Nikon's full-frame fisheye — the manual-focus Auto 16mm f/3.5 for the F mount, 180-degree diagonal view.
The Fisheye-Nikkor Auto 16mm f/3.5 is a full-frame fisheye for the Nikon F system, introduced in the early 1970s. Unlike the circular fisheyes, it fills the entire 24x36mm frame with a 180-degree diagonal image, making it far more usable for everyday creative photography. It belongs to the automatic-diaphragm generation before the Ai update.
This is a manual-focus Nikon F lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 and a fixed 16mm focal length, with an automatic diaphragm for open-aperture viewing. It delivers a 180-degree diagonal angle of view covering the full frame and uses built-in filters chosen by a rear turret rather than a front thread. Element counts and weight are omitted rather than guessed.
The rendering shows strong barrel distortion that curves horizons and straight lines, most dramatic near the frame edges and minimal through the centre. Because it fills the whole frame, it works for dynamic wide interiors, skateboarding and action, and creative landscape where the bent horizon is used deliberately. Placing the horizon through the centre keeps it straight.
On the used market these full-frame Auto fisheyes are more common than the circular models but still command a premium. Check the front element for scratches and coating haze, confirm the built-in filter turret turns cleanly, and verify the automatic diaphragm closes to the set aperture. It adapts well to mirrorless bodies and remains a practical creative wide-angle.