GEAR TESTS: NIKON 8-15 Lens

Jim Decker CEO: Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo

The new Nikon 8-15mm fisheye zoom lens was released only days before our departure to the Digital Shootout. We were able to MacGyver a makeshift zoom gear with a few items around the shop that worked quite well!

The Nikon 8-15 is a fisheye zoom lens that is a full frame diagonal fisheye lens at the 15mm side of the zoom, and a circular fisheye at the 8mm side.  A diagonal fisheye has 180 degrees of coverage across the diagonal corners of the frame. A circular fisheye is one that has 180 degree coverage in every direction.

While Canon has had a 8-15mm lens for years, this is the first time a lens like this is available from Nikon. It's great to have the versatility of being able to shoot a circular fisheye, without having to dedicate your whole dive to it. 

Since the novelty of this lens is the circular fisheye side, I did spend a bit more time shooting circular images than I normally do. And I had a blast doing it!