Uses of a Fish-Eye Lens

Most wide-angle lenses are not wide enough to show an entire room with material possessions in context. However, such wide coverage can be accomplished with a fish-eye lens. Recently, fish-eye auxiliary lenses have become available at low cost, making them affordable for most ethnographers. The author demonstrates the usefulness of a fish-eye lens with a photograph of his living room in Albuquerque. The limitations of standard lenses are shown with Vicos (Peru) photographs by John Collier, Jr. Fish-eye lenses can also be used to document the personnel present at meetings.