Photography Q and eBay rant.

[Robert]

Having looked at the actual eBay listing: I think the work "adapter" should be in the description or title. However the x0.45 does indicate this is an adapter and changes the focal length of the existing lens.

The photos do show the lens to only have a screw thread not a camera mount. The photos also show the lens fitted to a camera by screwing into the front of an existing lens. Photos also show how it screws into existing filters etc

£10 for a new lens or even an adapter is not going to be great quality.

[R D S]

The link in my OP wasn't the thing I bought, it was the thing I was wondering if I needed to use the thing i'd bought, One of these,

Anyway, I get it now, it goes on the front of an existing lens.

[Martin Brown]

It is just you. It says it is a 55mm thread 0.45x Macro/Fish Eye lens. They were popular ages ago when fish eye lenses were very expensive. The clue is in the 0.45x - its a wide angle multiplier.

You can get multipliers that do go behind the lens but in standard camera lenses they have to be multipliers >1 eg 1.4x, 2x and 3x.

Telescopes have a lot more back focus and you can get 0.4x and 0.63x telecompressors that flatten the focal plane and shorten focal length.

Fish eye lens is likely to be advertised as "8mm f4 Nikon fit".

It is intended to screw onto probably the standard lens that comes with a D70 which I expect has a 55mm filter thread on it.

In all probability you stack the 0.45x multiplier on the front of the shortest focal length lens that you already have.

[The Natural Philosopher]

If quality isn't too much of an issue get a lens from sigma tamron or tokina

I think that will fit - lens is probably as good as tge 6MP sensoir anyway

[R D S]

It isn't a massive issue

Yes, I should have got something like that in the first place, but as ever I did some looking into it.... I came away with the idea that I was better off with something without any zoom, quality wise? (And then spent 14 quid, yeah I know, please don't.....)

[The Natural Philosopher]

ah. I have an apology. That is an auction. The new price for that lens is around £650

Your best bet would be to dump the autofocus and get a 52mm filter manual lens and use that adapter.,

The 50mm 1.8 is a superb lens. Its just manual focus

[Andrew]

A reversing ring will never turn a normal lens into a fisheye.

And don't forget you will lose all the electro-mechanical connections so that means manual focussing, shutter speed and aperature, which also means you need a lens that still has an aperature ring (usually). Many more recent lenses dont have this, because they rely on the camera body.

[R D S]

Cheers, I'll have a last minute snipe at that.

If I miss that one my understanding is pancake and prime are the same, so i'm after a f1/8 prime lens.......

I've just googled the difference between f1/8 and f1/4 and I can't decide if I want a 'soft creamy bokeh when wide open'!

[R D S]

[Andrew]

Pentax do a 40mm pancake lens, intended for their bodies that are not full-frame, so effectively it is similar to a 'standard' 50/55 mm lens on a 35mm film camera. It is nice and compact, for travelling, in theory -

[The Natural Philosopher]

LOL!

Don't open it wide! around f8 is the best between diffraction and lens distortion

In a tripod you can use flash or long excosure.

The pancakes were shorter overall lenses. Still primes.

[Andrew]

They might be 'primes', but a bog standard prime lens will usually be f1.8 or f1.7 which is much brighter than a pancake.

[Robert]

Useful when you want a single photo record of the inside of a room, or anywhere you cant get further away from and arent worried about distortion. Not bad value for that. ps I did search eBay to see the actual item. You could always resell it on eBay !