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Hi all,

I really like the fisheye effect for certain shots. I was wondering if there was a way to get that effect using PS. Or is getting a lens the best way? Does anyone here own one and use it often?

Also, I noticed on Nikon Capture there is an option for fish eye lens. But it does not work for me? Do I have to take a shot using a fisheye lens for this option to open up?

Hi Neeper
The NC option does the opposite of what you want to do, it straightens up a fish eye hpoto to a degree.
As for PS, you may try the tranform tool but I don't think you can ever get the same as a real fisheye.

Neeper,

I believe that the fisheye option in NC works the other way - it corrects the distortion that exists when you've taken a photo with a fisheye lens.

in PS you can replicate the effect but it will never be the same as a fish eye. the whole point of the fish is too fit as much as possible into the frame. if you try to replicate this all you are doing is distorting what you already have.

Yeah... therein lies the problem with software solutions.

However, try Filter > Distort > Pinch and send the percentage scale to the left.

Nnnnsic wrote:Yeah... therein lies the problem with software solutions.

However, try Filter > Distort > Pinch and send the percentage scale to the left.

Thanks! I'll give it a whirl.

Does anyone out there own a fisheye lens? Which one would you recommend?

The 15mm fisheyes don't actually get all that much fisheye effect due to the 1.5x crop factor. You need the really short ones (8mm is the canon version, not sure what Nikon is) to get a proper fisheye effect.

petal666 wrote:The 15mm fisheyes don't actually get all that much fisheye effect due to the 1.5x crop factor. You need the really short ones (8mm is the canon version, not sure what Nikon is) to get a proper fisheye effect.

Nikon is 10.5mm/ Dx / Sigma is 8mm Full frame

And you need to be willing to spend a little bit (you always do for good lenses) they are not cheap.

One way to simulate a fisheye is to get some panorama stiching software take three photo's with a 35mm lense (or 50mm) and stich them into a long image (best done from a tripod)... then crop this image .. adjust levels/curves in PS etc so it looks as good as possible and use the aforementioned methods to get the fisheye perspective.

It will still never be the same.

that method doesn't work too well for skating though lol

for nikon the 10.5 DX is your best bet giving you a full 180` i believe trheir is also the 8mm sigma but i've heard some not that great things about these.

petal what is the canon 8mm i though they only had the sigma and 15.

nodabs wrote:
petal what is the canon 8mm i though they only had the sigma and 15.

I think that you are right, I was thinking of the sigma 8mm. I kind of remember reading about a Canon 8mm but can't find any mention of it now.

petal666 wrote:

nodabs wrote:
petal what is the canon 8mm i though they only had the sigma and 15.

I think that you are right, I was thinking of the sigma 8mm. I kind of remember reading about a Canon 8mm but can't find any mention of it now.

Petal,
The Sgma 8mm is very good if you know how to use and control it on the DSLR, I got a loan unit while ago but gave it up and will settle for the Nikion 10.5Dx.

petal666 wrote:

nodabs wrote:
petal what is the canon 8mm i though they only had the sigma and 15.

I think that you are right, I was thinking of the sigma 8mm. I kind of remember reading about a Canon 8mm but can't find any mention of it now.

cool, i just asked because there was a fish discussion going on on a sports website at the same time and the talk was that lots of skate photog's where switching to nikon for the 10.5 DX. the general concensus is the the image quality from anything 8mm is poor in comparison. at least for their needs in print

what is skate photography? Anything to do with hockey ?

lol well skate photography is generally skateboarding agressive inline where thye fish is lense of choice alot of the time. althoughthere are cool fish eye net cam shots from hockey. i wouldn't mind taking my cam to hockey one day problem is melbourne ice looks brown on film