Peleng's MC 8mm f/3.5 — an extreme Soviet-era M42 fisheye prime with strong curved perspective.
The MC Peleng 8mm f/3.5 is a Belarusian circular and full-frame fisheye prime made from around 1980, produced in M42 and other mounts. It is a well-known ultra-wide fisheye of the Soviet and post-Soviet era, giving an extremely wide curved field of view at a low price relative to Western fisheyes.
This is a manual-focus M42 screw-mount lens with an 8mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/3.5, designed as a fisheye that produces a very wide curved image, on full-frame filling the frame with strong barrel curvature. Focus and aperture are set by hand and it uses built-in filters. Exact element figures are not asserted here beyond the verified focal length and aperture.
The 8mm fisheye gives an extreme angle of view with pronounced curvature, bending all straight lines except those through the centre, used for dramatic landscapes, interiors, skies and creative effects. Depth of field is so deep that focus is largely fixed. It is a specialist optic chosen for its bold, distinctive perspective.
Used copies are affordable and sought after by fisheye users, with condition varying across the long production. Inspect the highly curved front element for scratches, haze and fungus, verify the aperture and built-in filter mechanism, and check the mount and focus. Confirm the M42 version. An M42 adapter makes it a popular extreme fisheye on mirrorless.