An Introduction to Fisheye Lens

What Is a Fisheye Lens?

A fisheye lens is a type of camera lens that has an ability to capture wide-angle images. In theory, the images captured using a fisheye lens will have a close similarity to how the image would look like viewed through the eyes of a fish. The center part of the image will appear normal or magnified, depending on the distance of the subject to the lens, while most of the parts of the background, including the edges of the image will appear bent and a bit distorted. Thus, the background elements in your composition will just be secondary most of the time. This is why it’s essential to decide on which part of the composition you want to focus in the photo.

The effect that a fisheye lens creates gives photographers a lot of room for creativity. The wide field of view of the fisheye lens will enable you to fit huge landscapes, or a large number of subjects in a single frame. In situations where a room is too cramped or too small, the wide field of view of the fisheye lens will make it possible for you to capture great images.

The first company in optical industry to develop a fisheye lens was the Nikon Corporation. Back then, fisheye lenses were used as a tool for meteorological research to capture cloud formations. Today, fisheye lenses have become very popular, not only among professional photographers, but also among photography hobbyists, due to the unique effect it produces.

There are two different types of fisheye lenses: the one that produces a photo with dark edges is called a circular fisheye lens, the other type of fisheye lens is called a full-frame fisheye lens, which does not produce images with dark edges.

Photo by: kevindooley

Above is an example of a photo taken using a circular fisheye lens.

Photo by: signither

Different Ways of Using Your Fisheye Lens

Landscape Photography

There are many ways to use a fisheye lens. A fisheye lens’s hemispherical effect gives landscape shots an artistic approach of showing the curve of the Earth.

Photo by: kain kalju

Photo by: Ian Sane

Portrait Photography

Another fun and creative use of a fisheye lens is capturing portraits. If you position your subject at the center of the photo you will notice that the background and the edges of the photo will bend towards the subject. This effect will lead the eyes of the viewers to the center of the image where your subject is.

You can also use a fisheye lens for capturing wacky portraits. The subjects will appear magnified and distorted, giving the portrait a comical effect.

Photo by: mangpages

Architectural Photography

A fisheye lens is also great for architectural photography. Its wide field of view will enable you to produce impressive architectural photographs. Try shooting from different angles to achieve perfect architectural photos like the ones below.

Photo by: serge melki

Photo by: nigelhowe

Astrophotography

Since fisheye lenses were originally developed for meteorological research, they are perfect for astrophotography.

Photo by: Computer Science Geek

Creativity has no limits, that is why it’s best if you try to make use of your fisheye lens in any creative way possible; you can use it for shooting flowers, pets or whatever you have in mind. Use your imagination to create great compositions and to produce breathtaking photos.

Check the fisheye lenses below:

1- 0.42X FISHEYE LENS W/ MACRO FOR CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL

2- Rokinon FE8M-N 8mm F3.5 Fisheye Lens for Nikon

3- Rokinon FE8M-C 8mm F3.5 Fisheye Lens for Canon