How High Should The Celing Be For A Fisheye Camera

What is a fisheye lens and when would yous use one?

(Prototype credit: Hereafter)

A fisheye lens is an extreme broad-angle optic that allows you to capture a distinctive and distorted view of the world. They are used in both stills photography and video recording, and you can fifty-fifty get adapters for some smartphones that let you to simulate the dramatic ultra-wide effect.

Typically, the wide-angle of a fisheye provides a 180-degree view of the world, and there are ii main types – circular and total-frame. The round type captures a 180-degree view in all directions, and this means the central epitome area looks round – most as if you lot are looking into a crystal ball – while the balance of the frame area is black. A full-frame fisheye has a difference appearance because it is only capturing the 180-degree bending across its diagonal. The effect isn't every bit extreme equally a circular fisheye, and the image area fits unremarkably within the ratio of the sensor. In other words, there is no black border effectually the resulting image.

Fisheye lenses for creative effect

Using a fisheye is a creative choice, rather than a practical one. The extreme curvature of the scene being recorded is highly stylized, although whether you like this effect or not is a thing of personal taste.

Some photographers very much regard a fisheye lens as a novelty optic – something that is fun to ain and use occasionally. It should be noted notwithstanding, that a typical fisheye lens is non cheap, and then information technology does crave quite a financial investment. For example, the Catechism EF 8-15mm f4 Fifty USM Fisheye lens costs effectually $1,200.

You can utilise a fisheye for any bailiwick – including landscapes, astrophotography, wildlife, architecture (indoors and out) and even portraits! Obviously in all cases y'all are distorting the earth, but none more so than in portraits where noses will be fabricated huge and other parts of the face smaller. Think of the result as similar to looking into a distorted mirror at a funfair, so it'southward definitely not a flattering expect!

Fisheye lenses for sports

A fisheye's unique view is very popular for farthermost sports too, where the barrel distortion tin piece of work well with the sense of move and activeness of, for example, a skateboarder in mid-air. Here its ultra-wide advent tin make an already impressive movement look even more radical and eye-catching.

The bulging front lens of a fisheye means that you cannot apply filters with them, just this is a small toll to pay for such an unusual optic, so isn't a deal-breaker if y'all are thinking of owning one. While a fisheye lens is still a relatively rare addition to a typical photographer'due south kitbag, those who do own them always know they take a lens that'll instantly create an paradigm with visual impact whatever subject field is being photographed.

Read more than:

• Best lenses to become (opens in new tab)
• Best fisheye lenses (opens in new tab)
• Best DSLRs (opens in new tab)
• Best mirrorless cameras (opens in new tab)
• DCW Lexicon of photography (opens in new tab)

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Andrew makes his living equally a photographer, videographer and journalist. For 26 years he was a specialist magazine editor, the last 13 of which were on Practical Photography mag. A long-fourth dimension expert in photographic techniques across many disciplines, he'due south a self-confessed photo generalist, and a font of artistic cognition to capturing merely almost whatever discipline, although he has a strong leaning to wild animals and travel photography. Andrew's wide-ranging photography experience means he authors the long-running Photo Answers department forDigital Camera Mag. His work as a journalist, guide and educator dovetails neatly into his commitment toFoto-Buzz - an online subscription community he founded, where Andrew writes articles, films tutorials and records blogs on all manner of photo-related subjects and techniques for enthusiast photographers.