Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras
The Bower SLY 835C 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
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 8 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/3.5 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Canon EF-S |
| Format Compatibility | Canon (APS-C) |
| 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 45 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
93%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Strong construction (26)
- Durable (21)
- Easily interchangeable (20)
- Consistent output (13)
- Lightweight (10)
Cons
- Difficult to clean (6)
- Poor in low light (4)
- Slow focus (4)
- Blurry focus (3)
Best Uses
- Landscape/scenery (26)
- Video (18)
- Sports/action (15)
- Low light (10)
- Weddings (8)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (13), Pro photographer (10), Semi-pro photographer (10), Casual photographer (6), Enthusiast (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (31), Yes (9)
Most Liked Positive Review
Excellent buy for low budget photo/video
This lens was given to me as a Christmas gift from my father who's knowledge of photo equipment is limited so I was skeptical at first but the Bower 8mm f3.5 has proved to be ...Read complete review
This lens was given to me as a Christmas gift from my father who's knowledge of photo equipment is limited so I was skeptical at first but the Bower 8mm f3.5 has proved to be quite an impressive little lens. The build quality is excellent for a lens in this price range (all hard plastic with a metal bayonet). The focus ring action is extremely smooth. At first I had trouble getting what I want in focus with such a wide angle of view but with a little practice I am getting beautiful photos and some truly unique video footage. When using the built in flash on my canon T2i I get a big round shadow at the bottom of my shots from the built in lens hood but I think that this problem could be solved with the use of a speedlight. I would definitely recommend this lens to a friend.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
pretty okay, not as good as sigma 15mm.
I was a long time user of the sigma 15mm for full frame (film) cameras. After making the transition to digital, I opted for the Opteka fisheye (exactly the same as Bower and...Read complete review
I was a long time user of the sigma 15mm for full frame (film) cameras. After making the transition to digital, I opted for the Opteka fisheye (exactly the same as Bower and Vivitar). My expectations were very high for this lens and it fell a bit short. Images are unacceptably soft at 3.5 (wide open) and still a bit soft at 5.6. f/11 looks pretty good, but that's getting awefully slow for me. Also the sigma 15mm has extremely tight depth of field for blurred background type shots. The opteka seems incapable of pulling off the "macro fisheye" shot that the sigma did so well. To be fair, I have not yet tried the sigma 10mm fisheye for digital EOS, so this review is not apples-apples.
Other notes: manual focus and apperature control (fine by me). Would be nice to communicate back the aperature to the camera for display in the viewfinder and also to record the shot settings.
Conclusion: good quality for the price, nice for landscape, not the best choice for artistic photographers.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 45 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
Cons
- Slow Focus
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
The results you can get picturing with this lens is so funny, but it's too much money to spend in a lens which you'll not use frequentlly.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Video
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
First off, bhphoto got me the lens really quick.
Second, Great quality, for video and photo.
I recommend you get the lens now if you want it, price has dropped in the past 6 months and I don't know much much longer they will have these amazing lens.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Optical quality
- Sharpness
- Strong Construction
- Wide angle lens
Cons
- No autofocus
Best Uses
- Indoor
- Landscape/Scenery
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
I always wanted a wide angle lens for landscape photography, but for now, I can't afford one. I'm not a big fan of fisheye, especially the ones with a lot of distortion, but this one is really neat on a APS-C sensor. It can almost replace a wide angle lens in some situation, like for some landscape. I have a friend who have one and he's doing awesome thing with it. That's mostly after seeing his shots that I've decided to buy one too.
Also, the construction is strong, all metal with a really smooth focus ring. It feels solid and very high quality.
The only negative side, and I already knew about it before bying, is that there is no electronics in that lens, meaning that you have to go in full manual mode. Also, The plastic caps feels really cheap, but it's not very important. It change nothing to the quality of the lens, do that's not really a con.
I really enjoy it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
Cons
- NONE
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
even you have to select manually the Aperture it is totally worth beside i kind of reminds me my 35mm camera when you had to move everything manually
I just love this lens and it was right for me
not extremely expensive and enough for an amateur photographer
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Images shared by pedro Sanchez
first picture with it
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Difficult to Clean
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
This lens was given to me as a Christmas gift from my father who's knowledge of photo equipment is limited so I was skeptical at first but the Bower 8mm f3.5 has proved to be quite an impressive little lens. The build quality is excellent for a lens in this price range (all hard plastic with a metal bayonet). The focus ring action is extremely smooth. At first I had trouble getting what I want in focus with such a wide angle of view but with a little practice I am getting beautiful photos and some truly unique video footage. When using the built in flash on my canon T2i I get a big round shadow at the bottom of my shots from the built in lens hood but I think that this problem could be solved with the use of a speedlight. I would definitely recommend this lens to a friend.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Hancock
New Years Eve no editing
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
This lens gives access to a great fisheye experience at an excellent price.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
I shoot video with this lens. Great for the scenes requiring "fisheye" effects.
Of course some abberation in the corners, but for this price, you have to expect that. Overall I'm really satisfied by this lens !
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
This lens is exactly what I was looking for : It has an excellent optical quality and is really affordable. Furthermore, its robustness is impressive.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
Verry wide angle ! Good effect fish eye !
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- cheap
- Lightweight
Cons
- Manual focus only
Best Uses
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
The bang for the bucks of this lenses are pretty good for the uses I currently do with it (climbing shots). For the price the image quality is pretty good and the distorsion is not too bad. The only big downside is that the apperture and focus are manual, but the DOF on the lens is less than 6ft, so I pretty much never had to play with the focus and if you are used to pose in manual mode, you still can get the info on the light exposure on the camera itself.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Slow Focus
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
Good fisheye but I underestimated how wide this thing is. You have to be about 2 inches away from an object to fill the frame which is an issue since the minimum focusing distance is 1 foot. Overall happy with the purchase.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Soft focus
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
Use with Canon T2i, not extremely sharp pics, but good, very good for video with great DOF wide shots.
Feels solid, made in Korea.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Difficult to Clean
- Poor in Low Light
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
this is a great lens for the price. it is build very strong and i love having a manual aperture ring on the lens. my only complaints are that the lens doesn't seem to have a coating on it, as dust sticks to the lens like magnets. it won't just blow off with a blower, i'm constantly cleaning the lens. other than that it is sharp and has great colors and is worth the price.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- cheap
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
I use it for landscapes, sports, architecture, family photos and fun photos in general.
Probably the best thing about it is that it´s cheap and delivers a great quality.
It´s strong and durable and fast enough for a fishe eye lens.
I found it excellent for landscape photography. I just shot a timelapse of a beach with it... Amazing.
I just love it.
Manual focus and manual stops? That doesn´t bother a bit.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
Cons
- Poor in Low Light
Best Uses
- Sports/Action
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
I've got this lens to use on my canon T3i, that I just got. Since I shoot skateboard, didn't wanna pay extra cash for a canon lens. But make no mistake, the bower 8mm is a great lens, the price is just right. the only down side is the aperture f/3.5 and being manual, but still a great product.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
I use this or certain cinematographic shots. The fisheye definitely works well to stick out in a shot where you want to get a superwide view. Not really anything wrong with it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- cheap
- Fun To Use
- Sharp
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
for the price this is a incredible lens, its sharp and really fun to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Sports/Action
- Video
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
Amazing sturdy fisheye. No vignetting and the build is just as good as a metal body canon lense. The manual aperture is actually very nice if you do video. The focus can be a bit tricky but is still easily achieved. Totally buying one of the rokinon or bower f1.4 primes.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
Cons
- Difficult to Clean
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Video
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
This lens is fun and easy to use. Great buy.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Blurry Focus
- High chromatic aberration
- Poor Image Contrast
- Poor Image Saturation
Best Uses
Comments about Bower SLY 835C 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens For Canon APS-C EOS Cameras:
The build quality is ok and that is the only positive thing I could say about this lens. I am not a pro photographer and I always use inexpensive lenses, but this one is so bad that its practically unusable.Sample photo taken with Rebel T3i:[@]
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Hoods & Covers
- Price: $39.95
Cases & Wraps
-
- Original: $11.99
- Save: $1.20
- Price: $10.79
What's in the Box
- Pouch
- 1-Year Limited Warranty
Why Shop at B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don’t turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you’ll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We’ve made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
See sample Newsletter
Help
Company Information
B&H Resources
