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Nikon insane 6mm f/2.8 fisheye lens costs £100,000

The world's "most extreme fisheye lens", a Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 lens, is now on sale in London for a (fish) eye-watering £100,000.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

Photography can be an expensive hobby, but this is ridiculous: the world's "most extreme fisheye lens" is now on sale for a (fish)eye-watering £100,000.

The Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 lens was introduced in 1970 by Nikon and sold only as individual special orders. The massive glass dome on the front of the lens is a quarter of a metre wide, sticks out 6 inches, and weighs 5kg, dwarfing your camera as you fire insane fisheye angles.

The 6mm lens was designed for an expedition to Antarctica, and was pointed straight up to capture a photo of the entire sky. It's now used to shoot photos wide enough to use in virtual reality panoramas.

The lens is on sale at London Nikon specialist Grays of Westminster, which is selling the near-mint condition and ultra-rare lens for a plum. It packs 12 elements in 9 groups, and captures a picture angle of 220 degrees.

Yes, 220 degrees. Which means it can actually see behind itself.

The lens weighs 5200g, and measures 236mm by 171mm long, so big that it has its own tripod mount. It includes a built-in skylight filter, as well as medium yellow, deep yellow, orange and red filters. You'll be glad to know your hundred grand buys you a lens cap too, but even if it didn't, you could always just use a bin lid.

Who cares about the recession when there's luxuriant lenses like this to be had? If you're thinking of bagging yourself a proper camera, our digital SLR buying guide will see you right. If you don't have a spare few large in your sky rocket, check out out history of the digital camera instead.

Would you drop £100,000 on an accessory for your gadget? What's the most extravagant thing you've ever bought? Tell me about it in the comments or on our Facebook page.