This Uber-Rare Nikon 6mm f2.8 Fisheye Lens Can See Behind Itself

Last Updated on 08/20/2014 by Julius Motal

One of the world’s rarest and most exotic Nikon 6mm f2.8 fisheye lenses is now on sale on eBay for an eye-popping $96,187.50. The lens is the stuff of legend in the 35mm film camera days. Originally released in 1970, the lens boasts a field of view of 220-degrees, allowing it to literally see behind itself.

Supposedly the lens was originally developed for special scientific and industrial use according to the seller’s description. This “special wider-than-180-degreee picture coverage [was] required for surveillance work, photographing the interiors of pipes, boilers, conduits, cylinder bores, and other constricted areas.”

Despite the lens’ relatively short barrel length, it’s made up of 12 elements in 9 groups. On the front end there’s a front dome-shaped end piece of glass that’s actually five built-in filters.

Weighing in at a hefty 5.2 kilograms (11-pounds) and measuring 236mm (9.2-inches) in diameter, this is a lens that will be a pain to move around and it’ll almost always need a tripod. The seller also notes that the Nikon 6mm f2.8 is a more of a status lens than something you’ll ever take out. However, photographers who need to shoot tight interiors or want a completely unique look to their landscape images can’t ask (quite literally) for a wider lens.

While many of you won’t be able to buy this incredibly expensive lens, you can check out more images of it after the break.

Via eBay