Using the 10-17mm Fisheye

I've had the 10-17mm fisheye for a little over a year now and I continue to be impressed by it, especially in terms of colour rendition, sharpness and flare resistance. What I hadn't realised though was that if you keep the horizon across the centre of the frame you can get ultra-wide landscapes (way wider than my 10-20mm Sigma) without little in the way of obvious distortions, even at the wide end. That makes the lens considerably more useful than I'd originally thought.

I'm just back from a few days up in the NW of Scotland where even the wide end of the Sigma sometimes wasn't enough to get everything in, but having the fisheye zoom helped at times:

Nice shots, although the first one does have a little distortion , guessing the camera was pointing up a bit? But the second one looks absolutely normal, you'd never know this was with the fisheye.

Love the last one too.

I love scotland...

Dan

Two days and I'm there can't wait.

One of the best parts is breakfast at the place we stay. Yearly trip group of 14 or so people. Most don't like black pudding served with their Full Breakfast so I get about 10 servings (we have 1 veg and a few dare to eat it).

I just hate to think of it going to waste.

This will be my 2nd visit to a place with great photo opportunities while owning a digital camera.

What part are you heading for?

I was staying in youth hostels this time - one of them (Gairloch Carn Dearg) is the building in the top photo.

The rest of the pics from the trip are here http://www.pbase.com/niblue/nw_september_2007

Love the shots Niblue
I have been tossing up whether to get the fisheye or the 10-20. still haven't made up my mind Enjoy your trip Tyr

Cheers.

Definitely the 10-20mm first IMHO - it's still my most used lens (the 16-45 is a close 2nd now) and I must use it at least 10x (if not 100x) more often than the fisheye.

Meant to say - it's also useful for portraits...

Crianlarich about 60km north of Glasgow it lies on the junction of the A82 and A85 and on the railway line to Fort William.

Nice place, although not as central as I'd like.

I passed through Crianlarich yesterday on my way south - where I was (Achmelvich and Gairloch) is about 200 miles further north.

Lots of good stuff to do (and photograph) around Crianlarich - the short & scenic train journey into the railway halt at Loch Ossian, Glencoe (35 miles north), Glen Etive (one of my favourite places in Scotland), the mountain road past Ben Lawers into Glen Lyon, Loch Awe, loads and loads of hills etc.

If you get a chance, take a trip up the Glen Nevis Road from Ft. William, lot's of picture chances, here's one from the other side of Loch Linnhe, showing Ft. William and Ben Nevis. ( Ds with the 17-28mm )

Think I'd have to agree with you there, although Glen Affric was also beautiful when we went there out of season, didn't see anyone else for 4 hours (and no midges).

By the way, that shot of Fort William and Ben Nevis is great, we went across the loch on the ferry some years back, nice views both ways, only wish I'd had something better than my MTL5 and some Jessops Pan400.

As we're talking of places to go in Scotland, and as your in Edinburgh, where can I go that's not too far from edinburgh when I come up there in October? Did like Falls of Clyde last year so may well go back there with the wife, but wondering about other scenic places nearby. Can think of plenty much further north, but not so familiar with the Lothians.

Dan

[quote="Daniel Bridge"]The East Neuk of Fife (just over the Forth) is good for fishing villages (Anstruther, Crail and others) etc. and the Forth Bridge is on the way there - you could also continue up the coast to St. Andrews and then onto Tentsmuir - several of these places have great beaches as well. There is lots of nice spots in East Lothian, including some nice castles near North Berwick. The Pentland Hills can be very scenic if the weather is right, as is Arthurs Seat. If you don't mind driving a bit further then the Trossachs area (abut 50 miles or so) is lovely - the drive from Aberfoyle to Inversnaid is very nice, ending on the east side of Loch Lomond with views over the loch to the Arrochar Alps on the far side.

Linlithgow, which to the west of Edinburgh, is very scenic with a loch, palace and old church. There is also a decent castle nearby at Blackness on the Forth.

The Falls of Clyde and New Lanark are very nice as well - I've not been there for a few years though.

This was my favourite shot of the NW trip (no-where Edinburgh and the other end of my lens range from the 10-17!):




Pentax K10D, Tokina ATX-Pro 80-200 F2.8

You're making me SO jealous! Is that Suilven? Just checked my slides from when we were up that way a few years back, although I've only got distant views with "Suilven and Cul Mor" on the mount, but can't remember which is which.

Thanks for the info about places to visit, will have to check them out. Blackness Castle I know is only a little way up the coast from where my friend lives. I walked down to the firth of Forth from hers, and was then on the path to Blackness, think it's only a mile or so up the coast - if I hadn't been busy with shots of geese on the firth and fungi in the woods, I might have walked it.

Dan

Funny how the lens conversation went south (well...North I guess) right after you posted this pic. And just when I had finally convinced my wife that the 10-17mm was going to be my next purchase.

Thanks for that niblue