Something smells fishy...and I like it

Many of my family members asked me what I wanted/what was M getting me for my birthday. I practically salivated when I told them, "A 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye Nikkor!" They all looked at me like I had three heads. I tried to explain to several people what a fisheye lens is, only to have their eyes glaze over about 10 seconds into it despite my evident enthusiasm.

A fisheye lens is ultra-wide angle. You get almost 180 degrees in your viewfinder. This latitude comes with a price, though. Collossal distortion that curves just about every straight line in sight. This is not an everyday walk-around lens, but it's damn fun to play with.

The easiest way to explain what a fisheye does is to show two images taken from the same viewpoint so you can see the difference. So that's what I did, choosing our trip to the top of the Arch as that's a pretty kickass view.

Here's the first shot, taken with my awesome 17-55 mm f/2.8.

This lens is no slouch...it's pro-grade gear with phenomenal optics. Normally 17 mm is a lot of latitude and can get most everything you want. This lens is my everyday walk-around lens and it has served me well and will continue to do so.

Now, here's the exact same view, taken with my new fisheye.

You get a lot more in your frame, but the distortion is crazy. I like it, though, for certain applications (like this one). I'm willing to trade the curves for the fact that I have the entire downtown St. Louis skyline, complete with the Dome to the north and Busch Stadium to the south. Union Station is back there to the southwest, and, if you look at the original file with full resolution you can see the Clayton skyline on the horizon. You even get some of the curvy ponds that are on the Arch grounds down there at the bottom.

So that, my friends, is a fisheye.

Anyone still awake?