{"id":15842,"date":"2010-07-27T11:43:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-27T10:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/uncategorized\/fisheye-photography-15842"},"modified":"2014-10-23T11:40:12","modified_gmt":"2014-10-23T10:40:12","slug":"fisheye-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/expert_advice\/fisheye-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Fisheye Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Fisheye<\/img><\/p>\n

With their 180\u00b0 angle of view, curving of straight lines and
\nbulging of close subjects, it’s easy to imagine that fisheye lenses imitate how
\na goldfish sees the world through its bowl. <\/p>\n

It also means these lenses are
\nperfect for injecting a bit of fun into your photography. People look
\ntrowel-nosed and loom large against a backdrop that seems to contain an entire
\ncity, while buildings curve and lean dramatically. <\/p>\n

Fisheye photography isn’t
\nnecessarily for the purist \u2018no-frills’ photographer obsessed with creating an
\naccurate record of their subjects, but those who enjoy talking an alternative
\nlook at the world can have a ball.
\n \n<\/p>\n

Fisheye lenses are extreme wideangle optics often with an
\naverage effective focal length of around 15-16mm. This means subjects that are
\njust a few feet away end up looking tiny in the final picture, so the key to
\ngetting maximum impact is to get close and make the most of the exaggerated
\nperspective and distortion. <\/p>\n

Shooting a portrait from above, for example, will
\nmake the person’s head seem huge, while their body is long and thin,
\ndisappearing off to a tiny pair of feet. Small architectural details such as a
\ngargoyle on a cathedral can be made huge and menacing on the side of the
\nreceding building.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Because of the strong distortion that bends straight lines,
\na fisheye lens isn’t the first choice for straight architectural photography,
\nbut it is a great option for adding some surreal drama to shots of buildings
\nand cities.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The wide angle of view makes a fisheye lens very tempting
\nfor interior shots when space is cramped, but the warping of straight lines may
\nmean that the result straight from the camera isn’t quite how you intended.
\nFortunately, there are several software packages that are able to correct
\nfisheye distortion to leave a straighter, but slightly cropped image. This
\nunravelling can also be useful for landscape or seascape images when you may
\nnot want the horizon to be banana shaped.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

Circular and diagonal fisheye lenses<\/h2>\n


\n <\/p>\n

There are essentially two types of fisheye lenses: circular and
\ndiagonal. <\/p>\n

Circular lenses project the whole image circle within the confines of
\nthe film or sensor frame, giving the effect of looking through a door spyhole,
\nwith the circular image sitting at the centre of a dark surround. These lenses
\nhave a 180\u00b0 angle of view in all directions, but some photographers are put off
\nby the circular images. <\/p>\n

Diagonal fisheye lenses produce a larger image circle,
\nso the photographic subject covers the entire frame, albeit with the
\ndistinctive distortion and exaggerated perspective. These lenses tend to be
\nmore popular, although they only capture the full 180\u00b0 diagonally across the
\nframe.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Compact cameras and adapters<\/h2>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

\"Compact<\/img><\/h2>\n

Although the most obvious way to create fisheye images
\nin-camera is to use a fisheye lens, it’s not the only option and there are
\nquite a few adapters available that effectively turn a standard lens into a
\nfisheye optic. <\/p>\n

There’s a fairly wide selection available on eBay, but the
\norigin and quality of the adapters is not always clear. <\/p>\n

Some of the better ones
\nare available from Digital Toyshop (www.digitaltoyshop.co.uk<\/a> or call 0203 355
\n7908). <\/p>\n

The Besel Super Fisheye, for example, retails for \u00a367.99 and can be
\nmounted on any lens with a 58mm filter thread (or others via an adapter ring).
\nNaturally, the image quality isn’t quite the same as with a true fisheye lens,
\nbut it’s an easy way of getting a similar effect. <\/p>\n

At \u00a3246.49 the Raynox DCR-CF
\n187 PRO 185\u00ba Circular Fisheye Conversion Lens seems rather expensive for a
\nsupplementary lens unit. This bulkier converter is mounted on to lenses via its
\n62mm thread.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The fisheye effect is also starting to appear in some
\ncompact cameras, including the Canon IXUS 300 HS. In addition,
\nthe Universal Fisheye Lens Kit (\u00a355.24 from Digital Toyshop) can be fitted on to
\nsome compact cameras using the tripod bush. This metal adapter widens the field
\nof view of the lens to enable fisheye image capture. <\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Lomo devotees can invest in the Lomo Fisheye, a lightweight
\nplastic-bodied camera with a 170\u00b0 field of view for \u00a335 from http:\/\/uk.shop.lomography.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

Good for<\/h3>\n


\n <\/p>\n