Budget diagonal fisheye for Canon APS-C with 180-degree corner-to-corner coverage.
The Samyang 8mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye CS is a manual-focus diagonal fisheye lens for Canon EF mount APS-C cameras, providing a full-frame filling 180-degree field of view from corner to corner. The UMC multi-coating reduces flare and ghosting across the extreme field of view that fisheye designs are particularly prone to.
Optical quality is good for a fisheye with sharp performance and effective aberration control. The diagonal fisheye projection fills the entire frame with its distinctively curved perspective, unlike circular fisheyes that produce a round image within the frame. This makes diagonal fisheye images more immediately usable for creative work.
Build quality is solid with a metal barrel and smooth focus ring. The bulbous front element is characteristic of fisheye designs and prevents front-mounted filter use. The lens cap is a petal-type design that clips over the protruding front element. At this price point, the Samyang fisheye represents exceptional value.
On the used market, the Samyang 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye CS is the most affordable route to fisheye photography for Canon APS-C. For creative photographers wanting the distinctive fisheye distortion effect, astrophotographers capturing expansive sky coverage, and anyone wanting to experiment with extreme perspectives, it costs very little to try.