Everything you need to know about Lens Distortion
Lens Distortion simulates or corrects the geometric warping caused by camera lenses. Add barrel distortion for a fisheye effect, apply pincushion to correct wide-angle lens bulging, and optionally include chromatic aberration for realistic or stylized lens simulation.
Parameters
- Strength
Controls how much of the distortion effect is applied. At 0, no change is visible. At 1.0, the full effect is applied. - Distortion
The type and amount of lens warp. Positive values create barrel distortion (edges bulge outward like a fisheye lens). Negative values create pincushion distortion (edges pinch inward). At 0, no geometric distortion occurs. - Zoom
Scales the image to compensate for distortion or create additional effects. Values below 1.0 zoom out (showing more edge area). Values above 1.0 zoom in (cropping edges). Useful for hiding black corners created by pincushion correction. - Chromatic Aberration
Adds color fringing that increases toward the edges, simulating real lens imperfections. At 0, no color separation occurs. Higher values create visible red/blue fringing at the image periphery.
Distortion Types
- Barrel (+)
Center appears magnified, edges stretch outward. Typical of wide-angle and fisheye lenses. - Pincushion (-)
Center appears compressed, edges pull inward. Typical of telephoto lenses. Use negative values to correct barrel distortion in photos.
Tips
- Use negative distortion to correct wide-angle lens bulging in architectural photos
- Add positive distortion (0.3–0.6) for a dramatic fisheye or action cam look
- Combine with chromatic aberration (0.1–0.3) for realistic vintage lens simulation
- Adjust zoom to hide black corners when correcting distortion