AstrHori 12mm F2.8 Full Frame Manual Fisheye Review

The Sigma AstrHori 12mm F2.8 is a big, heavy fisheye lens that does one thing really well. It's built for ultra-wide, distorted shots with a massive 185-degree field of view. Just know it's a manual focus-only lens, and it's not exactly subtle at over 2.5 pounds.

For a fisheye, the optics are solid, landing in the 70th percentile. The built-in stabilization is a nice bonus, sitting in the 89th percentile, which helps a lot with handheld shots at this focal length. The f/2.8 aperture is decent for low light, but the lens is weakest in build quality, scoring in just the 4th percentile. It feels a bit cheap for its size.

At around $256, it's a relatively affordable way to get into full-frame fisheye photography. You're paying for the extreme wide angle and stabilization, not for premium materials. If you need that specific look and can handle the weight and manual focus, the price is fair.

This lens is in a weird spot. It's not competing with the Viltrox or Meike primes listed, which are standard autofocus lenses. For fisheyes, you'd look at options like the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm F2.8, which is often cheaper and lighter but lacks stabilization. Or you step up to something like the Laowa 12mm F2.8, which might have better build. This Sigma AstrHori's main draw is having stabilization in a budget fisheye, which is rare.

Buy this if you're a landscape or astro shooter who specifically wants a stabilized, full-frame fisheye and doesn't mind manual focus. It's a niche tool. Skip it if you need autofocus, a lightweight travel lens, or anything versatile. It's a one-trick pony, but it does that trick pretty well for the money.