Who It’s For:
The Nikon 16mm f/2.8D Fisheye is a special purpose lens for people who want a full 180 degree view in their images and are ok with sacrificing the ability of straight lines to remain straight. This is a great lens for people who really want to get into the action and suck the viewer into the image. In other words, it’s a must have for skate/ski photography.
What We Like:
Size: This lens is very compact so on a small body, it will be very easy to carry around for extended periods of time.
Flare: This lens does a great job of handling flare, as long as the front element is kept clean. Any amount of dust or fingerprints will show up fairly easily.
Contrast: Excellent contrast throughout the entire range of apertures.
What We Don’t:
Focus: You cannot focus this lens to infinity without a rear filter in.
Fall-Off: At f/2.8 the light falloff isn’t great, but it’s correctable if you absolutely need to use the fast aperture.
Not for DX: while it is possible to use this lens on a DX body, you shouldn’t. You get a ton of distortion on what is effectively a 24mm lens. It’s not worth it.
great for music too. http://commiebiker.smugmug.com/Portfolio/A-year-in-pictures/22135304_SnqDkc#!i=2332162327&k=kBvZSVR&lb=1&s=X2
If you own a DX camera, just get the 10.5 fisheye, which works out to the same crop as this lens. I own that and love it. And while I own an FX Nikon, I haven't felt the need to sell the DX lens to buy this one. However. this lens has a metal lens hood vs. a plastic hood on the 10.5, and my hood broke, so that's one advantage of this lens.
This little 16mm is one of my favorite lenses in my bag.