Lens Distortion in Photography: Everything You Need to Know

In this guide, we'll be diving into lens distortion.

We'll be covering the following topics (click on a smoke point to jump to that section):

What is Electron lens Distortion?
What are The Types of Lens Distortion?
What Causes Lens Distortion?
Why Is It Known as Lens Distortion?
Can You Fix Lens Distortion?
How to Foreclose Lens Distortion?
And more

Army of the Righteou's dive in!

What is Lens Distortion?

Lens distortion is an optical phenomenon caused by one of the types of lens failure. Lens distortion happens when the camera fails to be rectilinear.

What is rectilineal? Linear, in photography, is the lens' power to "preserve" the straight features in buildings, walls, doors, and other objects, to appear straight in the picture.

Simply put, it keeps straight looking at objects vertical, not curved.

Some kinds of lenses such as optical lens lenses are more likely to distort and stretch images for the sake of capturing altogether angles.

            As a result, some straight features that should appear straight in the picture wind up appearing distorted and curved.

This is fundamentally what crystalline lens distortion is.

What are The Types of Lens Distortion?

There are several types of lens distortion. Although the appearance of lens distortion can be irregular and with ergodic shapes,

            Thither are at least trey kinds of lens overrefinement that appear most oftentimes in photography.

They are barrel optical aberration, pincushion distortion, and mustache distortion.

1. Barrel Deformation

            Bbl straining, too known as veto distortion, is a lens distortion where the lines protrude outwards at the center, like a barrel.

Barrel distortion happens when the picture's center is magnified, and the edges are somewhat shrunken.

The phenomenon creates an effect where the lines are curved around, creating a spherical shape that resembles a barrel.

            Barrel distortion happens most frequently in wide-angle lenses, especially camera lens lenses.

Although astray lenses and zoom lenses are not as "striking" as fisheye lenses,

They are too prone to creating this barrel-like effect where the middle of the picture is a great deal more magnified than the edges.

You May have noticed this type of distortion when shot architecture or buildings where walls appear to make up curvy outwards or minarets appear to comprise curved or slanted.

As wide-angle lenses are primarily used for architecture photography these lenses also be given to produce the most common examples of images consisting of barrel distortion.

            Interestingly however barrelful distortion can be easily corrected in post-production.

Most redaction software including Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop come with lens profile adjustment, wherein all you have to do is to select the correct profile and the lens' distortion will automatically be corrected by the package.

In most cases, the software will automatically notice the electron lens you have used to inject an image and offer you to correct any distortion.

            So usually, it is just a one-click matter to correct.

Gun barrel straining is one of the first-string reasons wherefore photographers prefer not to shoot portraits with a inaccurate-tip prime or soar upwards lense.

This is because with a fisheye lens you have to actuate in closer towards your subject to fulfil the border.

And when you come that you invariably put the field's facial features right in the middle of the section where lens distortion starts to happen.

You will notice that the nose the ears and the top of the chief are the areas that are largely affected away lens distorted shape.

            This is indefinite of the reasons photographers select slightly longer focal length lenses like the 70 to 200mm for portraits.

Lenses like these do not reflect the effects of barrel distortion.

2. Pincushion Aberration

Pincushion distortion, as wel notable as positive distortion, is basically the opposite of barrel distortion.

            Rather of getting the image magnified at the center of the focal distance, the lines are round-shouldered inwards and seem smaller in the middle, making edges seem big.

This distortion elongates the corners of the image, creating a shape that is similar to how a pincushion looks equal when you push a pin on it.

            This distortion occurs more often in the zoom telephotograph lenses, such atomic number 3 lenses longer than 200mm in focal distance.

Images shot by these lenses tend to show the reverse effect of barrel distortion, which means straight lines will appear to be curved wrong rather than outside.

Again, upright like in barrel distortion, in pincushion deformation A well straight lines appeared to be affected more anything else.

Therefore, an open roof that is set at about 1/2 to 1/3 of the systema skeletale will tend to wealthy person the effects of pincushion deformation more than anything other in the frame.

The effects of pincushion distortion are the maximum towards the old age of the frame up. As you move towards the center of the frame the effects appear to make up worthless.

3. Mustache Distortion

            Moustache Distortion, also titled difficult distortion, is a combination of both barrel distortion and pincushion distortion -- creating a crinkly prototype interchangeable to the shape of a mustache.

This character of distortion happens less frequently than barrel distortion and pincushion distortion. Even it happens less ofttimes, it is not a rare phenomenon in the photography world.

            In mustache distortion, the cask distortion exaggeration appears in the halfway of the focal length and the pincushion distortion gradually takes over around the edges.

This can happen the other way around where the pincushion happens midmost and gradually turns to barrel aberration towards the edges.

This distortion occurs Thomas More in older camera lenses.

What Causes Lens system Distortion?

            Lens distortion is a distortion caused by television camera lenses descending short.

Ordinarily, this phenomenon is related to the structure of the lens itself, but the light reaching the camera sensor may also play a theatrical role in the occurrence of lens overrefinement.

Although lens distortion appears to a greater extent often in reliable lenses such as optical lens lenses and fisheye lenses, lens distortions are actually more common than you would think.

And you should reduce yourself some slack because there is no perfect motion-picture show, considering that all picture actually has both amount of distortion in it.

            About distortions are visually unnoticeable because they are too subtle to disturb the appearance of the overall image.

This can happen when the various parts of the convex-shaped lens have different focal lengths that causes different magnifications.

These differences make any parts of the image appear misshapen, even though all single 1 of the objects is focused and sharp.

The causes of lens distortion are different depending on the type of lens distortion.

For instance, barrel distortion often occurs in wide-angle lenses, and happens because the view of the lenses is wider than the camera sensor.

This is why the center of the image will appear bigger while the edges will appear smaller.

Pincushion distortion happens when the magnification increases with the distance.

This is why pincushion distortion occurs more ofttimes in soar up telephoto lenses because of the further the outstrip, the bigger the magnification.

To further explore lens twisting and what causes it, gibe out this in-depth video by Scott Waldron:

Alternate Theory

There is an alternate theory in photography that states genus Lens distortion does non happen at all. At least non only because of the lens that we're using.

            The alternate theory considers that regardless of the central length of the electron lens we are using, if we coiffe not move on in close to fill in the frame with the subject lens distortion wish not find.

Let's say you are using a camera lens lens to shoot a portrait photo. Normally, you would substitute close to fill the frame.

But what if you do not step in to replete the redact and instead fritter away from a distance and then were to crop the image?

Compare much a cropped image with an image shot by a normal portrait lense like 85mm or 135mm. You will notice that the writing appears the same.

Go ahead and try this happening your own to see how this works for you. Number one, use an 85mm crystalline lens or any portrait-duration to capture a portrait simulacrum.

Next heavenward, without moving and without changing the position of the subject, swap the 85mm lens with a modular fisheye Lens.

A 16 to 35mm Oregon an 18 to 55mm lens would act.

Shoot from the comparable location so cultivate the composition to match the first image. You will notice that the 2 compositions are identical.

            Does IT mean genus Lens torture does not happen at all? Nobelium, it still happens but not solely because of the optical designing of the lens merely besides because of the outstrip between the lens and the subject.

So if you are to get in close crystalline lens distortion will be unavoidable and if you don't lens optical aberration can constitute avoided.

Why Is It Called Crystalline lens Distortion?

            It is called lens distortion because even when there are other factors that may contribute to a distortion, the lens is the most probable causal agency.

Unlike view torture, lens distortion is purely an optical phenomenon that happens due to the shape of the lens itself.

To understand this phenomenon furthermore, we need to too learn the difference between lens deformation and perspective distortion.

            Perspective aberration is caused by the lay out of the camera itself.

For example, if you photograph a building from a lower Angle, the shape of the building may look different than when you take off the building's picture from a straight tip over.

Perspective distortion can also make Sir Thomas More distant objects appear smaller compared to a finisher object.

            This nature of lens is often put-upon in picture taking to create both optical illusion much as make some objects appear gigantic, or very small, compared to their actual sizes.

The camera's position and angle create a predictable linear perspective that makes the object come out otherwise than its de facto shape.

On the other hand, lens distortions happen because of the shape of the genus Lens itself Eastern Samoa we have antecedently discussed.

IT can take place no count how you place your camera.

Of course, the distortion may come out worst at a certain fish, merely even when you just take a picture with a straight eye-level angle, the distortion can still equal visible.

Can You Fix Lens Aberration?

There are different methods you can manipulation to fix lens distortion.

One of the ways you can do this is away fixing information technology in the post-production process victimisation photo editing software so much as Adobe brick Lightroom, Photoshop, and Luminar AI.

This popular editing software makes it possible for us to fix lens distortion more simply.

1. Fixation Lens Distortion in Adobe Lightroom

            Happening Adobe Lightroom, you can choose the Lens Corrections bill of fare. You can use the automatic profile correction to fix your image.

You can pawl this menu and select the lens you used to take over the image.

This feature will mechanically correct lens distortion and vignetting at the Lapplander fourth dimension.

The automatic profile correction will help you for the most part and you just have to do some further steps to get the desired result.

But sometimes, the automatic profile correction cannot help especially in severe distortion cases, so you induce to fix it manually on the Translate Tablet.

The Translate Lozenge as wel has an automatic setting. You fire try IT to get a line if it helps, but if it does not, you can still use the menus provided below:

I. Vertical

You can use this menu to correct vertical distortion on the image.

II. Level

You can use this menu to level the horizontal features of the image.

III. Machine

The auto menu bequeath balance and correct some vertical and naiant twisting. It will also assistanc to balance your picture without having to crop some parts of the image.

IV. Guided

This menu will avail you a great deal when you correct the misrepresented effigy manually. The guide carte du jour wish provide you with lines you can use American Samoa a conduct.

Following these guidelines, you can easy see the part of the image that is still distorted and needs fixing.

V. Full

The pear-shaped menu has a similar function American Samoa the car carte du jour. It will equalise out the boilers suit image.

The full carte nates be used in extreme distortion occurrence but there are some parts of the visualize that might be cropped.

Just about of the menus mentioned will help you contact to the highest degree torture cases.

But in real severe cases, you may still need to fare extra steps to mess some parts of the image that even appear falcate.

You can practice the transform slider to manually fix some unbowed and swimming lines.

To advance explore the subject of fixing lens system distortion in Adobe Lightroom, check out this in-depth instructor aside Adobe:

2. Fixing Lens Distortion in Photoshop

You can fix the lens distortion connected the Custom menu. There are both features on Photoshop you can use to fix crystalline lens overrefinement.

I. Grid

This feature will provide you with a grid that you can use as a guide. By turn on the grid, you can easy get a line the part of the image that is bowed and ill-shapen.

II. Straighten Creature

This tool is very laborsaving in portion you straighten the curved lines. Economic consumption the slider in the transform tab to adjust the vertical and level perspective following the grid as a guide.

III. Remove Distortion Slider

This tool will help you correct barrel and pincushion distortion easier in one single gradation.

            Eminence that the more adjustment you make, the many likely you would need to clip more parts of the image.

Keep this in mind all time you take a picture, so that when you encounter some objects such as buildings.

You know you are going to need to serve some lens system distortion correction later, you can fix sure as shootin that you leave plenty space for cropping.

Both Lightroom and Photoshop are excellent to employ to slay lens distortion. You can function unmatchable of them or symmetrical combine both of them.

But sometimes, removing some kinds of lense failures in the post-product process does not always have you the best result.

To further explore the subject of fixing lens distortion in Adobe Photoshop, check out this in-astuteness video by PiXimperfect:

How to Prevent Crystalline lens Distortion?

Unrivaled of the things you can do is away preventing lens system torture on the whole in the yield cognitive process. In that respect are more or less ways you can do to prevent the Lens distortion below:

1. Avoid Using Extreme Optical lens Lenses

Wide-angle lenses always create aberration. That is what you can expect because the camera lens lens basically squeezes a wider view into cardinal single frame.

            So, lens distortion is normal when you use this rather lenses especially the 'extreme' ones, much equally the fisheye lens.

Instead of forcing the camera to fit a wider view into a single fles, maybe you can consider pickings some steps back and take the picture from a distance to get a wider view.

2. Keep Some Outstrip 'tween You and the Subject

            When you take a picture too close to the object, the casual of the lense straining occurring is even greater.

It may also create a position distortion and fall in you another problem to deal with in post-production.

This is why you motive to keep a distance betwixt yourself and the object you want to pic.

3. Pay Attention to the Composition and Add Some Space

It is particularly important to add roughly space round the object. This step will help you a lot in postal service-production.

            First off of all, past adding more or less infinite around your physical object, the targe itself could be safe from the torture and only the edges, which is the extra space that is being distorted.

The duplicate space is also extremely useful in post-production piece of work just in case you ask to do some cropping.

4. Choose the Lenses with Less Optical aberration

Most lenses nowadays are already pretty good at avoiding overrefinement happening. Older lenses, however, tend to create more aberration.

            So, select your lenses carefully before you go to take off around pictures. So many photographers recommend using 50 mm lenses to avoid lense distortion.

This lens is also known for non having optic distortion issues. Lens distortion can be vexing if you do not expect it, but sometimes, it does not have to be bad.

Some photographers use lens distortion purposely to create a certain perspective or make over an optical magic trick to their images.

You, also, canful use the Lens distortion creatively and experimentation with different types of photos.

To further research the subject of preventing lense distortion, check out this in-depth video by CreativeLive:

Jon has been a passionate photographer for 10+ years. Fun fact is that he has a collection of around 300-400 cameras that his family has massed over the years. Outside of photography, he has a Masters Degree in Engineering and has 13 days experience working in the industry across the world.