Ground view from a fisheye lens.
A fisheye lens is a convex shaped wide-angle lens that captures a 180-degree angle. It has a short focal point and an almost unlimited depth of field. The distortion created by the outer edge of the lens is significant, creating a circular image. The fisheye lens is a popular specialty lens.
History
The fisheye lens was developed by Nikon as early as 1935. In March of 1957, the lens was upgraded and used for meteorology, defense and broadcasting purposes in Japan. In 1960, it became available to the general public through the company's catalog.
Uses
Because of the 180-degree angle, the lens is able to produce panoramic images of the sky. Images can be stitched together in a program like Photoshop for a full 360-degree photo of the horizon and sky. The panoramic use of the camera and the distortion that the lens produces create interesting landscape photography. The lines in the landscape can be exaggerated with stunning results. This is one reason why photographers like to use the fisheye lens for artistic purposes. Photographers use the distortion and wide angle to their advantage for certain group shots, with architecture, for tight action shots in sports and for exaggerated facial features.
Types
There are two types of fisheye lenses. A circular fisheye lens produces a circular image that captures 180 degrees in both the vertical and horizontal directions. A full-frame fisheye takes photos that capture 180 degrees in the horizontal direction, but less than 180 degrees in the vertical direction.
Techniques
Line the fisheye lens up with the horizon line to get a wide-angle photo with little distortion. If you point the lens down below the horizon, you get a shot of the ground than curves down from the horizon. If you point the lens up over the horizon, you get a picture of the sky that curves upward on the edges. With a circular fisheye lens, round objects, openings or architectural structures can be framed in a way to emphasize their shape and create an interesting composition.
Availability
Every major manufacturer of cameras makes fisheye lenses to go with their camera bodies. As of the summer of 2010, prices for the fisheye lens average about $400 to $800. The cost of the fisheye lens makes it a significant investment in equipment.
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