Semi & Fisheye help plz

[Jayde]

Semi & Fisheye help plz

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi
I am seriously considering buying a fish eye lens (i always wanted one) but to possibly save money i found a semi fisheye instead, what I`m wondering is will the effect be much different, it looks same here but am i missing something ?
Quality maybe ?
but the pics here look similar altho not v large to judge them..

http://raynox.co.jp/comparison/video/comp_fe180pro.htm
scroll down flowerbed pics

Does anyone here, have experiance/knowledge with a RAYNOX mx-3000pro semi fisheye lens ?
or
Raynox DCR-FE180PRO Fisheye lens.

I Used this Raynox link for reference point..

In fact the cheapest Fisheye I fancy is the Nikon FC-E9..
here
http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCa...es/Fisheye.html

and yes.. its for the FZ10 and Raynox says both will work ok..

Any help plz
Cheers

mx-3000pro semi is priced at £139.99
and the
dcr-fe180pro is priced at £329.99.

The Nikon FC-E9 is 200 quid

[John_Reed]

I am seriously considering buying a fish eye lens (i always wanted one)Just out of curiousity, what attracts you about a fisheye lens? It seems to me that images taken with them are grossly distorted, the extreme of barrel distortion. What's the benefit?

[Jayde]

I just luv that effect John.. :D

still dont like em.. ?
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=23875&forum_id=50&highlight=shene
Thas :cool:

Raynox HD3030pro semi lens not FZ10 tho, makes me wonder re the mx-3000pro must be similar quality

[John_Reed]

I just luv that effect John.. :D

still dont like em.. ?
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=23875&forum_id=50&highlight=sheneOK, those shots are cool. I especially liked the "train station," with and without the train. I still probably wouldn't get one, but thanks for "opening my eyes," so to speak! Always appreciated. :rolleyes:

[Jayde]

John
that curved sea shot makes me feel ill tho, and i dont like ALL fisheye shots and its kinda worrying to spend and find out the hard way that this nikon lens is not good.. return deal only me thinks..
i know that cheeper semi f/e lens can be rilly bad..

http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=18414&forum_id=66&highlight=fisheye

on another setup but the nikon doesnt inspire confidence.. what you think ?

[John_Reed]

John
that curved sea shot makes me feel ill tho, and i dont like ALL fisheye shots and its kinda worrying to spend and find out the hard way that this nikon lens is not good.. return deal only me thinks..
i know that cheeper semi f/e lens can be rilly bad..

http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=18414&forum_id=66&highlight=fisheye

on another setup but the nikon doesnt inspire confidence.. what you think ?I looked at those shots and the crops. It looks like a lot of CA out on the edges, where the barrel distortion really comes into play. Not so much in the middle of the image. If you want a good wide-angle image, I think you're better off taking a mosaic of shots, say 2 rows of 4 shots with a "normal" focal length lens, and stitching the mosaic into one piece with Panorama software. I use Panorama 3, for example, from Arcsoft, and it can create seamless mosaics like that. The end result would have less distortion, and be more "true to life." But the fish-eye distortion itself can be cool, as some of those shots demonstrated. And you certainly wouldn't catch a moving train in a mosaic!