I recently reviewed the 7Artisans 10mm F/2.5 MAX autofocus fisheye lens, and I kept getting the same types of questions in places where I posted the review or the video. “Do you really need autofocus on a fisheye lens?” or “A fisheye is so wide, everything is in focus!”. Well, let us put it this way. Autofocus on a fisheye lens is a game changer!
I have owned many fisheye lenses, all of which, up this point have been manual focus lenses. As more than an avid user of fisheye lenses, I often wished for autofocus! It was when I started using fisheye lenses for portraits and events that I discovered how much autofocus is needed! Critical eye focus using a manual fisheye lens is hit or miss.
It is easy enough to photograph at F/8-F/16, and set the focus to infinity. However, when the subject gets within a meter or so of the lens, things quickly fall apart, and you have to take it very slow and use the focus ring. This is all well and good if the subject is not moving (or you are not moving), but on a model, on a married couple, on a person performing, on a dog moving etc, it is a case of hit or miss and plenty of burst shots!
Autofocus on a fisheye suddenly becomes a game changer when you get in closer than you usually would, or even when you want to just ensure focus at F/2.5 is on a particular person. Honestly, once you have used it, there is no turning back. It changes everything!
So the answer to the question is, yes, autofocus on a fisheye is a necessity once you realise how much you have always needed it!
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My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
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