Just a few days ago I was checking out some Flickr albums of people I've befriended. I usually like to look around at other peoples' albums and pictures because it allows me to learn from photographers all over the world, and to obtain new ideas for my own photography as well. One of the things I really love is taking pictures with my fisheye lens. Typically, fisheye lenses, or any other kind of wide angle lens come as a regular lens, usually costing around $500 up to $800. You might be wondering how I could be so crazy as to spend that kind of money on a simple lens. The fact is, I didn't. I bought a different, less expensive kind of fisheye lens that just screws on to the front of any lens, which creates the effect of a fisheye lens.
But rather than spending money on even that, I discovered a little technique that, even though might not be as good as a true fisheye lens, works just as fine for those who keep it as a hobby and don't wish to spend a ton of money.
Here's the trick: pick up a door peep hole viewer at any local hardware store. It shouldn't cost you more than $5 to $10, and the best thing is that you don't have to own a DSLR camera. Just place the peep hole viewer close enough to the lens so you can zoom in and focus on the background image, up to the point where you wish to shoot, and just shoot. It's best if you have good lighting.
Here's a webpage for a picture pool in Flickr dedicated specifically to this technique:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/37821170@N00/pool/
Now your opinion. Do you think it's worth paying $500 or more for a lens you can easily make for either $50 or even $10?
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3 comments:
Awesome technique! I'll be sure to use it next time I'm out taking random pictures. Just a question though, you'd have to hold the camera in one hand and the peephole in the other, right? A little uncomfortable and you'd need to not shake. But if the result is that similar to a fisheye lens, then it's worth the extra effort for the extremely reduced price tag.
I think this technique is great. How'd you come up with it? I have a great fondness for photography and I must say that fisheye is a pretty awesome effect. Also, because I don’t have a DSLR, (which makes me extremely jealous of you :P) its good to know that there are simple methods in which i can get close to the same "fisheye" effect with a regular camera. See, i don’t have a camera like yours mostly because of its cost. I can’t imagine how much money could add up just for the sake of new lenses and such. Personally I’m not too much in favor for spending a lot of money. It’s like people who shop just for the sake of a label. I wouldn’t spend 75 bucks on a pair of designer jeans when I could get the same ones somewhere else for 15. So why buy such an expensive lens if you can get the same effect with out the extravagant price. Very smart (;
To Alejandro: Yes, unfortunately it's best when you have a lens that can automatically focus for a DSLR camera, or simply with a regular camera. Though it is kind of uncomfortable, it is worth the while.
To Laura: I came across this technique when I checked out the link I gave you guys at the bottom of this post. It's a link to a Flickr picture pool of just that kind of pictures. Check it out, it's really cool. On the spending issue, I have to agree with you. I personally am not a big fan of spending either, and the typical example I like to give is that of clothing. However, I can say that even though the price ranges for accessories, lenses, and any other miscellaneous thing you might want to add to the type of camera I have, it definitely is worth the money spent. It really is something worthy of spending on (obviously always looking for the most affordable prices).
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