Pincushion distortion

1. What is pincushion distortion?
2. What causes pincushion distortion?
3. What lens causes pincushion distortion?
4. What is the difference between pincushion distortion and barrel distortion?

What is pincushion distortion?

: distortion (as by an optical instrument or television receiver) in which the image of a straight line appears to be curved convexly toward the axis compare barrel distortion.

What causes pincushion distortion?

Telephoto lenses are the most common source of pincushion distortion because of the increased magnification on parts of the image closest to the edge of the frame. This is especially true when the lens is at a shorter focal length.

What lens causes pincushion distortion?

Usually pincushion distortion happens at the telephoto end (ie. 200mm) of a zoom lens such as a 70-200mm lens. It can actually be great for portraits because it can make people look thinner than they are! You will most likely notice pincushion distortion in images with straight lines.

What is the difference between pincushion distortion and barrel distortion?

Distortion refers to deformation of an image. There are two kinds of distortion, either of which may be present in a lens: barrel distortion, in which magnification decreases with distance from the axis, and pincushion distortion, in which magnification increases with distance from the axis.