We reported a few weeks ago that lens manufacturer 7Artisans is rumored to be working on an all-new 10mm f/2.8 ultra-wide-angle fisheye lens. Well it's a rumor no more, as not only has 7Artisans confirmed the lens is coming, but it's available now – to preorder at least, and is set to ship in a matter of days.
The 7Artisan's 10mm f/2.8 II comes in Canon R, Leica L, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts, and the price is confirmed to be a very attractive and affordable $278 / £269 / AU$419, with other territories having a similarly low price tag. The lens is an update of its existing 10mm f/2.8 full-frame fisheye, which has been re-engineered to give sharper images on today's high-res 40Mp-plus sensors.
It has a wider field of view than the previous version, with an 185º angle of view compared to 178º on the lens it replaces. The endows the lens with exaggerated barrel distortion that adds a touch of creativity to photos of everything from architecture to portraits.
Perhaps the most standout feature of this lens is that its markings are now fluorescent, and glow an eerie green when the light is low. But this isn't just to help make it look cool; it is highly practical when it comes to shooting at night, and should make it join the ranks of the best lenses for astrophotography, especially considering its ultra-wide 10mm angle of view and fast f/2.8 maximum aperture, which are both desirable traits for an astro lens.
As you might expect at this price, it's a fully manual lens with no built-in autofocus. However, there's a good-sized manual focus ring while focusing is fully internal. A declicked aperture ring enables apertures between f/2.8 and f/16 to be set, while depth-of-field markers etched into the all-metal lens barrel show the degree of focus.
The lens is constructed from 11 elements arranged in eight groups, including aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements to help minimize spherical and chromatic aberration for accurate color reproduction and enhanced image quality.
The diaphragm is made up of eight rounded aperture blades, for attractive bokeh when shooting wide or stunning starbursts with the aperture closed down. The minimum focusing distance is just 0.15m, for sharp closeups at close range.
The lens weighs in at around 600 grams and has dimensions of 75x95mm, depending on the lens mount, making it pretty light and compact for such a wide and fast lens.
We'll bring you our review just as soon as we get our hands on one, but we're expecting great things if its predecessor is anything to go by, as we gave the original lens a five-star review when it was released just three years ago.
