List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $239.00
Today's Bonus: 32% Off
Let me begin by saying that this lens is manufactured in Korea, not China, and is made by Samyang under their name as well as Bower and Pro-Optic.
I first encountered this lens on Ken Rockwell's web site, where he gives it a glowing recommendation. On further review, I found equally glowing reports of the Pro-Optic on Amazon and Adorama web sites.
This is a manual lens, so you have to do a little work when using it. Loss of auto focus is no big deal with a lens this wide, since its hyperfocal range is so great just set it at 10 feet, and you should have all distances covered. Depending on your camera, you may or may not lose auto exposure. I shoot this with a Nikon D200, and can auto expose with aperture priority not all Nikons can do this, however, only the more advanced it will not auto expose with the D40 or other entry-level cameras, so it pays to research this lens with your camera if lack of auto exposure is a deal breaker.
The images this lens produces are SHARP. It's hard to believe that such an inexpensive lens can be so good. Keep in mind this is a fish eye lens, and it produces a great deal of distortion, especially on the edges. This being said, it's certainly not the lens to keep on your camera as a "walk around" its suited for special effects and impact, so I wouldn't recommend it as your primary lens.
To sum up, if you're looking for a fish-eye lens, it's hard to go wrong with this bargain its popularity seems to be growing, and I wouldn't be suprised to see the price go up, as happened to the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8, which originally sold for about $100 under its current price (when it's available).
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