Conclusion

The fish-eye or ultra wide angle look is quite extreme and stylised, and is therefore unlikely to be something you want to use for every shot. However, when used with certain subjects, it’s a very interesting look which can be very effective. 

As the Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED Lens covers a variety of focal lengths, it’s a more versatile lens than some prime fisheye optics. It also performs very well across the focal lengths, producing sharp images at a range of different apertures. 

You can shoot quite close to subjects, but it’s perhaps best reserved as a lens for landscapes and architecture, anything which would benefit from a super wide angle. 

Designed primarily as a lens for full-frame cameras, you could potentially use it with DX format cameras, such as the D500, but its flexibility is a bit more limited as you can’t create the circular images as you can with full-frame cameras. 

Unlike some other wide-angle lenses, the AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED Lens isn’t particularly heavy or bulky, which is great for adding it to your kit bag for when you can find a good use for it. The build quality is also very good, especially the fact that it is dust and drip resistant. 

The focusing ring has a satisfying amount of resistance to make fine-tuning of manual focus nice and easy, while the zoom ring is also nice to use. 

Of course there has to be a downside to a lens like this, and that’s the price. At around £1,300 you have to have a specific need for the Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED lens - it’s hardly an impulse purchase to have as a “just in case”. For that reason, it might make more sense to hire the lens for specific projects and occasions, but if you are a particular fan of the fisheye look, this is one of the best options currently available to you. 

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4
Value for money	3.5