Zenit Zenitar 16mm F2.8 MC Fisheye A-mount lens review by DFadel

DFadel#8566 date: Jan-26-2011
sharpness: 2 color: 3 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 1 overall: 2.6	tested on: film camera: APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:	I own this lens
compared to:	missing
price paid:	$125USD
positive:	cost (at the time)
negative:	nowhere near sharp until f/5.6 substantial diffraction at f/22 very little contrast must mod the lens to get it to work flares like mad
comment:	I am going to replace this lens. For a cheap fisheye I suppose it is Ok, but you do get what you pay for. I can't believe this lens is rated over a 4 overall. The lens has reasonable sharpness from 5.6 to 16, and a fisheye is generally not used wide open, so maybe this is acceptable (acceptable is 3 to me, but since this lens sucks below 5.6 I gave it a 2). It is well known that you have to jury-rig this thing, correcting for infinity focus, removing the aperture pin, etc., so I didn't take anything off the score for that. Still, build is average at best (again a 3). Flare is terrible and UGLY. I probably will get the Sony 16, and its flare looks much better to me in the sample images I have seen. That's a 1. Distortion is about what you would expect from a fisheye, so I gave it a 4.