Belarus MC Peleng 8mm Circular Fisheye 35mm Primes

Belarus MC Peleng 8mm Circular Fisheye 35mm Primes 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-8 of 8  
[Feb 10, 2005]
MikeJ
Intermediate

Strength:

Sharp, easy to use. Even works in low light.

Weakness:

Heavy! Manual focus.

I have these, using it on a Canon 300d. There's really nothing else like it, unless you want to spend three or four times the price. You can "de-fish" the results with free software (Panorama Tools) so it can also work like a super-wide lens rather than a fisheye. I have a more detailed review on my home page, http://www.jarnell.com

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 05, 2004]
tcchou71
Beginner

Strength:

Cheap. Fun. Sharp.

Weakness:

Lens cap falls off easily. Edge of image almost always has some flare and reflection.

As everyone says, this is a fun cheap lens with surprisingly good quality. I'm impressed with how sharp the lens is throughout the image, not just in the center. On a digital rebel it works quite well, though the sensor crop prevents the full 180 FOV from being visible. (Even with 35mm film, small slivers of the circular view will be cropped). One drawback is that the lens cap does not fit tightly. It falls off easily, and being metal, can scratch the lens as it falls off. I glued a piece of rubber to the edge of my cap to hold it onto the lens better and also prevent scratches.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 02, 2002]
elilmeyer
Professional

Strength:

Compact, wide angle coverage allows low light hand held shots at 1/8 sec and slower. This lens can shoot in light and spaces that no other lens can match (for the price.)

Weakness:

Bright contrasty scenes are washed out with flare. Nikon Lens mount doesn't fit too well. It has a tendency to lock itself on your camera if you are not careful.

I borrowed the Peleng 8mm lens from a friend over a year ago and I haven't been able to give it back. The lens allows the photographer to capture space unlike conventional lenses. It isn't a "professional" quality lens however it is one of the best values in lenses I have ever seen.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 17-35 f2.8

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 27, 2000]
Igor Tretiakov
Intermediate

Strength:

It is a very sharp lens ,which shows impressive results. You can see some pictures at www.ijtrade.ru .Low price ,can be used with Canon Eos ,Nikon ,Contax Adapters available.

Weakness:

Manual aperture control.

It's great , not expensive & high quality.
Try it ! Still available.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 20, 2000]
Irakly Shanidze
Intermediate
Model Reviewed: MC Peleng 8mm Circular Fisheye

Strength:

Optically this is a very sharp lens with minimal distorsions. It is extremely well built, all metal and can be mounted on virtually any maual focus 35mm camera (Nikon and Pentax K adapters are included it the package). Although in image quality it rivals Nikon and, IMHO surpasses 8mm Sigma fisheye, it will cost you $200.

Weakness:

Quirky aperture design - there are two separate rings, one sets the aperture and another one steps down. Filters are not built-in, so you will have to remove the lens to change a filter. There is some chromatic aberration on the image edge. No customer service in the USA.

This is en excellent and very affordable lens special purpose lens. The value of it is so outstanding, so it worth buying a manual focus body to use with it. It is built by former Soviet optical factory BeLOMO - which used to be dedicated exclusively to military production, so unlike with other Russian products, quality control is still there.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 16mm/2.8 fisheye
Arsat 30mm/3.5 fisheye (medium format)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 09, 2000]
Dave Dosch
Intermediate

Strength:

Dirt cheap 8mm lens. Sturdy metal construction.

Weakness:

Manual focus only. Aperture and focus adjustments cludgy. Some distortion around the edges.

Great lens to play around with using a fisheye without breaking the bank. Not up to the optical quality you see in other manufaturers, but mechanically it appears to be indestructable. I get some sort of weird lack of clarity and color distortion around the outer 10 degrees or so of the picture, but worth living with for only $200.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Phoenix 19-35 Zoom, Nikonus 15mm & 20mm.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 12, 2001]
David Gumbrell
Casual

Strength:

Very cheap way to get to play with fisheye.

Weakness:

Build quality - mine was full of internal contamination - metal fragments and dust.

OK way to play.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Apr 11, 2001]
Harry Pulley
Expert

Strength:

Inexpensive, mechanically well made, very good resolution in centre of image, honest 180 degree field of view, good colour saturation and contrast WHEN FLARE IS TAKEN CARE OF. Comes with UV, orange and green filters plus a case as a bonus. Good results even wide open at f/3.5.

Weakness:

Obvious lateral colour aberration (blue tint)around very edge of image, doesn't seem to be reduced by stopping it down (fine in B&W). Flares VERY easily when bright lights are in the scene, hurting contrast and causing nasty artefacts -- can be controlled but limits composition possibilities. Internal reflections combine with flare to make it difficult to work with lights. Image doesn't always fit on 35mm film, depending on focus position.

A really fun lens, a great value for the money! The problems with flare, internal reflections and lateral colour error mean it is not a serious lens but for amateurs looking to play around with circular composition, all-sky views or impressive perspective distortion, it is a great buy. It isn't much more money than a semi-fisheye adapter and the Peleng gives better results.

Customer Service

Excellent -- supplied Canon FD/M42 mount converter didn't work but I got a prompt full refund for that part.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 20mm f/2.8 super wide.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-8 of 8  

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