Brightin Star has released the MF 10mm f/5.6 II, an updated version of its manual-focus fisheye lens for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds camera systems. The lens is a direct revision of the earlier model that the company says received tens of thousands of reviews annually, with users consistently requesting two specific improvements: better sharpness and a closer minimum focusing distance. Both have been addressed in the second generation.

The optical specifications place this firmly in the fisheye category: the lens covers a 173-degree field of view — one degree wider than its predecessor — and produces a rectangular image rather than a circular fisheye projection. At 10mm on an APS-C sensor, the resulting perspective is substantially distorted, with pronounced curvature toward the edges of the frame. The maximum aperture is f/5.6, which is narrow by prime lens standards and a consequence of the compact design and the price at which the lens is sold.

The lens has no autofocus: focus is set manually using a dedicated ring, and Brightin Star has printed hyperfocal distance markings on the barrel to assist with zone focusing. Hyperfocal distance refers to the focus point at which a given aperture and focal length maximizes depth of field, keeping everything from a specific near distance to infinity acceptably sharp. At f/5.6 and 10mm on a crop sensor, that range is broad enough to make focus-and-forget shooting practical in most circumstances. The marked position on the barrel indicates where to set the ring to achieve this condition without calculation. Minimum focusing distance in the new version is 12 centimeters, reduced from 20 centimeters in the original.

The lens has also been updated with what Brightin Star describes as IMC coating technology, intended to reduce flare and ghosting when shooting toward light sources. At this focal length, with such a wide angle of coverage, light sources are frequently within the frame or just outside it, making coating behavior relevant to image quality in typical use.