Check out the best (and most affordable) wide-angle camera lenses for beautiful cinematography in tight areas.

From Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey, to Yorgos Lanthimos in The Favourite, the fisheye look has been a go-to staple of cinema for ages. And while fisheye lenses can stylistically express both openness and containment, as well as distort perceptions of height, size, and importance, wide-angle lenses also have a very practical purpose. They’re great for filming in small, tight places.

So, for anyone feeling stuck inside, or simply needing to find the right wide-angle lens for shooting scenes in small rooms, we now present some of the best — and most affordable — fisheye lenses for your consideration.

Altura Photo 8mm F/3.0

This lens serves a dual purpose, as it’s great for both photography and videography. Image via Altura.

The first option on our list is the Altura Photo 8mm F/3.0, which is one of the least-expensive fisheye lenses on the market. While wide-angle lenses are perhaps more popular in the photography world than in videography, lenses like the Altura Photo 8mm work great for both.

At 8mm, you’ll be able to handle a great deal of small-room cinematography — even with multiple subjects, if needed.

• Focal Length: 8mm
• Aperture Range: F/3 to F/22
• Number of Diaphragm Blades: 6
• Optics: 11 elements in 8 groups (with 1 aspherical element)

Price: $175

PENTAX 10-17mm F/3.5-4.5

This wide-angle zoom is perfect for scenes that require movement. Image via Pentax/Ricoh Imaging.

A surprisingly affordable wide-angle zoom (and a great option for DSLR or mirrorless cameras), the PENTAX DA 10-17mm is actually an offshoot of the first fisheye zoom ever created. As a zoom, this PENTAX gives you solid coverage when navigating in tight spaces where you might need to tweak your framing and composition a bit.

The zoom will also give you some leeway when working with scenes that require movement, even while operating from a tripod setup.

• Focal Length: 10-17mm
• Aperture Range: F/5.3-6.8 to F/22-32
• Number of Diaphragm Blades: 6
• Optics: 10 elements in 8 groups
• Minimum Focus Distance: 0.14m

Price: $450 (new), $250 (used)

Rokinon 8mm T3.8

This fisheye lens is perfect for shooting film and video, creating that smooth, cinematic look. Image via Rokinon.

Unlike the fisheye lenses above, the Rokinon RK8MV-C 8mm T3.8 Cine Fisheye Lens is tailor-made for film and video. This means better design quality for a videographer’s needs, with a focus on ease of use for aspects like focus pulling and smooth motion.

With a 3.8 T-stop (read up more on the difference between F-stops and T-stops here), you’ll end up with a very defined cinematic look and some truly inspiring compositions. This might be your best bet for any interior shots where you need to go fisheye wide-angle.

• Focal Length: 8mm
• Aperture Range: T3.8 to T22
• Number of Diaphragm Blades: 6
• Optics: 10 elements In 7 groups
• Minimum Focus Distance: 11.8″ (0.3m)

Price: $399 (new), $275 (used)

Samyang 12mm F/2.8

Great for filming from long and short distances, this manual focus lens is a solid low-light option. Image via Samyang Optics.

One of the best options for full-frame videographers, the Samyang Optics 12mm F/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye is a great manual focus lens, with flexibility for filming from both short and long distances. The Samyang 12mm is also one of the best low-light options for those really looking to cut the edge with some beautiful shallow-depth-of-field shots.

Another aspect to keep in mind when shooting in small spaces are the multiple planes — from foreground to middleground to background — you might still want to capture in your compositions. Here’s a great article all about it.

• Focal Length: 12mm
• Aperture Range: F/2.8 to F/22
• Number of Diaphragm Blades: 7
• Optics: 12 elements in 8 groups
• Minimum Focus Distance: 7.9″ / 20.07 cm

Price: $380 (new)

Tokina 10-17mm F/3.5-4.5

This hybrid lens is excellent for corner-to-corner photography and videography. Image via Tokina.

Another solid hybrid offering that’s on the higher end of our affordability chart, the Tokina AT-X 107 F/3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye (10-17mm) is a strong APS-C format wide-zoom for those looking to utilize the fisheye look with more options and control.

Designed for both Canon EF and Nikon F-mounts, the Tokina 10-17mm is excellent for corner-to-corner photography and videography, and can really shine — even when stuck in small rooms looking for interesting angles. A fisheye zoom like this Tokina is also preferable for shooting run-and-gun in tight places, giving you that extra bit of coverage if you need to move in or out just slightly.

• Focal Length: 10-17mm
• Aperture Range: F/3.5-4.5 to F/22
• Number of Diaphragm Blades: 6
• Optics: 10 elements in 8 groups
• Minimum Focus Distance: 0.14m

Price: $450 (new)

Cover image by Geza Farkas.

For more camera, lens, and gear guides, as well as additional filmmaking resources, check out the articles below.