Optical construction of the Samyang 8mm T3.8 Fish-eye CS VDSLR (Video DSLR) lens is based on 8mm 1:3.5 Fish-eye CS model, and is specially developed for filming and video purposes with cropped sensor DSLRs and professional camcorders with corresponding mounts.

The Samyang 8mm fisheye lens T3.8 features an aperture of f3.5 (quoted as T3.8, which is the f/number of a lens corrected for the light loss during transmission through the lens. T-numbers are important in film industry, where TTL metering is not common, and also helps to distinguish between this video version of the lens, and the standard Samyang 8mm F3.5 fish-eye. Optically they are identical, featuring 10 elements in 7 optical groups, one aspherical lens element, and multicoated optics.

Characteristic features of the new model include toothed rings compatible with professional geared follow-focus systems available in the film industry and likewise a toothed smoothly adjustable aperture ring. Such modifications allow for extremely precise control over focus and aperture during video recording / filming. This allows for ultimate manual control of exposure when filming from one scene to another with different light source intensities, such as changing exposure values (EVs) from inside to outside, or even in-camera fade ins etc.

It can be also perfectly used in stills photography, however users may find the standard stepped / clicked aperture version (Samyang 8mm F3.5 fish-eye) possibly more suitable choice to avoid accidental changing of the aperture between shots.

The Samyang 8mm T3.8 fish-eye lens is a manual focus lens, and offers a very large depth of field / depth of focus. The 8mm T3.8 fisheye features a built in lens hood to help reduce lens flare from light sources from behind the lens.

Initially available in Canon and Nikon mounts, other mounts are in the pipeline! Watch this space!

It is a “full frame” diagonal fisheye lens for APS-C DSLRs, meaning that the image it produces fills the frame on APS-C cameras. It produces an immense field of view - 180 degrees on 1.5x crop sensors, such as the Nikon D7000, or on 1.6x crop sensors such as Canon EOS APS-C DSLRs produces 167 degrees.

Fisheye lenses are popular for special effects use where distortion and field curvature, exaggerated perspective, or extreme depth of field are desired. Groups such as skateboarders are embracing the Samyang fisheyes for skate videos and photography, due to their very high quality, yet are an extremely affordable option; the alternatives are highly expensive, or are low quality lens adapters offering sub-standard quality.

The Samyang 8mm fisheye lens offers some of the best optics in a lens for its class, with exceptional value for money. A specialist lens, affordable to every videographer or photographer.

Samyang 8mm T3.8 VDSLR Fish-Eye Lens (Sony Alpha)