Sony launches its first standalone E-mount fisheye lens

Sony has added a new perspective to its full-frame E-mount system with the FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G, its first standalone fisheye lens for the mount.

The new zoom covers a 180-degree field of view throughout its range, with the 8mm setting producing a circular fisheye image and 14mm filling the frame with a diagonal fisheye perspective.

Sony is positioning the lens as a compact option for photographers and videographers looking for exaggerated, highly distorted perspectives.

At 8mm, the circular look is reminiscent of the fisheye imagery popularised by skateboarding and action photography, while zooming to 14mm provides a more conventional full-frame fisheye composition.

Photographers can also choose between different distortion-rendering approaches, with the lens supporting equisolid and equidistant projection. When shooting RAW, distortion correction can be adjusted during post-processing.

The optical design comprises 16 elements in 13 groups, including three aspherical elements, four ED elements and one aspherical ED element. Sony says the design is intended to minimise chromatic aberration across the frame.

A seven-blade aperture is used, while the lens can focus as close as 15cm at any focal length. Autofocus is driven by two linear motors, with Sony claiming the system can track subjects at up to 120 frames per second when paired with a compatible high-end camera.

Despite covering a full-frame image circle and an unusually wide 8mm focal length, the lens weighs just 314g. It measures 63mm in diameter and 83mm long, with the zoom mechanism operating internally so its physical length remains unchanged.

The lens is also designed for outdoor use, with dust and moisture resistance and a fluorine coating on the front element.

Sony has included an aperture ring that can be clicked or de-clicked, a customisable button and a zoom lock. An AF/MF/FH switch provides a focus-hold position designed for applications such as astrophotography and VR, where maintaining a fixed manual focus point can be useful. A rear filter holder is also built in.

The lens is aimed at video and VR creators as well as stills photographers. Sony says its focus breathing is minimal and that pairs of the lenses can be used for VR capture, while three can be combined for 360-degree video.

One limitation for conventional video shooting is that the complete circular image cannot be captured in a 16:9 frame. Sony says this can be avoided on cameras capable of shooting 3:2 open-gate footage.

The FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G is due to launch in October.

Sony Australia currently lists the SEL814G at an RRP of $2,299, including GST.