I recently decided to create a compact kit for Fujifilm X cameras (specifically, the upcoming X-E4)—something that is versatile yet can fit into a small bag, that’s convenient for travel. An important part of this kit will be pancake lenses. It didn’t take me long to discover that there aren’t very many of these lenses available for Fujifilm cameras. There are only two Fujinon pancakes: the 27mm f/2.8 and 18mm f/2. There aren’t a whole lot of tiny third-party lenses, either. The Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye, which was released just a few weeks ago and retails for only $79, is an inexpensive ultra-wide pancake option that I knew I needed to try.
At 2/5ths of an inch thick, the Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye lens isn’t much bigger than the Fujifilm body cap. It’s super small and lightweight. I doubt there are many lenses available that are thinner than this one. It appears to be mostly made of metal and the build quality seems pretty solid. It has five elements in four groups. The minimum focus distance is about one foot, and manual focusing is done via a small lever on the bottom-front of the lens. On Fujifilm X cameras, the 10mm focal-length is full-frame-equivalent to 15mm.
Legendary photographer Weegee coined the phrase, “F/8 and be there.” Due to its fixed f/8 aperture, the Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye epitomizes this saying. You literally can’t do much more than “f/8 and be there.” This allows the lens to be so small, but it also limits its usefulness; it’s not a good option for low-light situations.
Pergear calls this a “fisheye” lens because there’s a lot of barrel distortion, which isn’t unusual on such wide-angle lenses. It reminds me a lot of SuperView on GoPro cameras, if you’re familiar. Straight lines won’t be straight, which you can either fix in software or try to use creatively.
I found the Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye lens to be sufficiently sharp in the center—not Fujinon prime tack-sharp, but sharp enough nonetheless. There’s some noticeable corner softness and vignetting. I did spot chromatic aberrations in extreme contrast areas. This isn’t the greatest glass, but, considering the price, it’s surprisingly decent.
Due to its focal length, fixed aperture, and barrel distortion, this is a challenging lens to use. It’s not for most situations; however, it can be used to capture some dramatic and creative pictures in the right situations. If you embrace the challenge you’ll surely be rewarded. I found the Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye fun to use—more enjoyable than I expected.
There are definitely better ultra-wide-angle lenses (both Fujinon and third-party) that you could buy instead of the Pergear 10mm; however, you won’t find any as inexpensive or as small as this one (at least I didn’t find any). That combination of size and value make the Pergear 10mm F/8 Fisheye an intriguing option. If you plan to shoot ultra-wide often, this isn’t likely the lens for you, unless you really appreciate how it renders pictures. If you think it would be fun to occasionally use a 10mm lens but don’t want to spend a bunch of money or make room in your camera bag for a bigger option, this Pergear lens is certainly worth a try.
This review contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated a small amount if you make a purchase using my links.
Amazon $79
Example photographs using the Pergear 10mm f/8 Fisheye lens on my Fujifilm X-T1:
Help Fuji X Weekly
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
$2.00
Your photo “Marsh path” is one where the lens works for sure. Subjects off center… not so well. Kind of like the ultra wide on the newer iPhones.
I wanted to include some pictures that really show the distortion, and some where it wasn’t completely obvious. It has to be the right subject captured just the right way to work well, in my opinion. Definitely possible, but certainly a challenge. Thank you for the feedback!
Thanks for review of this lens… love the uncertain trail… was it cropped?
Tempted to get the lens..
Many good pix!
It was not cropped, that’s straight-out-of-camera. I appreciate your kind words!
Clearly you know how to use an ultra wide lens. So many don’t know how to compose a photo with one.
There are a number of inexpensive manual focus ultra wide lenses available now. As you say its not a lens for every occasion but for some subjects its perfect. I am tempted by one of these, the price is right and my cat won’t mind if his face is not cat like 🙂
Lol! Definitely not a portrait lens, but interestingly enough, I did do some portrait experiments with the Rokinon 12mm f/2 that turned out, um, interesting. If you want a tiny ultra-wide, this is the smallest. If you want a cheap ultra-wide, this is the cheapest. If you want the best, this isn’t it, but it’s not bad, either.
Can you make a recipe for Fujifilm Natura 1600 recipe? Would absolutely love it! Thanks!
Great suggestion! This is one that I want to work on; I’ve heard conflicting reports on whether it’s the same film as Superia 1600 and Press 1600. You can try this in the meantime: https://fujixweekly.com/2020/06/29/fujifilm-x100v-film-simulation-recipe-fujicolor-superia-1600/
By the way, which recipe did you for this article? Thanks in advance 😊
Oops, you can forget my question: I just saw that you answered the very same question in a further comment.
Thanks for asking anyway!
Looks cool! What recipe was used?
Thank you! I’m glad that you asked about the recipe. It’s the XF10 Classic Chrome, which really isn’t “intended” for X-Trans II, but it looks really nice on the X-T1 in my opinion.
https://fujixweekly.com/2018/09/30/my-fujifilm-xf10-film-simulation-recipes/
It really does. Will try it on my X T1 and my X A2. Thanks again for the awesome work you do! Stay safe
I appreciate your kind words! Definitely been having fun with this lens.
I think you just convinced me to get this lens. Impressive photos. Looks much better than the Olympus 9mm f8 fisheye bodycap I used to use on MFT.
It’s both challenging and rewarding. Plus, inexpensive and tiny. All good things, but definitely not for everyone. I think you’ll like it.
I’ve had a fun time with this lens. In terms of cheapness and smallness, it hits the spot. Optically? Not as much, but to my eyes, it’s kind of a perfect fish-eye. Basically, the high-distortion fish-eye style is so strange and niche that I don’t want to invest a lot–either money or space–into such a lens. Those bent lines can be a lot of fun to play with now and again, and the flares (long clear streaks) are surprisingly nice.
But I wouldn’t want to spend even Rokinon money on any fish-eye. If I’m spending enough to get a truly sharp and bright UWA lens, I want something more rectilinear, so the 12/2 is a great lens. But when that fish-eye mood hits, this little Pergear is just right.
I agree! Well said! For what it is, it is as close to perfect (size, price, quality) as one can get. Of course, what it is is odd, can be difficult to use effectively, and not for everyone. But those who might enjoy it, it is worth getting for sure.
Hi Ritchie, I enjoy reading your articles and I can’t wait to try your recipes! I have an X100 but more keen on the recipes for the newer cameras.
I purchased a used X-E3 recently but it’s not in my hands yet. Also have a TTArtisan lens on order – got really interested in manual lenses after reading so much about them on the Internet. One question that’s been on my mind for a while now: with a manual lens I know I set the aperture on the lens but what about exposure settings on the camera? If I set Shutter to A, would the camera set the correct shutter speed even though it doesn’t know the aperture setting? Thanks in advance.
Even though the camera doesn’t know the aperture, the meter still reads the light coming through the lens, so you can use auto shutter and/or auto ISO if you’d like.