For $39,000, You Can Buy a Wide-Angle Lens That Can Actually See Behind Itself

A gifted lensman can snap stunning photos with even a cheap camera ; expensive equipment does n’t guarantee a beautiful scene . But that does n’t make purchasing and experimenting with pricey gear wheel , like a$39,000 fisheye lenswith a theater of operations of view so astray it cansee behind itself , any less tempting .

The lens system , known formally as the C-4 Precision Optics 4.9 millimeter f/3.5 Hyper Fisheye , boasts a field of view of view that covers 270 degrees , which is even gravid than the 180 degrees that most all-encompassing - slant lenses cover . C-4 Optics was create by Lensrentals founderRoger Cicala , along with Brian Caldwell and Aaron Closz , as a way to try out with camera equipment and labor the boundaries of lens optics to its extremes . This wild fisheye is the gross exercise .

Designed specifically for Sony full - frame E - mount cameras , given its size and weight ( a goodly 11 pounds ) , the fisheye lens system does n’t just hang off the front of the camera . Instead , the photographic camera is mounted inside the lens ’s own custom - establish frame , which includes its own mounts so the full fishing rig can be mount to a sturdy tripod or other apparatus that can properly support its weight . The gravid exterior chemical element alone costs $ 5,000 , so the last affair you desire to do is drop it , or even risk putting a tiny scratch on it .