Fisheye Lenses 101: Here's Everything You Need To Know

You’ve seen them in skateboarding compilations, music videos, and feature films. They’ve got a unique look that you can’t get anywhere else. From understanding their barrel-distorted view to exploring how they can enhance your photography or videography projects, this article provides a comprehensive guide for beginners and seasoned professionals experimenting with this ultra-wide style. Whether you're curious about the technical aspects or seeking inspiration for your next creative endeavor, this piece has covered you. That’s right — it’s time to talk about fisheye lenses.

1. What Is a Fisheye Lens?

Fisheye lenses are very wide lenses with heavy distortion that creates a convex warping to the image. This creates the illusion that objects in the center of the frame are closer and, conversely, objects in the corners further away. You’ve probably already looked through a fisheye lens if your front door has a peephole! Many fisheye lenses have a field of view of 180 degrees or more. These specialized lenses create a heavily stylized, almost surreal look that you can’t get anywhere else, and when you need one… well, you need one. Here’s everything you need to know.

2. Two Types of Fisheye Lenses

Circular fisheye lenses project a circular image onto your sensor (or film) smaller than the image area. This means your photo will be a circle, sometimes framed by black borders.

There are also full-frame (or diagonal) fisheye lenses. These are more conventionally used in photography and cover the entire image area, while you’ve probably seen a circular fisheye used in a music video.

3. What Does "Rectilinear" Mean?

Fisheyes produce a curvilinear image — which means that straight lines look like they’re bulging out towards the viewer and the edges of the frame. This contrasts the lenses you’re likely used to, which keep straight lines straight. Those are called “Rectilinear” lenses. This word is helpful since there are ultrawide lenses without the classic fisheye distortion — which could be what you’re after!

4. When Should You Use a Fisheye Lens?

Since the fisheye look is heavy, inescapable, and baked into your image — it’s a big commitment. Despite this, the fisheye look is more in demand than ever! The unique distortion of a fisheye is a fantastic creative device, but it can be tricky to get the hang of.

Fisheye images have gained cult popularity in a few genres — skate photography being one. Not only are fisheyes great for close-up action shots due to the wide angle and depth of field, creating space around the skater so the viewer can see their trick more clearly, but the warped images also fit the cultural aesthetic of skate culture.

The psychedelic qualities of the distortion have found their way into all sorts of counter-cultural movements, from rock music to sci-fi. A well-placed fisheye shot can spice up a set or series of images and stand out from the crowd.

These images' warped lines and curves can be used to create a sense of reality itself being warped — making it great for capturing chaos, nightlife, and motion.

5. Tips When Creating with a Fisheye Lens

A big advantage to shooting with an extra wide lens is the depth of field or the amount of stuff in focus. Generally, the wider your lens is, the larger your focal plane is on the depth field. You can’t lean on bokeh or shoot wide open to isolate your subject, so you must be more mindful of your background. It’s often a good idea to spend more time looking around the viewfinder to see if there are too many distracting elements and thinking about the best place to put your subject in the frame. You can still isolate a subject with other elements — light, shadow, color, motion, and more.

One technique you should try is ICM—intentional camera movement. Since fisheyes are super wide, give the camera a rapid spin to one side while you fire the shutter. This creates a swirling effect at the edges, leaving the frame's center untouched. It is a great way to block distractions and hone in on a subject.

Another critical thing to remember is the distortion – while it can look very cool when done right, it’s helpful to keep an eye on your corners and edges since that’s where the distortion is strongest and makes things look super out of proportion and warped. You might also want to pay attention to your horizons, as tilting the camera up or down will bend the horizon at the edges.

Cropping in post can also be fiddly since reframing will shift the middle of the distortion field away from the center of the image, which is hard to correct. When in doubt, put your subject front and center in your viewfinder.

Fisheye lenses are begging to be used in crowds, chaos, and creative sets. Try filming some friends practicing sports up close, or get down low and take photos of your pets from their level! I like to shoot fisheye at live music events, especially if I’m allowed to combine it with flash. You could combine a few 70s outfits and do a Hendrix-esque fashion shoot.

6. Using Fisheye Lenses For Your Phone

If you’re unsure about investing in a niche or specialty lens, I have good news. You can use fisheye lenses on mobile with Moment’s T-Series 14mm Fisheye lens. Impressively, photos with this lens look crisper than the bare wide lens on an iPhone. This makes it incredibly usable for both pictures and video and more accessible than ever. One of my favorite things about this lens on mobile is how easy it is to make an impromptu phone shot that is so much more dynamic, creative, and immersive. It’s the perfect size to take in your pocket to the skate park, arcade, or on a night out.

Having worked their way into the mainstream, fisheyes are now a counter-culture staple and an essential tool for creators to have in their making-stuff toolkit. The look you get from these lenses is like nothing else, and it’s impossible to replicate without one. Fisheye images are eye-catching, scroll-stopping, and, well, they’re just really fun! From fashion photographers to travel Instagrammers, everyone should try a fisheye and see how inspired they can get.