PBase

Hello all,

I recently bought a Nikon D40 and I would like to use a fisheye FC-E9 lens I used with my Coolpix 8800. I used the fisheye FC-E9 and was very satisfied when shooting panoramas. Now, I'm asking whether I can still use this lens (FC-E9) with the D40 and how should I proceed. Any recommendation? Thnks!

I'm assuming you used the Nikon UR-E12 adapter to fit it to the camera, which is a 46mm thread size if I recall right. I'd suggest checking to be sure, and it might be possible to use a step up adapter to mount it to your standard DSLR lens. Results might not be as good as hoped for though, since it's probably designed to produce an image to work with the smaller sensor of a P&S. So, there might be too much cropping needed for decent image size.

With that said, the type of adapter needed is going to be determined by how the UR-E12 is threaded. If it's threaded on the inside, you might need a "reverse coupler" as opposed to a "step up" adapter ring. B&H Photo Video has a huge selection of both, usually in stock... which should sell for less than $15.00 each. Check the macro accessory section for reversed couplers, which are normally used to mount two lenses face to face for increased magnification.

Another (better option) would be to go into a local camera store, and try fitting before purchasing. Most large outlets should carry adapters.

Good luck.

I guess you may be able to adapt it to screw onto one of your lenses (18-55 kit lens perhaps) but the real question is, why would you bother? From what I have read, this particular fisheye adapter isn't all that sharp and suffers from terrible chromatic aberration. These downfalls would be even more noticable on the D40. Even if you could adapt it to fit one of your lenses, I doubt it would produce a sufficiently useful image circle as this was designed to work with the smaller sensors found in P&S cameras which are nowhere near the size of the APS-C sensor in your D40. You really are better off looking at somehting along the lines of the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 HSM or the Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye, if you really want to go down the fisheye path.

Thank you very much for your advice!

Cris