 1.6x camera than a full-frame camera.

Either way, lots of fun. Buy one for the enjoyment, or even for professional assignments if your work calls for it, but think about if you really want the distortion before getting one of these.