AstrHori, makers of such optical oddities as the 18mm f/8 2x Periscope Probe Macro lens, has announced a new circular fisheye lens for APS-C cameras.
The AstrHori 6.5mm f/2 fisheye is a fully manual lens for APS-C Sony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Micro Four Thirds cameras. Its 6-element, 5-group optical stack incorporates an extra-low dispersion (ED) element, as well as a high refractive index element to reduce aberrations.
The 6.5mm focal length equates to 10mm in full-frame terms and enables a huge 192-degree field of view, albeit with a circular image projection, while the 0.2m minimum focussing distance makes it easy to capture distinctive fisheye close-ups. The lens itself is very compact, measuring only 64mm in diameter and 52mm long, with the E-mount version tipping the scales at 268g (although this will vary slightly for other mount variations).
Being a fully-manual lens, there are no electrical contacts to facilitate lens-body communication, but you do get an aperture ring and a printed depth of field scale. And with fewer frills comes lower pricing, as the AstrHori 6.5mm f/2 fisheye will retail for just $129, for all mount options.
