Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens to be released this summer

Olympus will allegedly announce an 8mm fisheye lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 this spring and will release the product sometime by the end of this summer.

The rumor mill has long claimed that Olympus is on the verge of launching a wide-angle prime lens with a bright aperture. The designated focal length has been revealed to stand at 9mm, while its maximum aperture was said to stand at f/1.8 or f/2.8.

Moreover, the lens is supposed to be a part of the high-end “PRO” series that delivers superior image quality. Well, a trusted source is back with more information that details a couple of changes from the previous rumors. It appears that the optic will actually have an 8mm focal length and will have a “fisheye” designation.

This is the Olympus 8mm f/3.5 fisheye lens. The company may release an f/1.8 version for Micro Four Thirds users soon.

Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens rumored to be announced and to be released soon

Olympus is constantly updating its lens roadmap, so we know that the 7-14mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4 PRO lens will be released sometime by the end of 2015.

Usually, trusted source do not miss their predictions, which means that we can add one more product to the company’s 2015 line-up: Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens.

It was said that it would have a 9mm focal length, but now it is more likely that this amount will stand at 8mm, while its maximum aperture will definitely stand at f/1.8.

Since this is a fisheye lens, we can expect it to provide a lot of distortion, leading to some creative wide-angle shots for indoor and landscape photographers.

The optic will be released for mirrorless cameras with Micro Four Thirds image sensors. This means that it will provide a 35mm focal length equivalent of 16mm when mounted on such shooters.

A version with an f/3.5 aperture is already available on the market

The source claims that the lens could be introduced sometime during this spring, while its release date is scheduled for sometime this summer.

It is worth noting that Olympus is already offering an 8mm fisheye lens. However, this model comes with a maximum aperture of f/3.5. It is still available at Amazon for a price around $590.

With the bigger aperture comes a higher price, so Micro Four Thirds users should not act surprised if the Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens will have a somewhat hefty price tag. For now, there are no details regarding its sale amount, so stay tuned for more information.

Source: 43rumors.