– Extremely compact ultra-wide fisheye with 173° FOV and fixed focus suitable for APS-C sensors; manual focus only.
– Notable trade-offs: no autofocus, no aperture control, no filters, and no aperture blades or downstop capability; image correction in post reduces FOV and IQ.
– Priced affordably at $65.99 with free shipping in many regions, making it a budget option for multiple mirrorless mounts.
Overview of the Brightin Star 10 mm f/5.6 II
Brightin Star is revamping one of its most affordable ultra-wide-angle lenses on the market. The Brightin Star 10 mm f/5.6 II is primarily intended to achieve better image quality than its predecessor. With seven lenses in five groups, the lens is said to provide sharp images across the entire field of view even at open aperture, although the lens is not particularly fast with a maximum aperture of f/5.6.
Design and Build
The lens has a field of view of 173 degrees and is marketed as a fisheye lens due to the clearly visible distortion. If necessary, images can be corrected in Photoshop, for example, although this has a negative effect on image quality and reduces the field of view somewhat. With a length of 3.2 centimetres, a diameter of 5.7 centimetres and a weight of 132 grams, the Brightin Star 10 mm f/5.6 II is extremely compact and should therefore also be a good match for small cameras such as the Sony A6700 ($1,498 on Amazon).
Autofocus and Optics
The lens does not support autofocus. However, the focus ring has a mark that ensures everything from a distance of one meter is in focus, so manual focusing is only necessary when photographing objects at shorter distances from 0.12 meters. The ultra-wide-angle lens does not support filters and does not have an aperture ring or aperture blades, so the lens cannot be stopped down.
Availability and Pricing
The Brightin Star 10 mm f/5.6 II fisheye lens is now available at the manufacturer’s online store. The lens costs $65.99. Shipping to most regions is free, but the price does not include import sales tax and customs duty. The lens is available for Sony E, Canon RF, Canon EOS M, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X or micro-FourThirds, but the image circle only covers sensors in APS-C format.