Every so often, a product comes along that just blows you away - one that completely makes you rethink your photography. The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye Lens is, without a doubt, one of the most radical lenses Canon has introduced - and it is a game changer for photographers.

The Canon EF 8-15mm Fisheye zoom is a unique lens and one for which anticipation has been steadily building since its original announcement back in August 2010. Now one year on, the lens has finally hit the stores and I've had a chance to see what all the fuss is about in my review.

180 degree diagonal fisheye for all Canon DSLRs; 180 degree circular fisheye for full-frame DSLRs; Tough build with weatherproofing; Optically sharp across the entire imaging circle

Vulnerable-looking front element; Lens cap easily comes loose; Chromatic aberrations in areas of high contrast; Full circular fisheye only available to full-frame

A VERY UNIQUE lens indeed! While a fisheye isn't for everyone, I find that if you're in a rut photographically, put this baby on your camera! If that doesn't get you going, I don't know what will.

Great lens with more functionality than the previous 15mm

Price

"amazing lens for landscape, scenery close-ups (!!!) excellent construction and first-rate sharpness and color saturation, its an L series, and it shows. I forgot to mention the almost limitless special effects possibilities."

The EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye lens is a highly-anticipated and unique lens in Canon's lineup. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and will give a hands-on "user report" review of it below.

While we can't tell you quantitatively just how good the Canon 8-15mm &131;/4 L USM Fisheye lens is, we can say that it's both a versatile and fun lens to use. It's basically two fisheye lenses in one, offering full horizontal and vertical 180 degree coverage on full-frame bodies, and a more...

Canon's latest L-series lens is the widest in its sizeable arsenal by a full 2mm. Designed primarily for use with Canon's pro spec DSLRs, the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L Fisheye USM boasts an impressive spec sheet and will shoot edge-to-edge fisheye images without vignetting at 15mm (wider focal lengths...

FROM OUR EDITORS AT PHOTOKINA: We got our hands on a couple pieces of new Canon glass tonight, including their upcoming 8-15mm f/4L fishey zoom. The Canon rep informed us that the pre-production unit we were checking out may actually be the only one like it in Europe at the moment.

Although cheaper, lighter lenses are now designed purely for these smaller sensors, professional lenses are still designed for full-frame use. It is rare, however, that both formats are considered, as it is difficult to satisfy both from one lens without overly inflating the cost or sacrificing the...

Seriously wide-angled fisheye lens with an equally extreme price-tag. Canon L-series fanatics take note – this is a niche lens that you won't use every day, so approach with caution.