What Is a Fisheye Lens and What Does It Do? (Answered!)

What is a fisheye lens used for? A beginner’s guide on this ultra-wide glass in photography and film.

Specifically, you’ll learn:

• what is a fisheye lens
• what does a fisheye lens do
• how to choose one for your purposes
• and lots more

If you’re interested in getting creative with this type of photography, then this post is for you.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What Is a Fisheye Lens?

It is an ultra wide-angle lens that has a viewing angle close to 180 degrees and therefore produces a distorted illusion in the photos.

(The way it operates is similar to the perspective of the fish eye, hence the name.)

Because of that feature, you will be able to get an extremely wide panoramic or hemispherical image. And this whole new perspective, the “fisheye effect” in the images is what attracts some photographers.

(Check out the video above which will also include some fisheye lens photos.)

==> Find yours for the best price.

However, not all fisheye lenses created equal. Let’s talk about circular vs diagonal types.

Three Types of Fisheye Lenses

There are actually different types of these unique lenses. We’ll start with the most common one.

• Circular Fisheye Lens

It’s unique in a sense that it doesn’t cover the entire area of the frame, but shows only an inscribed circle with black edges. In movies, they actually use those to create a peephole effect.

Here’s an example:

What is the purpose of this particular glass?

Circular fisheye lenses are used to create interesting panoramas or the effect of a 360-degree panorama.

They are usually used to capture unusual landscapes and cityscapes. It can also be used for particular sports photography such as skateboarding.

It also does an excellent job of capturing the firmament.

• Diagonal (Full Frame) Fisheye Lens

The second type is a diagonal, also known as full frame fisheye lens.

Why diagonal?

Its 180-degree viewing angle is distributed horizontally on the frame and so it’s completely filled.

Unlike what we saw with the circular fisheye forming a circular image within the frame, a diagonal (full frame) fisheye lens fills the frame entirely.

This captures those photos you see that make the center portion appear more prominent than other objects in the picture as the horizontal and vertical sides are less than 180 degrees.

This type of glass is suitable for traditional landscape and interior photography.

• More than 180 Degree Angle Lenses

While there are two main kinds of fisheye lenses on the market, there are also mechanisms that have angle of view greater than 180 degrees.

These are extremely rare though.

And probably this is the reason why they are barely mentioned in any photography resources.

Did you ever wonder why does nasa use fisheye lens?

The reason why NASA use fisheye lenses is because of their ability to have a wide field of view and large depth of field (and so they are unlikely to miss anything in space).

What Does a Fisheye Lens Do?

Here are some of the reasons why adding this unique glass into your photography gear collection might make sense to you.

• It gives you a fun image capture

Even though plenty of people may say that fisheye lenses tend to provide an ‘ugly distortion’, when focused and used correctly, it can actually give your photo a fun and creative perspective.

This all depends on the scene that you plan or want to shoot.

Using the lines and curves of the scene can help create an image with a different focus.

• It creates a ‘big air’ effect for extreme sports photography

Using a fisheye lens for extreme sports such as snowboarding or skateboarding will make the capture look more creative.

This is because this glass tends to focus on the subject in the middle.

It gives a ‘big air’ effect on the scene that surrounds an object and allows you to fully capture and focus the view on the skateboarder’s moves and tricks.

In addition to sports, fisheye lenses are used in architecture photography, as well as for creating 3D panoramas of any objects.

Fun fact: To create the Google Earth service, the company used a fisheye ultra-wide angle lens.

• It is used to create a ‘peephole’ effect

In film, one of the most common ways to use this lens is when they need to create a scene of the character looking through a peephole.

It is a fisheye that makes it look real to life. Because if you try to film through the actual peephole, it would be next to impossible.

Now you know how they do that!

• Fisheye lenses work well for underwater shots

Because they give a broader focus on its subject, an underwater photo will put the viewers’ focus onto the subject and not the other elements of the ocean.

It will also capture a beautifully distorted image because there are fewer straight lines underwater.

• Great for astrophotography too

Asides from the natural beauty of the night sky, using a fisheye lens will allow you to capture images of the sky with more stars.

It will give you a distorted effect that is both unique and artistic at the same time.

When Was the Fisheye Lens Invented?

Earlier I mentioned why it’s called the way it’s called.

But when was it invented?

Its history goes way back into the 1906 when Robert Wood, a physicist and inventor, discovered that a fish would see from beneath the surface with a comprehensive, hemispherical view.

Wood did a lab test to show the point eye view of a fish looking at the world underwater, using a bucket full of water, a pinhole camera, mirrored glass, and light.

But it wasn’t until 1935 when German inventors took Wood’s theory into action and shared this idea with the Japanese company, Nikon. In 1957, they introduced the world to its first fisheye lens ever made, and many other companies followed through.

That was how the beauty of distorted photography became popular.

(Especially in the music industry.)

How to Choose a Fisheye Lens?

Look:

Just like any other expensive photography gear, it is a serious investment and you should choose yours carefully.

You already know that there are two main types that you can choose from:

• the full frame fisheye lens, and,
• the circular fisheye lens.

And this is the first thing you need to think about before making a purchase.

Let’s recap: With a full frame fisheye lens, you will get an image with a diagonal view, filling the entire frame; while with a circular one you get a circle image with black edges.

Other two factors to consider are the lens flare and the quality of its center sharpness.

Since this type of glass gives you an ultra broad view and a depth field, controlling the light that passes through will be difficult. This will also lead to poor sharpness in your shots.

You might want to choose the one that has more control over these two areas.

Last but not least:

Your budget plays a big part in making a buying decision.

If you are a beginner, I suggest you start off with a lower end lens and experiment before upgrading to a high end one. This way, you will also learn whether you really want to invest in this glass for the long term  use without over spending.

Best Places to Buy Them Online

We all know many of us shop for photography gear online. What’s the best place though?

I suggest you check the price and availability on:

• Amazon
• B&H Photo Video
• Adorama

Click here to compare the prices.

In my experience, most people shop on Amazon but I’m also sharing a couple more trustworthy platforms where a lot of photographers buy their equipment.

Fisheye Lens Photography

Truth is:

There are many camera lenses with optical tricks available in the market today.

While the fisheye glass is a way to introduce a fun and whole new perspective into your images you should realize that they have their own advantages and disadvantages.

It isn’t that easy to use, and it is definitely a tool for the professionals, but as the saying goes, “practice makes it perfect”.

The more you practice and experiment, the more and faster you’ll be able to master your new gear in the long run. And it’ll give you a whole new perspective on photography.

Now, I’d like to hear from YOU:

• What are your thoughts on fisheye lens uses for photography?
• Have you ever recognized the effects of a fisheye lens in movies?
• Do you like or dislike the distortion it produces?

Let us know in the comments below!