Promising results with 16mm equiv FOV using Sony Fisheye!

As many have probably read here or on FM, I've had some surprisingly good results using a .68x conversion lens on the X100 to give a 24mm equiv FOV with hardly any loss of sharpness right to the very edges after lots of trial and error with various spacers to get the adapter distance dialed in.

I tried the Sony ultra wide conversion lens and had decent results though as it was only a .75x converter, really not wide enough to make a really big difference so I didn't bother with it anymore.

Always was curious to how the fisheye conversion lens for NEX would work as its the same overall design as the UWA and at around $100 quite affordable as well. Lets face it, these things are fun to mess around with and for occasional usage but hardly something you want to spend big money on.

Well the FE was out of stock for ages but finally got my hands on one and I'm pretty pleased with what I'm seeing so far. Little edge softness and while not a 180 degree diagonal, still quite wide, about 16mm equiv with hardly any signature fisheye distortion in most shots. AF seems to work, no vignetting and just a little lateral CA on the edges.

Still testing and trying to make different shim thicknesses but this one could be a winner. I picked up the UWA for about $75 used and the FE one is even less popular so could be even cheaper used.

I'll work on getting some more samples (and edge crops) when I've got time but heres just a downsized images out of camera giving you an idea of the differences in FOV with and without the converter. Thats not vignetting on the top of the frame either mind you but rather roof of my balcony.



and with the conversion lens



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http://www.millsartphotography.com

How did you get it to fit on? I had the fisheye for my 5n and loved it but got rid of it when I traded for the x100. I'd love to get another but can't figure out how you would attach it to the x100.
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• Tom

Looks reasonably good. Is it dedicated sony or some third party?

Edit: oh I see, the VCLECU1

There are quite a few ways to attach them, easiest is simply to glue a step down ring with the correct 49mm outer thread size into the converter, though you would want to take out that little plastic insert that has the sony bayonette mount as it makes the distance too far from the lens.

Likewise, another method I just discovered is that if you also remove the silver metal sleeve (the conversion lens is actually all one piece molded plastic inside) that you can put the factory fuji hood over and and its an exact fit, thusly making it bayonette onto the Fuji hood adapter.

However, I found this wasn't quite the rick thickness so will have to mill down the front of a hood (lucky they are $10 each for the knockoffs) to try to find the right distance.

That should work pretty well and make for easy on/off

Tvaclavek said:

How did you get it to fit on? I had the fisheye for my 5n and loved it but got rid of it when I traded for the x100. I'd love to get another but can't figure out how you would attach it to the x100.
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• Tom

Click to expand...

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http://www.millsartphotography.com

I've been finding I'm getting good results for distant objects but not so great for closer distances using AF

Found that with the distance indicator the camera is focusing at about 6' for distant subjects and would try to focus at several inches for closer subjects resulting is soft photos.

Did notice when I had a close railing in parts of the frame focused on the distance it was still sharp though so it got me thinking. Found that given the DoF is so vast shooting around f5.6 or so, that I can simply manually focus the camera at about 6' and get sharp near and far images.

I'm actually finding better overall edge to edge sharpness with the FE on more distant subjects than I am with the rather good Nikon .68x conversion lens.

The Nikon is nice for a 24mm equiv, and focuses well using AF, and is sharper for close foreground subjects but other than the fisheye distortion, the FE conversion lens actually seems to work better on vast vistas.

I'm going to try to defish the fisheye a bit and see what type of resulting wide angle focal length that would leave me with. About 21mm would be my ideal preference, as a 21/35 combo was my two favorite lens with my Leica

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http://www.millsartphotography.com

Here is a full size image so you can judge the quality for yourself.



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http://www.millsartphotography.com

Attached is a few images of different mounting options

By using the factory style hood, along with the outer housing of the FE removed, you can effectively make it a bayonet mount (which works well since its actually rather light) although, the spacing isn't quite perfect. If the Fuji style adapter ring could be milled down thinner by 1-2mm it would work a little better I think. Looks good though and quite easy to take on/off

Best solution I've found so far is the 52-49mm step down ring, which is exactly the size of part of the inner FE housing and also perfectly spaced. Just glue them together, or even wrap with gaffers tape which I did while testing. Doesn't look quite as finished so I'm thinking of putting the metal FE housing back over it then for a more polished look.

One thing you will notice when using the second method is that since your screwing the step down ring right onto the camera, there is a raised ridge on the FE which can hit the front element and produce a camera message.

I was going to dremel this down, however, as testing has shown, you really want to manually focus the FE at about 5', and at that distance the lens doesn't hit so really there is no need to do so.

Flip the camera to manual focus, set it to past 5' and screw the FE on and your in business

Hi millsart i see you're the king of the conversion lenses here in x100 forum...I already own the nikon WCE68 and i get a usable sharpness at f5,6 good at f8 and very good at f11 so i'm quite happy of what i get for the few money i've spent, but i'd really like to have something in the 28mm equivalent range with better performance than what i get with the nikon wce68, so maybe a usable f4.0 and good to really good from f5,6 and up. According to your experience what will be the best solution: the sony wide angle conversion lens for nex or the panasonic LWA52?
Thx
Simone

Pretty awesome looking. Can you take a portrait with it? I know, not ideal but I like shooting wide portraits at events with friends.

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Mikee
http://mikee.nu
http://5byseven.com/blog

Here two full size tests with x100 and the nikon WCE68 at f5,6 and f8

I didn't try all that much with the less wide conversion lens as I personally didnt see much point in going from 35mm to just 28mm.

I did have pretty good results with the Panny 0.75x one though, but I wouldn't say it was better than the Nikon, about equal. Downside to it is that its something like $150 and again, performs about the same as the Nikon, only less wide.

I'd say if you want 28mm equiv, and also the ability to use the lens more wide open, the Nikon would still be the way to go, just crop it in a little more, which you'd need to do anyways as the corners can be a softer unless your stopped down.

Sort of think of it as a F8/F11 24mm full frame landscape lens, and a f4 28mm lens if you will.

Again sorry I cant be of more help but I didn't really look at anything less than 0.75x as I was wanting as wide as possible

My ideal is about 21mm equiv personally

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http://www.millsartphotography.com

Thank you wery much Millsart, i really appreciate your answer ) i will do like you suggest, use the nikon adapter and crop it when needed Pity that fuji doesn't make any (good) wide angle conversion lens because the potential is there.. we all could have a really good wide angle option... and judjing from the numbers (sold cameras) fuji could make a lot of money!