How to rent a Fisheye Lens?

Written by 90 Seconds
Last updated: October 4, 2023
How to rent a Fisheye Lens?

In photography, a fisheye lens is a type of ultra-wide angle lens. These lenses capture a distorted, spherical view of a subject. You’ll notice the outer corners of the image will appear curved and the image will look somewhat distorted. It might appear similar to looking through a door’s peephole.

The name comes from the ultrawide hemispherical view that a fish might see from beneath the water. The lenses were first used in meteorologists studying cloud formations in the 1920s and were produced for commercial use in the 1960s.

These lenses allow photographers to be extremely creative with their subjects and they make super-wide angle shots much easier than using a traditional extreme wide angle lens. Their angle of view is generally between 100 and 180 degrees.

The lens essentially curves straight lines so photographers who rent a fisheye lens can really capture very interesting compositions, especially if you’re trying for a unique shot. Just remember if you’re trying to photograph a specific person or subject, it will appear less distorted if it’s close to the camera and placed along the edge of the frame.

Benefits of renting a Fisheye Lens

They can focus very close,

They allow you to get very close to large subjects which maximizes color and sharpness,

They offer a good depth of field when shooting ultra-wide angle,

They are small and lightweight.

Common uses of Fisheye Lenses

The lenses work very well underwater where there are no straight lines and it may be difficult to get close to your subjects.

Use this lens to round out straight lines or to make round subjects’ curves less noticeable.

Minimize distortion but get super-wide angle landscape shots by putting the horizon in the center of the image.

Take confined, interior shots of cars and other vehicles using a fisheye lens.

Panoramas can be captured in fewer shots using a fisheye lens or without using panorama adapters and stitching.

Photograph large groups of people creatively using this lens.

Renting a fisheye lens opens the door to a photographer’s creativity. With so many uses, this lens is a versatile addition to any photographer’s camera bag.