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Ultra-wide, fast prime DX lens. The 10.5mm is f/2.8 versus f/4 of Nikkor's 12-24 ultra-wide zoom lens. Physically small, the lens is probably similar to a 50mm prime in size. Great fun to play with, very wide field of view. I find it quite versatile - it's on my dream wishlist.

A unique feature is Nikon Capture's software rectillinear correction to turn this novelty lens into a (somewhat) useable wide angle prime.

Original:

Bigger - http://dr-cbtan.fotopic.net/p11211990.html

Edit: yes that is my left hand visible - gotta beware of one's limbs when shooting with this lens!

After rectilinear correction in Capture:

Bigger - http://dr-cbtan.fotopic.net/p11211991.html

Notice the purple fringing evident at the edges, but the centre has surpringly great resolution and very little distortion. This is a crop from the centre of the frame from the uncorrected image -

Bigger - http://dr-cbtan.fotopic.net/p11212192.html

People are recogniseable, horizontals and verticals remain fairly straight, etc. BTW, that's forum members Glamy and Thaddeus conversing, with Leek's elbow making an appearance.

Focuses extremely close (minimum 0.15m), as Killakoala proves:

Bigger - http://dr-cbtan.fotopic.net/p11211992.html

Resolution at the centre portion of the lens is surprisingly very good -

Bigger - http://dr-cbtan.fotopic.net/p11212193.html

This magnified crop shows very clear lettering and details on my kit lens, held 3 inches from the front element of the fisheye.

Full gallery of larger images here

For interest, here is the photo i was taking. Notice my legs spread far apart. They had to be that far apart so they weren't in the shot.

Beautiful colours Killa - shame about the legs

Chris

Shame I wasn't there. This would be an interesting lens to try. I'm assuming it's birddogs. What is its most likely use? Would it be suitable for ultra wide landscapes?

Looking at these pics reminds me of something else. Birddog must have the most photographed backyard in Australia!

I'm amazed at the clarity in the "cropped" centre shop that surprised me, and (while Killa's stance looks dangerous ) the close-up macro shot came up really isolating the subject well, nice.

Then I thought, would that make you end up cropping more often, maybe be better framing at least??? Dunno, just thinking. Edited: I meant to say with the fish-eye ones, doh... Just got home, I'm tired... End of edit stuff:

Looks a great day though just playing with all the different toys and stuff...

Cheers,
Mudder

I think it's the kind of lens that you would need to think of a way to use creatively, then shoot, rather than have the lens on the camera already and then go looking for something to shoot.

Pre-empt, rather than respond, if you get my drift.

I loved that lens though. I've got some more photos with it that i will eventualy post when i have finished some other more important paying work.

This is probably the next lens I will buy. Would love to to see some landscape shot with it, anyone got any examples??

Andy

I did recall someone wanted to see landscape examples, and I did just that at the Sydney meet today. So Andy, here they are:

Out of camera


Rectillinear corrected


Bigger Images in this Gallery

I took the shot specifically with rectillinear correction in mind, so I was mindful of the straight lines. Horizontal top fence line was just slightly below centre of frame. The verticals - on the pavement ran thru the viewfinder grid, and the edge of the house and garage I thought I had lined up fairly straight vertically too. However in the rectillinear conversion, it can be seen it's clearly angled, reflecting my standing height and the pitch angle of the camera.

One thing about the Capture conversion - it's simply on or off, there's no adjustment as to the "amount" of rectillinear correction desired. I tend to think both with and without correction are at the extremes, I would like 'just a little' reduction of the fisheye effect but not all the way (note the basketball hoop as portrayed in both pics). I'm sure a more neutral effect can be achieved by playing with the spherize filter in PS, but I don't have the desire to spend time post processing...

Chromatic abberation is a big issue with this lens, anywhere away from the 'sweet spot' centre of frame. I thought it might be minimised if I stopped down, it didn't.

Bloody hell, what a weird lens. Every one of Onyx's images above makes me dizzy, corrected or not! I'm struggling to see a use for it (unless you like the distortion, in which case I unserstand); the crop you posted is nice, but if you're going to crop from a 10.5 mm lens, why not use a longer lens with less distortion?

Onyx, thanks!

I agree, this lens is very specific to it's intended use. Any sort of straight lines (buildings, fences, etc) and it's pretty funky looking. he clouds and sky are incredible though! I am seeing this more as a open landscape, maybe distant structures sort of lens. Unless you are looking for the fisheye style.

ANDY

This is a fun and special purpose built lens. I love it with my small creatively brain.

I have included a few more examples of the beauty of the 10.5mm fishy lens (and others) in the following gallery

http://killakoala.smugmug.com/gallery/395934

that is a beautiful lens! thanks for the example shots guys...

cheers