M43 Easy-to-Use Fisheye Lens – BCL-0980 (9mm F8.0 Fisheye)
A review and sample photos using the Fisheye Body Cap Lens BCL-0980 with the LUMIX GM5.
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Table of contents
Gallery
Photo examples taken with LUMIX GM5
Review
1．Overview
The BCL-0980 Fisheye Body Cap Lens is a Micro Four Thirds standard fisheye lens with a focal length of 9mm.
The main lens specifications are a lens configuration of 5 elements in 4 groups (2 aspherical lenses), a fixed aperture of F8, a lens thickness of 13mm, and a weight of 30g.
There is no autofocus mechanism; focus position must be adjusted manually.
2．Usability
The BCL-0980 Fisheye Body Cap Lens’ aperture value of f/8 ensures nearly pan-focus imaging with sharp central focus. However, when setting the lens’s rangefinder to the close-up setting of 0.2, misjudging the subject beyond 0.2m can result in a blurred image, so it’s better to use a setting somewhere between infinity and 0.2. There are three click stops, so to be safe, it’s best to shoot at all three.
The lens barrel, including the mount, is made entirely of plastic, but its ingenious design prevents it from feeling cheap. The lever on the underside of the lens doubles as both the lens cover and focus lever. After opening the lens cover, the first click stop is infinity, and moving the lever directly will set you to the minimum focusing distance of 0.2m. There’s no clear distance marking between them, but there’s another click stop somewhere between 1m and 3m.
This lens does not have electronic contacts. The camera body used, the LUMIX GM5, does not allow for mechanical shutter operation with lenses without electronic contacts, so shooting is done with a sensor shutter. Therefore, care must be taken when using slow shutter speeds or photographing fast-moving objects, as rolling distortion can occur in the captured image.
3．Summary
In conclusion , to sum up the BCL-0980 Fisheye Body Cap Lens, it offers sufficient performance for a lens that costs around 10,000 yen.
The maximum aperture is fixed at f/8, so you can’t achieve bokeh by adjusting the depth of field with pan focus.
Also, in dimly lit places, there’s a high chance of camera shake even if you increase the ISO speed, so I recommend using a camera with built-in image stabilization.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
There are two dedicated fisheye lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras: the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO and the LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm/F3.5. While these offer autofocus, they’re expensive for a fisheye lens that’s not often used, costing between ¥100,000 and ¥150,000.
However, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO has a very bright f/1.8 aperture for a fisheye lens, allowing you to enjoy bokeh effects by adjusting the depth of field, clearly differentiating it from the BCL-0980 Fisheye Body Cap Lens. However, even used models cost about ten times more, so you need to consider how often you’ll use a bright fisheye lens.
The LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm/F3.5 has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, which is about the same brightness as a typical fisheye lens, but you can’t expect much bokeh even at full aperture. If you are considering buying this lens new, the Fisheye Body Cap Lens BCL-0980 may be sufficient. The used price of this lens has dropped significantly, and if it is about three times the size of the Fisheye Body Cap Lens BCL-0980, it will be worth considering as it can use autofocus and adjust the aperture.
| lens name | Fisheye Body Cap Lens | M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO | LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm / F3.5 |
| Focal length(mm) | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length (mm) | 18 | 16 | 16 |
| Max aperture | 8 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
| Min aperture | 8 | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 1 Circular fixed aperture | 7 Circular aperture | 7 Circular iris diaphragm |
| Lens Construction | 5 elements in 4groups (2 aspherical lenses) | 17 elements in 15 groups (1 aspherical lens, 3 Super ED lenses, 2 ED lenses, 1 Super HR lens, 2 HR lenses) | 10 elements in 9 groups (1 ED lens) |
| Min distance(m) | 0.2 | 0.12 | 0.1m |
| Lens length(mm) | 12.8 | 80 | 51.7 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 56 | 62 | 60.7 |
| Filter Size(mm) | none | none | Rear: Clamp type: 22mm x 22mm |
| Weight(g)(lens only) | 30g | 315 | 約165g |
| Release date | M43 | M43 | M43 |
| Edition Number | February 28, 2014 | June 26, 2015 | June 30, 2010 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 12,000 | 144,000 | 95,000 |
Reference links
- BCL0980・OM Digital Solutions official page
- M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO
- LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm / F3.5
- LUMIX GM5・Shige’s hobby
Affiliate links
Update history
- 2025.8.28
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