# Skateboarding........fish eye or wide angle?



## goo23

Hi, 

 I'm extremely new to photography/filming, I have a nikon d5000 and shoot/film skateboarding and need advise on 

 whether to buy a wide angle of a fish eye what, if any are the differences/ advantages or disadvantages? 

 thanks for your time.


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## Big Mike

Welcome to the forum.

What should I have for supper....chicken or beef?  Just like your question...the answer is to use/have what you/I prefer.  

A fish-angle lens give you a wide angle of view and does not try to correct for lens distortion...thus you get an image with lots of distortion.  Most 'wide angle' lenses are rectilinear, meaning that they are designed to try to correct for that distortion (although they seldom eliminate it).  

Google is your friend, here is one article I found...
Fisheye Lens vs. Wide-Angle Lens | Underwater Photography Guide


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## 12sndsgood

if your just starting out id say a wide angle would be better then a fish eye lense. fish eyes lens can take some cool pictures. but you are not going to want everything that way. so get a main piece of good glass first, then when funds allow pick up a fish eye lens down the line.


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## goo23

Well I mostly film and need to get in real close, I've got a cheap fish eye but a cant zoom out very far with out the border appearing.......
and my mates have no heads when they skate    
:er:


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## McNugget801

A wide angle seems to make whatever is in the center of the frame further away where a fisheye makes it feel closer.  Up close the wide really doesn't work that well for skate stuff. If your going to be up close then its fisheye all the way.  

When Im shooting BMX/Skate stuff my lens usage breakdown goes like this...

10mm fisheye 40%
17-40 40%
11-16 wide 10% (because Im a sucker for tokina sun bursts)


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## MrSleepin

get a fisheye.

i highly recommend the Roknion 8mm 3.5f lens! i have one and love it! also, very affordable! i got mine on ebay brand new for $265

here's one of Clyde Singleton that i took... sun disappeared into the trees, but it still turned out pretty bright! 

1/400 3.5f iso 100 range of about 4 feet






and here is one of me
1/320 3.5f 100iso range of about 2.5-3 feet





both pics have not been edited. and i plan on using my new sb600 from now on when i do shots like these to help light faces.


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## djacobox372

Its easy to turn a wide angle into a fisheye in post, the reverse isnt true.


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## 480sparky

djacobox372 said:


> Its easy to turn a wide angle into a fisheye in post, the reverse isnt true.



Wanna bet?


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## Futurelight

Fish eye for the funk and wide angle for the over-all.


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## mnhoj

I like the Rokinon 8mm also. Besides the great price the lens is very, very sharp. 

F8 and focused to 2 ft. should cover all the depth you need for skating - providing there's enough light.

Video is awesome with a fish.


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## fjrabon

like others have said, just depends if you want straight edges or not.  I occasionally shoot skate parks, but I'm not a skating photographer by any means.  Im drawn to the geometry of the park as much as the skaters, so I prefer wide angle.  fisheyes are better for catching the tricks, but are bad for showing off the park.


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## McNugget801

Alley-oop downside double whip taken with a Sigma 10mm f2.8 fisheye
Cropped with a small amount of distortion correction




Bryant Shepherd by Summit42, on Flickr


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## goo23

FFREAKIN' SHWEET! Thanks for the heads up nugget, hope to smash some photos out soon.

Oh and did you use a tripod for the shot of clyde doing a nosegrind?


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## MrSleepin

goo23 said:


> FFREAKIN' SHWEET! Thanks for the heads up nugget, hope to smash some photos out soon.
> 
> Oh and did you use a tripod for the shot of clyde doing a nosegrind?



no i did not... no need for tripod for a shot like that...well i guess it would be personal preference.


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