Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras
The Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Ultra-Wide Fisheye Lens with a 180° angle of view, allows the photographer to see his subjects in unique way. This ultra-wide delivers a rounded perspective, well-suited to landscapes and unusual portraiture. It has multi-coated elements and a fixed petal-type lens hood to reduce flare and ghosting. This lens must be used in manual focus and manual exposure modes.
- 180° diagonal angle of view on APS-C image format
- Creates outstanding, sharply defined images by using a hybrid aspherical lens
- Reduces flare and ghosting with super multi-layer coating
- Minimum focusing distance of 12-inches (304.8mm)
- Fixed petal-type lens hood
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 8 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/3.5 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Sony Alpha, Minolta AF |
| Format Compatibility | DSLR (APS-C Sensor) |
| Angle of View | 180° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 12" (30.48 cm) |
| Magnification | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Groups/Elements | 7/10 |
| Diaphragm Blades | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | No |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | None |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.94 x 2.95" (7.47 x 7.49 cm) |
| Weight | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 7 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (3)
Reviewed by 7 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-7
Pros
- Durable
Cons
- Nothing for the price
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
I have had this lens for a couple weeks now and is just a blast to use. I am not typically a UWA shooter but the 8 (effective 12mm) 180deg view very interesting.Used with the NEX - A adapter and focus peaking it is very hard to miss a shot.On a pentaprism unit (Maxxum 7,a700) manual focus is OK.. Difficult on a pentamirror (maxxum 5, the Sony 2XX ,3XX and 5xx series).Very hard to misfocus at f8 and using the distance scale. Feels surprisingly well built for lens of this price point
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- cheap
Cons
- Manual Focus
Best Uses
- Enhances a dull setting
- Tight spaces
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
Great cheap addition to any kit! Now one of my favorite lenses.
Pros
- cheap
- Sharp
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Heavy
- Manual aperture
- No autofocus
Best Uses
- Architecture
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
My first fisheye was the Nikon f/2.8 on a d3000. A physically smaller system than my Sony a-200 and the Bower. Fisheye lenses are super fun to use and do wonders if you ever get stuck in a mental rut or are shooting a pretty boring subject.
My copy works great, looks great, and won't break the bank. The 180 degree field of view makes it great for catching all the action in one frame and the rectilinear conversions look fantastic. The lens is sharp from center to corner.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Great price good images
- Lightweight
Cons
- No Auto Focus
Best Uses
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
The attraction was the low cost.
I cannot justify too much for an occasional use specialty lens.
The images are great. Just what I was after.
The only minor issue is the manual focus. You will need to set your Sony setup menu to allow the shutter to be used w/o lens before using it. Auto focus ultra wide fish-eye lenses were much more expensive than this.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
Very reasonable price for a fish-eye lens
and not too heavy for usage.
Manual focusing is acceptable but would prefer
a depth of field scale on the lens barrel.
Pros
- Durable
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape Photography
- Sports Photography
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
I have had this lens for about a week and a half now and have taken over 500 pictures with it. It is a really nice lens for the price. The pics have been very good with good color and focus.
The only draw back with this lens is that you have to do all of your camera settings your self because there isn't a motor drive on it to use your auto or semi auto settings. But the good news is that you will have to learn how to use your camera better.
Nothing bad to say about this lens. I am very happy with it so far.
Pros
- Distortion is workable
- Near inifinite DOF
Cons
- MF minor issue
- Permanent Lens Hood
Best Uses
- Crowd capture
- Quick panoramas
Comments about Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras:
This lens offers some of the least distortion I have seen at this width. Panoramas are much simpler to create because of that.
The DOF is nearly infinite, so simply knowing where you subject is, up to about 12 feet, is all you need to approximate, because after that ... it does not make much difference in focus.
The upper and lower "ears" of the permanent lens hood become obvious when used on a Full Frame sensor. They need to either be remove (shortened) for that use or "cropped out" during post processing.
This lens definitely provides solid "bang for the buck" compared to the alternatives. A terrific addition to the lens bag of the occasional shooter of this focal length.
Displaying reviews 1-7
Hoods & Covers
- Price: $39.95
- GBP 25.51
Cases & Wraps
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- Original: $11.99
- Save: $1.20
- Price: $10.79
- GBP 6.89
What's in the Box
- Pouch
- 1-Year Limited Warranty
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