TerminalSteve 0 #1 September 1, 2003 After 1 jump, being totaly hooked with but to currently too skint to afford skydiving, I have been downloading alot of videos, reading books etc. One thing I have noticed and am curious about is the distortion on many skydiving videos. Like a lense effect which makes the world seem round and bend. It also rounds of the corners of the video. What is this effect and does it have a purpose. Thanks for your help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 September 1, 2003 It's because of the wide angle lens. A small amount might be called "barrel distortion" because it has the effect of turning rectangular lines into shapes similar to those of an old fashioned beer barrel. A large amount might be called "fish eye" and, as you've noted, round off the cornered of the image -- in extreme cases, it might be so wide as to form an actual circle and cover and nearly full 180 degree field of view from side to side. Depending on the lens used, it can be barely noticable or quite pronounced. Some camera flyers use it for effect, others accept it as a defect.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
