Hi--


I found your web page on the internet this evening and I thought you
would
be a good person to ask about the old Nikkor 8mm f2.8 AIS fisheye lens.

Did you find http//www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/slemn.html ?
It has comments on both the Nikkor and the Sigma 8mm lenses...

I'm
a photojournalist in Philadelphia and I'm working on a photo story about
window washers who work on skyscrapers. I have a 15mm fisheye and 14mm
rectilinear (Canon's) that will do the job, but I'm thinking about
purchasing Nikon's 8mm fisheye for the extra wide effect.

The Canon 7.5mm is an alternative, though photos I've seen shot with it
indicate the Nikkor and Sigma may be better at the "edges"...

This lens is very
difficult to find and also very expensive. They currently sell for
$1500.00
to $4000.00 depending of course on the condition of the lens. Apparently
they are very popular with collectors, however I did manage to find one
for
sale for a mere $3000.00!

Do you think this lens is worth that kind of money? I'd appreciate any
information or advise you could give about this particular lens.

Thank you,
Barbara Johnston
Photographer

It is quite large and heavy (a result of the silly f2.8 max. stop,
though its performance at wide stops isn't wonderful), quite sharp
to the edge at f8-16 (best at f11), and 180 degrees, unlike the much
smaller
and cheaper Sigma (about 170 stopped down). The Sigma isn't as good in
B&W
as the Nikkor, and the Nikkor is a bit sharper at f11, but in color the
Sigma
is quite good even wide open (and these fisheyes are hand-holdable at
VERY
slow shutter speeds, like 1/2 second...), and peaks around f8. Both
are acceptable on the TC14A converter at f8, giving a bigger image area
and still 170-180 degree coverage in one direction. I kept my Sigma
and sold the Nikkor... A mint Nikkor (kept mint) will probably continue
to
be worth $3000 on resale, but the Sigma is a safer buy...