Im not sure if you have ever looked at KEH.com but give them a look. They may have a good quality fisheye for sale in your cameras mount.

Ive spent over 20k with them over the years for gear from 110 format to medium format rangefinders to digital gear. I have never been shy about buying BGN (Bargin) rated glass from them. The barrel comes lookin like hell, the glass is clear as day, no fungus, no issues with Focusing manual or AF. BGN rated lenses will look cosmetically beaten like a rented mule, but perform like they were new.

Thanks Musket but KEH is a little far for me to travel or them to post.
If you feel you bought a lemon, their return policy is great. Ive returned a few lenses to them and was credited back my funds in a very timely fashion. My only bad thing to say about KEH is the fact their website is still run from a Windows NT4 server and they have never heard of USPS Flat Rate Priority shipping. Their shipping methods are as slow as molasses.

If you shoot Nikon, I cannot scream my praise for the 10.5mm DX Fisheye and the 16mm AF-D fisheye enough. Both are very good but different fisheyes.

Though I've never owned or used one, I do think the effect can be interetsting. But, as you say, how many fish-eye photos can you look at before boredom sets in.

However, I understand that there are features included in PP software that allow one to "flatten" the image from round to flat to make a pseudo-panorama with one image. How effective this is I have no idea, but I know the option exists.

Perhaps there's a person out there just like you who, for £400, will take a leap of faith, use the lens for a limited amount of time and re-sell it to another like-minded individual? If you think you can re-sell it without much difficulty to such a person, I say get it and try it.

I'm sure there are other hoggers that know a lot more about these lenses than me.....

just my $.02 (what is that in £BP?)

If you have a bucket load of spare cash, this topic probably won't apply to you.

I do not own one, but I do collect and use old lenses and a moderately priced fisheye has come on to the market, but I just cannot see the point of it. I could spend an hour or two taking circular distorted photos then boredom would set in. At about £400 for the lens, 4 hours of use = £100 per hour, then put the lens away.

Is there a real - practical - use for such a lens or are they just to produce fun effects?