Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye
Manufacturer: Nikon Type: Lens (diagonal fisheye) Year introduced: 2003
Overview
The Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye was the first diagonal fisheye lens designed specifically for digital SLR crop sensors, and it became one of the most important lenses in underwater photography during the mid-2000s. Announced in late 2003 ([1]), it filled a critical gap: existing full-frame fisheye lenses like the 16mm produced a much narrower field of view on APS-C sensors, and underwater photographers needed the widest possible coverage.
A distinctive feature of the 10.5mm DX was that its barrel distortion could be corrected to produce a rectilinear ultra-wide image using Nikon Capture 4 software. This gave photographers the flexibility to choose between the traditional fisheye look and a corrected wide-angle rendering from a single lens ([2], [3], [4]).
The lens was tested with multiple housing/dome port combinations in 2004, including the Aquatica D100 with 8-inch dome port ([5], [6]) and the Nexus D100 ([7]). It also appeared with the Seacam D100 housing.
The 10.5mm’s impact on the competition circuit was notable: JP Trenque used it to win the BBC Photographer of the Year competition ([8]), demonstrating that the lens could produce world-class results.
Reviews & Discussion
- [9] — Announcement of the first digital fisheye
- [10] — Testing with 8-inch dome port
- [11] — Barrel distortion correction capability
- [12] — Used with Nexus/Seacam housings, Sigma 15mm dome port compatibility noted
Timeline
- 2003-11: Nikon announces the 10.5mm f/2.8 DX Fisheye — first diagonal fisheye for digital SLRs ([13])
- 2004-02: Tested with Aquatica D100 and 8-inch dome port; distortion correction via Nikon Capture 4 documented ([14], [15])
- 2004-03: Referenced in multiple housing reviews as a key lens for the D100 system ([16])
- 2005-11: JP Trenque wins BBC Photographer of the Year using the 10.5mm DX Fisheye ([17])
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Nov 11, 2003: Nikon 105dx Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 9, 2004: Seacam D100 Housing Field Journal1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2004: Aquatica D100 Wnikon 105mm ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 16, 2004: Aquatica And The Nikon 105mm Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2004: Aquatica D100 Wnikon 105mm ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 16, 2004: Aquatica And The Nikon 105mm Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 9, 2004: Seacam D100 Housing Field Journal1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 2, 2005: Bbc Photographer Of The Year ↩
- Nikon 10.5 DX Fisheye (article) ↩
- Nikon 10.5mm with Aquatica D100 (article) ↩
- Nikon 10.5mm Correction via Nikon Capture 4 (article) ↩
- Seacam D100 Review (article) ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 11, 2003: Nikon 105dx Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2004: Aquatica D100 Wnikon 105mm ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 16, 2004: Aquatica And The Nikon 105mm Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2004: More Photos With Nikon 105mm Fisheye ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 2, 2005: Bbc Photographer Of The Year ↩
- Nikon 10.5 DX Fisheye (article) ↩
- Nikon 10.5mm Testing with Aquatica (article) ↩
- Nikon 10.5mm Distortion Correction (article) ↩
- Seacam D100 Review (article) ↩
- BBC Photographer of the Year (article) ↩