Brightin Star’s New Fisheye Lens

credits: Brigtin Star

Brightin Star has announced the new 7.5mm f/2.8 IV APS-C fisheye lens, a manual-focus ultra-wide lens for mirrorless cameras. The lens is built around a 190-degree field of view, which goes beyond the range of many fisheye designs and creates the strong perspective distortion and curved rendering typically associated with this type of lens.

The fisheye is designed for APS-C cameras and will be available for Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, and Micro Four Thirds mounts. Optically, it uses an 11-element, 8-group construction that includes three extra-low dispersion elements and three high-refractive elements. According to Brightin Star, those specialised elements are there to help reduce chromatic aberration, flare, and other optical issues that tend to become more noticeable with ultra-wide fisheye lenses. The aperture range runs from f/2.8 to f/16, and the lens uses a five-blade diaphragm, which produces fairly pronounced 10-point starburst effects around bright light sources.

Physically, the lens stays relatively compact, weighing around 274 grams. It also focuses as close as 0.15 meters, allowing subjects to get close to the front element for exaggerated foreground perspective. Since the large bulbous front element makes normal front filters impractical, the lens instead supports rear-mounted filters. Like many lower-cost fisheye lenses, the design is fully manual focus with no electronic autofocus system. The lens is available in both black and silver finishes, with pricing set at $140.