Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras

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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 flair and ghosting with super multi-layer coating
Minimum focusing distance of 12-inches (304.8mm)
Fixed petal-type lens hood
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
Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras
 
4.8

(based on 5 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (4)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (1)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (0)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

REVIEWS

Reviewed by 5 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-5

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5.0

Lots of fun!

By Bohemeian

from Minneapolis. MN

About Me Semi-pro Photographer

Verified Buyer

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

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4.0

Good price for an occasional use lens.

By Davo

from Boston, MA

About Me Photo Enthusiast

Verified Buyer

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

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    (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

     
    5.0

    Very attractive pricing

    By Felix the Cat

    from Vancouver, Canada.

    About Me Professional

    Verified Buyer

    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.

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      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

       
      5.0

      A great fisheye for a low price.

      By Lvoldschoolnewbie

      from Las Vegas, Nevada

      About Me Hobbyist/Enthusiast

      Verified Buyer

      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.

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        (7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        This wide doesn't AF

        By DonSchap

        from Des Plaines, IL

        Verified Buyer

        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.

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        What's in the Box

        Bower SLY 358S 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Sony / Minolta APS-C Cameras
        • Pouch
        • 1-Year Limited Warranty
         
         
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