I miss David and his insights, It was this video that made me buy this lens.

Finally, a lens that makes me look better! Thank you David.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

A fisheye portrait lens? Now that is an original idea.

@alan.macrae

4 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT "If you look like me, probably better than from the front, too."

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

@Alan MacRae 🙂

Thanks David for another of your great videos. I just bought the lens using your link and discount code and it came to $150 USD after discount with no tax and free shipping to California. The Meike 3.5 had a few advantages over the Laowa 4mm - no cropping on the top and bottom, slightly longer so hopefully less chance of showing fingers on the edges and cheaper than even a used Laowa 4mm. I don't know what's happening to me - yesterday I ordered a Fujian 25mm f1.4 c-mount CCTV lens with several adapters and extension rings.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Isn't it great to be able to adapt all these off the wall lenses? Such a great extension to normal use.

I have no need for this. (I said while furiously clicking the buy now button)😁

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

😂

Very interesting! This is a lens I previously wouldn't have considered, because I thought I didn't really like the fisheye perspective, until I saw your video, DT. Seeing some of the cool effects you got, and at this price, it seems like a good buy. Will give it a shot.

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

It helps that being a Maike it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Not a lens for everyday use for sure but someone with more imagination than me could make great use of it.

Thank-you David. Your legacy is so welcome. RIP

Hi David. I have enjoyed your posts, particularly those in relation to the Panasonic GX8, which is my main camera, and the associated MFT lenses. However, what prompted me to comment was your association with the Boom Boom Club. As a long-time blues rock fan, the Boom Boom Club was like an oasis in the musical desert for me, even in the days of smoking being permitted inside! To be able to regularly go and see some of the blues rock guitar greats from this genre, as well as up-and-coming young guitarists, was a gift. All credit to Pete Feenstra for making this happen. I remember a long time ago watching KZread clips of performances by bands I had seen at the Club and thinking how professionally they were done. Looking back now, I realise that they were your videos! Sadly, I have moved down to the South West of England, so can no longer get to the Club. But I have nothing but fond memories of my visits to Sutton F.C..

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Lovely to read your comment, Steve. Pete Feenstra's a real hero in my eyes, a guy who puts on bands and then actually goes to see and enjoy them himself. He must be the world's worst compere but that enthusiasm of his makes it not matter a jot, makes it funny in fact. I really miss the place and just hope after the lockdown it comes back.

Good to see you use an Olympus body at last David ... you were clearly waiting for them to sell the company! Thank you for the entertaining video as always, Rich.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Richard! I actually used the G9 mostly but when I reviewed the Mark III I found myself using it all the time and picking it up in preference to the G9. I really don't mind which I use but the USB C port and my Menu combine with the enhanced video and handy size to make a great overall package. A small thing but one that matters is that when using the camera tethered the C connection puts so much less stress on the camera that the big plug of the G9. Also, wearing glasses, I can see the whole EVF more easily than the G9. Having said all that, if I were buying, I'd have the same dilemma as everyone else, which to choose?

Big "D". I was just thinking about you. I'll probably never get a lens like this. Just not my thing. I have at least 2 - 3 lenses I need for my professional work. But I appreciate the great info and just as great, entertainment value of the video. Keep up the great work!

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Ricardo, much appreciated!

That looks like a lot of fun. Thanks!

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

It is!

Excellent as usual!!!

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

😀

I really can not justify buying this... but I also really want one...

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

I was sent to taunt you😎

You're very welcome to "If you are like me" club!!!🤓

I think Panasonic needs to go back to making a super tiny stills camera like the GM1 with a 20mm f1.7 with new technology. They could now include the great sensor, autofocus and image stabilization of the G9. No viewfinder with just a small high resolution tiltable LCD touch screen. A true powerhouse casual camera that you don't need a camera bag for and spanks the quality of a cellphone. It would be a perfect compliment to the more all-around and professionaly used G9.

@overnightdelivery

4 жыл бұрын

@Ti JoBa Yeah. It's sad Olympus won't produce cameras anymore. Hoping Panasonic keeps m43rds alive.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

I'd be in the market for something like that. It would be great for video, too. I use a jib and tilt heads and stuff so the lighter the camera the better.

@overnightdelivery

4 жыл бұрын

@Timothy J The EM5 is a nice camera but still a bit heavy and thick. I'm looking at a camera you can comfortably fit in any pocket. The GM1 fit this description but it did not have IBIS. I have the GX85 with the 20mm f1.7 and it BARELY fits in my pocket but it's chunky and weighs over a pound. Needs to weight no more than 10 ounces and be minimalist without things like the EVF taking up space. It would be unrealistic to expect too many features crammed into such a small body but just good autofocus with in-body stabilization should be doable.

Hi! I'm new using black magic, I have a micro cinema camera but I'm facing issues when using MFT lenses due to the sensor size (which is 16 ) so for the crop factor I think it's x2'88. I tried several fish eye lenses and. I got a 7.5 mm but my camera shows it as a 21 mm. Do you think this 3 mm would look like a 11 mm something like that? Thank you

Does the grip of the E-1 Mark III get in the photos? I am thinking of this lens for my new OM-1.

damn a selfie with you looking from the back lcd. nice

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

😮

I have it! So awesome. I will say one thing, it's possible to accidentally undo the ring that holds the front element by twisting the lens cap anti clockwise when taking it off or putting it on, particularly if not perfectly parallel at the time as it gets quite tight if not square on. Solution is to always rotate a little in the clockwise direction which will continue to keep it tight regardless of what happens. It's challenging to get it close enough to some things. Makes for great one-image shots of a whole room and weird inside-stuff-you-never-thought-of shots :-)

@Bytesmiths

4 жыл бұрын

Perhaps the front element ring needs a little tightening? Or perhaps a drop of Lock-Tite™?

@fredio54

4 жыл бұрын

@@Bytesmiths Yes, but if you look at it, it's alloy and not knurled or anything, so you'd need a fairly specialised tool (even if home made) to put significant torque on it. I also thought about locktite, but given nothing to grab that might make it impossible to service/repair in future. It also didn't come fully off, just loosened and before anything moved I retightened it. Not a big issue, just something to be aware of and keep in mind. :-)

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, great for weird stuff!

@Bytesmiths

4 жыл бұрын

@@fredio54 Yes, I see, now. I thought perhaps it would have a couple notches in it, so a standard lens ring spanner tool could tighten it.

@fredio54

4 жыл бұрын

@@Bytesmiths That's right, nothing of the sort, 100% smooth ring - not a problem since I was aware of it, hence trying to make others aware of it up front and save them fear/hassle.

Do you have the Laowas 4mm to compare to?

Hello David, great video. just a small question, did you use this lens on the Panasonic G9? and if yes, did you see the camera grip in your frame/shot?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Yes I did. It's very slight and Photoshop's 'content aware fill' would take care of it since the content of the edges of this lens is already removed from reality!

I now have this lens, can't wait to try it, I am however a bit miffed that I had to pay a £14 customs and admins fee. As it is under £135 I'm going to challenge this .

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

The customs seem to operate at random, getting what they can when they can. It's not right.

@Jim_1955

4 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT £6 vat charge £8 admin fee what a rip off. Anyway really enjoying the lens .

I found a thrift store that selling a couple of topcor Exacta lenses the problem is they don't have manual apertures. A good work around I use is the small loosely paper mending circles I color them black and put them on the back element. They have some old kogaku ones too I have not been able to find an adapter with Iris control have you ever messed around with these lenses. The 28 is $64 they have a topcor zeiss 35 mm for 200 but I think that's a little much considering the work around just curious if you've ever messed around with them

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

No, I haven't. You sound really resourceful. Must be fun.

What an absolutely insane lens ! I have the Samyang 7.5mm and that is already WAY too wide ... 3.5mm is totally bonkers ! This lens almost sees backwards ;-) *correction - it DOES see backwards ! 220° FoV... just wow !

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Crazy, isn't it?

Any idea when this hits UK shops? I can only find it in Hong Kong. Thanks.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Richard - It's listed here - amzn.to/30NGaxh

I'm surprised you didn't mention that you camera's grip is visible in the image area. It's even worse with my Lumix G9 and I have to use one of my play cameras like the GM5 to avoid excessive cropping. For my Nikon Z, I have a Sigma 8mm 3.5 circular fisheye. About $400 used and it doesn't show the camera's grip (not even on a DSLR).

@ahmedelmaklizi28

4 жыл бұрын

Hello BJ, just a small question, are you sure you can see the grip of the G9 using this 3.5mm lens? i am asking because in this video by David at last part of it, he was showing the shot on the G9 if i am not mistaken. and i did not see the grip over there. would be very interested to hear your answer.

@Bytesmiths

4 жыл бұрын

Actually, for most cameras, this one sticks out far enough to avoid seeing the grip. I have the Laowa circular fisheye, and it DOES show the grip of the E-M1.2. So I have this one on order. I also have the Sigma, but gawd - what a beast! Unless I a purposely setting out to do fisheye shots, I want one that is small and takes no room in the camera bag. The Sigma is bigger than the Olympus 7-14/2.8!

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Good point! The edges of my shots are so odd that it was only my fingers in shot that bothered me. With such strange results I'd probably use the Content Aware fill on Photoshop to fill in, as I did using the GX9 which, while not including the grip. did see my fingers on several occasions. The grip intrusion is minimal, though.

Does it work with g85?

Great review, thanks! But what about a video about Olympus's and Micro Four Thirds current situation from your point of view?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

I don't know about a video because I don't know enough on the subject. I don't have any inside knowledge at all or any communication with either company other than someone who buys their products. Micro Four Thirds don't look any more or less precarious than Nikon etc but given the present uncertain circumstances everything is in the air. Even phone sales are down. The fact is that digital cameras of all flavours were good enough for most photographers several years ago and now that Canon and Nikon have entered the mirrorless market it's hard to see where any radical new developments will come from. Without an express improvement and thus big reason to buy, I think more and more photographers will stick with their present camera(s) with bad effects on all camera companies.

@JessDemant

4 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT You have some good arguments!

David what are your favourite mft lenses and which body?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Lenses, the Panasonic 8-18mm for its general usefulness, the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 for its uncanny sharpness and relatively compact form and the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 and extender because it a perfectly designed lens that solves all long lens needs (other than specialist) at one go. Bodies, I don't mind really but maybe the E-M1 Mark III for its best in class solid focusing. That or the G9 whose focusing is no slouch either for my purposes. I'd always want one of the GX's too, for their compact and easily carried design. Those are favourites but when I look around the Micro Four Thirds stuff available, I'm pressed to find anything i couldn't happily work with.

Hmm. Could one stitch two images for a complete 360, a la what a Ricoh Theta does? say with PTGui? that would seem to make this useful for a bigger range of uses, like interior real estate, uploading to Google Street View, etc.

@Bytesmiths

4 жыл бұрын

Yes! But stitching is easier with three shots. I've used Hugin to do that with the Laowa circular fisheye.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jan, you have more experience than I do with that, I think.

Thank you for a nice, and short, review! Not quite sure from your video--when you use the E-M1 does the grip intrude on the frame? I can see your fingers and a camera strap but it looks like the grip intrudes little if any on its own.

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

It does intrude. Not very much if you are careful to keep your hands out of it. A content aware fill on Photoshop would cover it easily.

@RossAlford

3 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT Thank you for the reply. I've ordered one, will see how I go. Happy to have discovered your reviews, unlike to many youtube reviews that go on and on with painfully long introductions and unnecessary nonsense, yours get straight to the point. Great job.

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

@@RossAlford thanks, Ross.

@hrh6664

3 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT Curious if adding a 10mm extension tube would solve the grip displaying on the G9? Would the lens still work as expected?

@DavidThorpeMFT

3 жыл бұрын

@@hrh6664 It would mean the lens wouldn't focus to infinity but maybe the vast depth of filed would cover that if it was stopped down. But it would, I imagine, move it far enough forward to avoid the grip. Anyone tried?

This lense is very cool but i really have no clue what to do with this

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure anyone does, really, Castiel. I find a lot of use for my rectangular fish eye for cycle videos where it can keep the bars in shot and really, really wide shots impossible otherwise. But the circular image, it's more for fun or for photographers with more creative ideas than I appear to have.

Hi, can you make compare Meike 3.5mm vs Meike 6.5mm?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

In sharpness both are excellent. The big difference is that the 3.5mm doesn't trim the top and bottom of the image, so you get the full circle. In terms of angle of view, both are wide enogh to be silly in strict photographic terms!

@AplAplAplAplAplApl

4 жыл бұрын

@@DavidThorpeMFT thanks 🙏

For some reason, I feel as if I’ve been transported to Hobbit town.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

🙂

David If one were to desire to purchase this lens; Where might one go, I have tried every where that sell lens in the US to no avail; could you help me out?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

It's listed here amzn.to/30NGaxh (UK). I've asked Meike to reply or give me details about the US availability so I'll let you know ASAP. But do take a look at Anchovy Breakfast Club's comment below.

@wendylam4173

4 жыл бұрын

It is on the way, it will be available in the middle of next month in US Amazon

Any thoughts on the death of Olympus?

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Not really, George. It's early days. They have a range of highly thought of products so I don't think they name and products will die. Falling sales will affect everyone including Nikon etc and following this epidemic, everything seems to be in the air.

Like my old nikon 6.5mm, but 1/8th the weight and size.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Ridiculous, isn't it? There was something about those big lenses, though. Nostalgia on my part, maybe.

David, thank you for bringing to light the fact that govts constantly lie about the reported 2% annual inflation rate. My house goes up in value 5% per year but my govt tells me inflation is only 2% per annum. Potatoes have doubled in price over the past 10 years, yet again, my govt proclaims only 2% per year. It pisses me off.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

The figures we are fed are so generalised as to be meaningless, I find.

The most important question: what’s the new guitar?

@janwedek

4 жыл бұрын

Judging from the knobs and bridge... Les Paul or SG? ☺️. Love your videos, please keep them going!

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

It's an Eastman hollow body, T184, a bit smaller at 14" body width than the 335 types. Hand built and flawless as far as I can tell. It's actually hollow with a wood block under the brdige only, rather than all through the body like a 335. Lollar pickups. To say I'm delighted with it would be a massive understatement. It has a 1.75" neck width which i find much easier for chords. Thanks for the kind words, Jan - all the best!

Who needs lens like this?

@Bytesmiths

4 жыл бұрын

People who want to do two-shot panos.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

Impossible to answer, Martin. Anyone who like something a bit different to experiment with, I suppose. Fisheye's have been around a long time and people must buy them or they'd have faded away.

@skysurfer5cva

4 жыл бұрын

I have the 4.3-mm f/2.8 Laowa circular fisheye. I use it mostly for all-sky LiveComp star trails. It's also fun in a place like Yosemite Valley: point the camera straight up and get both the north and south walls in one image. To answer your specific questions, I don't NEED the lens, but I'm glad I have it. I have wanted a circular fisheye for at least four decades.

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

@@skysurfer5cva The wonder of it is that 40 years ago such a lens would have probably cost a year's earnings.

How can a lens see behind itself... gives me a headache! And G-d save me from buying such a weird and wonderful and AFFORDABLE lens that I 100% completely do not need

@DavidThorpeMFT

4 жыл бұрын

I know that feeling, know that feeling......