Are there any fisheye lenses for Nikon Z Mirrorless Cameras?

September 18, 2023 4:36 PM

I know there are Nikon fish eye lenses, but I am wondering if there is one strictly for the Nikon Z line? I am ordering a Nikon Z 50 soon, but I will be getting an adapter for the AFS lenses.
posted by RearWindow to Technology (9 answers total)

This should help you with your Z

https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/mirrorless/lenses/index.htm
posted by bug138 at 5:19 PM on September 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

This info is available on any camera store website. B and H for instance:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Mirrorless-Camera-Lenses/ci/17912/N/4196380428?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH&filters=fct_lens-mount_3442%3Anikon-z-mount

Scroll down a or search for "fisheye".

If you dot have a decent local camera store, call B and H or do an online chat. They can certainly answer questions better than we can as far as any specifics about your setup.
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:53 PM on September 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @bug138 Do you know which one is considered fish eye lens?
posted by RearWindow at 5:53 PM on September 18, 2023

Fisheye lenses will be call fisheye lenses. None of the lenses at the Ken Rockwell link is a fisheye. Fisheyes are generally in the 5-15mm range, like the ones on the B and H age. There are lenses in that range than might not be fisheye lenses, so if that's the effect you want, you need to make sure it's called a fisheye lens. Also, note that the camera you're planning on buying has an APS-C sensor or "crop sensor", which means the "length" of the lens will be actually about 1.5 times bigger. That might not matter much on a fisheye, since the view is so distorted to begin with, but looking at the listed angle of view for each lens will give you a good idea of how much of your field of view it will see.
posted by jonathanhughes at 6:13 PM on September 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

Well, the beauty of the Nikon system is that WITH the adapter you can put just about ANY F-mount lens on to a Z-mount body. Losing precise focus won't be much of a problem with an ultra-wide.

(The fisheyes might be one of the restricted ones, because they may intrude deeper?)
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 6:55 PM on September 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

OP, it would be helpful if you explained to us why you are not using resources like Google or camera shop listings or the manufacturer's listings to answer this question before asking here. I don't mean to be snarky, but you ask many questions that seem like they could be solved by referencing reference material that's easily available elsewhere. I truly want to help if I can, but it feels like the most helpful thing I could do is paste a google query into an answer, and it feels like you could do that too, so I'd like to understand why you aren't...
posted by Alterscape at 7:08 PM on September 18, 2023 [21 favorites]

There exists many Chinese lenses (mostly without AF) now, many not sold on major shops so they are a bit hard to find. For example, TTartisan has two fisheye lenses for Z-mount, one for APS-C (Z50, Z40, Zfc): TTArtisan APS-C 7.5mm F2 Fisheye and one for full-frame: TTArtisan 11mm F2.8 Fisheye Lens. Another Chinese fish-eye lens. I have no experience with any of these lenses, but they are supposedly decent for the price (often quite cheap) if you don't need auto focus.

One option might be the Viltrox 13mm F1.4 for APS-C, which is wide-angle and has AF, but is not a fish-eye lens. I have it and a have used it on my Z50, and it works fine - nice picture quality and the AF works, but it's big and heavy.
posted by rpn at 11:02 PM on September 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you are certain you want the distorted fish-eye effect, and need to do it in-camera, then only a lens labeled fish-eye will do. They are not as popular anymore because the effect is easily replicated with software.

If perhaps you simply want an ultra-wide-angle lens, then select them by their focal length. 15mm is extremely wide, for example.

If your camera is a “crop sensor” as mentioned before, you will have to go even wider. Lots of info is available by googling “crop sensor camera”
posted by bug138 at 12:35 PM on September 19, 2023

I have a lensbaby fisheye I use with a Canon. They don't offer them anymore but you might be able to find a used one with a Nikon mount on ebay. I really like mine. But just a google for used fisheye nikon mount will get you where you want to go. Fisheyes are kind of weird, by the way, and are extremely unlikely to be offered for a specific camera.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:28 PM on September 19, 2023 [1 favorite]