Nikon FC-E8 Fisheye Converter

another view

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
If you have a camera that this lens is designed to work with, then this is a great way to get into a fisheye. I also have a Coolpix 5000 and with the proper adapter and camera setup it's really great. Like any other special setting, careful study of the camera owner's manual will insure best results. The fisheye effect can be easily overused and this is a great way to try it out for the occasional shot without spending a lot of money.

Strengths:
Very sharp and unique images, and inexpensive compared to a Nikon fisheye lens for an SLR camera. Lightweight and compact and the correct adapter fits in the same bag as this lens.

Weaknesses:
Supplied special lens cap doesn't stay on very well - plan on putting this lens (with it's protruding front element) away when not in use.

Similar Products Used:
Wide angle lens adapter for Coolpix 5000 and many other Nikon products, but no other fisheye lenses.

Customer Service:
Haven't needed it for this item.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
2-5 years

Visitors rate this review
4.67 of 5,
3 votes

Price Paid:  $199.00 from ipix

Summary:
This is an amazing lens if used properly. Like all screw-on lenses, it does have some drawbacks. It is designed for the middle f/stop range only so using it wide open or closed down (f2.5-5.6 and f/11 - f22) generates less than stellar results. This lens is mostly used by virtual tour photographers to make ipix or ipix type tours. The trick is to have the correct adapter and camera settings. Since it is a fisheye there is no focus since it's depth of field covers 6" to infinity. If you understand your camera settings, you will get great results, if not they will be poor.

Strengths:
As close to the 8mm lens as you can get for thousands less.

Weaknesses:
screw on lens. Getting a true fisheye image out of a $200 lens is asking a lot and this lens delivers.

Customer Service:
Nothing to break on this lens, Its just a big hunk of glass.

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $199.00 from Saturn

Summary:
I think the lense is not at all worth the price. You don't even get the proper adapters if you intend to use it with the CoolPix 5000. The images are blury and lack sharpnes. So I have to continue using my F65 with a russion fisheye I got from eBay.

Strengths:
183 FOV

Weaknesses:
blury, images are not sharp at all. In F2-Mode of CoolPix5000 you can't change the focus. So you have to switch to "normal" mode, which renders the F2-Mode of the coolpix utterly useless.

Customer Service:
poor. They ask you tons of questions, waste your time and hardly ever come up with a proper solution or workaround.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Fun; I will sum up this lens by saying that if you enjoy your digital camera this lens will satisfy!

Strengths:
More than 180 view; price; sturdy; crisp pictures;

Weaknesses:
Blocks use of flash on Nikon885; threads are tiny;

Similar Products Used:
20mm lens for Nikon manual cameras. I might look for the wide angle for the digital.

Customer Service:
N/A