optical distortion

Optical distortion occurs when a camera lens causes straight lines or proportions in an image to appear curved or altered. This happens because lenses can bend light slightly differently depending on their design and quality. There are two common types: barrel distortion, where images bow outward like a barrel, and pincushion distortion, where they bend inward like a pincushion. Distortion can affect how true to life a photo looks, especially near the edges. Higher-quality lenses are better at minimizing distortion, resulting in images that accurately represent the scene.