Ultra-wide-angle optics that capture or project a hemispherical field of view — the optical heart of fulldome.
A fisheye lens is an ultra-wide-angle lens that produces a strongly curved, barrel-distorted image covering 180° or more. In the fulldome world, fisheye lenses serve two critical roles: projecting domemaster imagery onto the dome, and capturing hemispherical content for dome production.
The equidistant projection is the standard for fulldome — it maps angular distance linearly to radial distance in the image, matching how domemaster frames are structured.
Single-projector fulldome systems use a fisheye lens mounted on a projector aimed at the dome centre. This is the simplest fulldome setup but limited in resolution and brightness. Dual-fisheye systems use two projectors with overlapping coverage for better pixel utilisation.
Fisheye lenses on cameras capture hemispherical or full-sphere imagery for dome content. Notable tools include the Canon RF 5.2mm dual fisheye (stereoscopic 180°), Entaniya 220° lenses, and multi-camera rigs stitched in software.
See also: Domemaster → · Projection Blending → · Fulldome →
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