THE LOWDOWN ON THE SIGMA 15 MM F/1.4 ART FISHEYE LENS FOR SONY

Still, I don't want you to think I'm trying to give you the ol' bait-and-switch, so I'll say right from the top that this lens is quite pricey, and it's certainly not for everyone.

- Ryan Sitzman

And if you bear with me, I also promise that I won't use any more cheesy fish puns or expressions until the last paragraph of this article.

Let's get into it, then. The first thing that you should know is that this lens is a big boy. It's over 4 inches in diameter and more than 6 inches long, and it weighs in at around 3 pounds. That's quite hefty for a prime lens, but you can take solace in the idea that it could probably double as car jack or a battering ram if you ever get really desperate. I'm kidding, of course, because either of those uses would likely void the warranty and would possibly scratch the bulbous glass at the front of the lens.

Speaking of the glass, the element at the front is truly a thing of beauty, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Because of the pronounced convex shape of the front glass, you can't use front filters with this lens. However, there is a filter mount slot at the base of the lens where you can load in gelatin filters.

Additionally, the folks at Sigma made the lens with an integrated hood to cover and protect part of the sides, and it also comes with a large lens cap that covers the entire front of the lens.

One other noteworthy touch is that the lens cap has two integrated slots that can conveniently store filters for easy access. The slots aren't large enough to hold memory cards or much else besides the filters - unless you're a spy and you need to hide some microfiche, maybe but I still thought it was a cool touch.