The NiSi 15mm f4 Sunstar Lens -
It’s Not Just For the Sun!
I recently had the pleasure of taking NiSi’s first lens – the 15mm f4 Sunstar Lens – out for a spin and I’ll spoil the surprise by telling you that I was really impressed with how this pocket-sized lens delivered. While NiSi has made a name for itself with its high-quality filters that are meant to be used on the lenses of others, it’s clear that the high degree of craftsmanship the brand is known for in the world of filters has translated over to their first lens.
Image provided by NiSi.
Let’s start with the basics. This full-frame, manual focus lens comes compatible with the Fujifilm X-Mount, the Nikon Z-Mount, Sony’s E-Mount, and of course Canon’s RF-Mount. For this review, I shot all images using the RF version on the Canon R5.
This compact lens (only 80.5mm in length) weighs just a single pound! And yet, the all-metal and glass construction feels solid in your hand making me confident it could easily handle the rigors of landscape photography. As an added bonus, the angle of view is a sweeping 112 degrees making it wider than most 15mm lenses and landing it more like 14.5mm (it also now comes in a mind-blowing 9mm f2.8!). And then comes the party trick…
The Sunstar
The most unique feature of this fun lens is that it’s capable of producing a perfect 10-point sunstar at any aperture!
When I first began this review, I started by asking myself what was this lens was capable of producing that no other lens could? I live by the beach, so that became my testing ground. It didn’t take long for me to realize that one of the challenges of beach photography is that you need extremely fast shutter speeds (1/1600 or faster) to freeze the waves. During the afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky, a conflict arises between the fast shutter speed required to freeze motion and the creative desire to include a sunstar in your photo. With a traditional lens, the only way to properly expose an image with a shutter speed of 1/1600 and an aperture of f16 or smaller is to increase your ISO significantly. However, this compromises the clean crispness of your image. But, what if you didn’t have to choose?
The NiSi 15mm f4 Sunstar Lens allows you to achieve the impossible. Here are two completely unedited images showing you the difference.
In order to achieve both a sunstar and keep the image clean with a nice, low ISO, a traditional lens (in this case my RF 15-35mm f2.8) has to massively underexpose the scene. In order to match the exposure achieved with the NiSi Sunstar Lens, I would have needed to raise my ISO all the way to 1000 thereby producing an image of inferior quality. In a world where we are often having to choose between the technical limitations of our gear and the desire for the cleanest image possible, the NiSi 15mm Sunstar Lens says we can have our cake and eat it too.
Other Features
While the unique ability to create a sunstar at any aperture certainly has niche appeal, this lens brings a lot more to the table than just a cool party trick. The 15mm Sunstar Lens, despite its name, is about so much more than just shooting into the sun! In fact, it’s in these other areas that I think it really shines.
This little lens is incredibly sharp! Yes, it’s a manual focus lens and I know that can deter some photographers. But, with a small bit of practice, anyone of any skill level can reliably create fantastically sharp images with the NiSi 15mm Lens. Just look at this 100% crop to see what I mean.
100% crop showing the sharp detail this lens is capable of.
The sharpness of the NiSi 15mm Lens rivals that of my Canon RF 15-35mm f2.8. The results honestly shocked me. Just take a look at this side-by-side comparison of a 200% crop! You’d be hard-pressed to convince me there’s any discernable difference whatsoever.
For perhaps my favorite application, this lens is SO much fun for nighttime cityscapes! I took it for a quick spin downtown and was blown away by how much creative fun I had. You see, the sunstar effect isn’t limited to just shooting into the sun. This lens creates that same beautiful effect around any and all points of direct light which makes for some beautiful nighttime shots in the city.
The ability to get the sunstar effect without stopping down your aperture is a total game-changer. I was able to shoot the image above with a 10-sec exposure at f5.6 and still maintain ISO 100. To achieve the same, clean low ISO image with a sunstar effect on a typical lens, I’d have to expose for over 2 minutes! Not only could that really slow you down in the field, but a lot can happen in a city in 2 minutes that could ruin your shot. Beyond just the logistical trouble, a super long exposure like that introduces noise caused by your sensor heating up along with a loss of overall sharpness caused by using such a small aperture. The NiSi 15mm Sunstar Lens makes it so you truly don’t have to compromise. You can get a perfectly clean shot, in a reasonable amount of time, with the added punch of this stunning sunstar effect.
Another area in which this lens shines is with architectural photography. I found during testing that it produces very little lens distortion compared to my other wide-angle lens (RF 15-35mm f2.8). Although the lens profile correction in Lightroom goes a long way towards removing the distortion of my Canon lens, it’s clear that the NiSi 15mm Lens outperforms it straight out of the camera. Just take a look at this distortion comparison between the two lenses and you’ll clearly see that the NiSi 15mm Lens really shines in producing sharp, nearly distortion-free images that help keep your lines nice and straight.
Distortion comparison NiSi 15mm vs Canon RF 15-35mm
Now, for the drawbacks. I know that it will bother some photographers that this manual lens does not transmit EXIF data. However, I personally didn’t view this as problematic. Ultimately whether that matters or not may come down to personal preference and what your actual needs are in post-processing. It’s pretty rare that I agonize in Lightroom later over exactly what ISO I was using, so I’d consider this a minor inconvenience if any.
Another thing I noticed is that the lens does have a bit more vignetting than my RF 15-35 f2.8 lens. Despite this, it’s pretty on par with other similar lenses in its category such as the Sanyang f2.8 and Laowa f2 making the vignette produced not unusual in any regard. This isn’t something that I view as too troubling since it’s an easy fix and because some form of vignette is frequently applied in images during post-processing anyway. The only area in which I saw it as problematic is in the blues of the sky, but again this is a pretty quick fix during post-processing so I don’t see it as a significant issue.
Combining With Filters
With a 72mm filter thread, this lens is also easily paired with any of NiSi’s amazing filters and you won’t experience any vignetting with the 100mm V7 system. You can read my review for that system here.
When I took this lens out for a little nighttime urban exploring, I brought NiSi’s 72mm Natural Night filter with me and I can definitely see the appeal. Check out this side-by-side comparison of the identical image with the Natural Night filter being the only difference. Straight out of the camera, you can see the filter removes the overwhelming yellow cast from the image. It leans a little towards magenta, but I can absolutely see this being a useful tool in some situations and I’ll definitely be keeping it in my bag any time I do night exploring in the future.
Comparison of the NiSi 15mm Lens with and without the NiSi Natural Night Filter
Who Is This Lens For?
Given all this information, I’ve put quite a bit of thought into who the NiSi 15mm f4 Sunstar Lens is really ideal for. At first, I thought it would only appeal to a niche group of photographers who frequently include sunstars in their images. But, after a bit of use, I realized that’s really not the case and that the lens is excellent for a wide range of photographers.
First, if you really love incorporating sunstars into your images for that extra bit of visual punch, then the NiSi 15mm Sunstar Lens would be a great addition. The sunstar this lens produces is crisp and beautiful. The type of sharp star that’s only possible at very small apertures with other lenses. Being able to create a sunstar at much wider apertures means you’re not constantly trying to balance between the desire to create a sunstar and the negative impacts of high ISOs and the loss of sharpness that can come with using very high apertures (f18+). It will also allow you to include a sunstar in images where it previously would have been impossible and for that, I think it’s more than worth the price.
Second, if you like shooting urban scenes at night, this lens is going to be your best friend. It renders beautiful sunstars in any cityscape all while keeping your exposure time short so you can worry more about shooting and spend less time waiting. This allows you to capture super sharp, noiseless images even in the dark. It’s pretty darn amazing!
Third, if you’re looking for a wide-angle lens on a budget, then this little guy will help you achieve your wide-angle dreams without breaking the bank. And, as an added bonus, you don’t have to compromise sharpness! You can truly be that wide-angle baller on a budget and not miss out on any of the quality.
Fourth, if you’re looking for a pocket-sized wide-angle lens to take hiking or backpacking, then this little guy is the one for you. At just a fraction of the size and weight of my other wide-angle lens, I can already promise you this is the one that will be coming with me on any of my longer hikes. As long as you don’t mind manually focusing, then there’s no compromise and all benefit.
And finally, if architectural photography is your jam, then this lens outperforms some of the best on the market in terms of distortion. Straight out of your camera, the lines will be straighter meaning more time shooting and less time post-processing.
Overall, I have to say I’m pretty impressed with NiSi’s first lens. The 15mm f4 Sunstar Lens is proof that good things often come in small packages, and I’ll be happy to bring it will me on many future adventures. If you have more questions about the lens, feel free to reach out. And, if you’re considering purchasing one let me know and I can help you access a special deal! Happy shooting!
** As always, my reviews reflect my own opinions and thoughts without influence. This review is unpaid.