Difference Between Fisheye, Macro, & Wide

[thereistruth]

I recently got my first digital camera with manual controls, and I am starting to get the hang of it. I purchased a telephoto conversion lens for it, and I also want to purchase some sort of wide-angle lens. The options that I see for this are "fisheye," "macro," and "wide." Can someone explain the difference between the three types of lenses?

[livin4lax09]

fisheye distorts the picture. the lines in the top and bottom of the frame, as well as the sides, will be bent, arcing outwards. Basically, it makes it so everything is moving in an arc around the center point.

Macro lenses allow you to focus closer than normal. it helps for bug/plant photography

wide angle lenses just allow you a very wide view, but do not distort nearly as much as the fisheyes. some good ones barely distort at all.

[Asylum Steve]

...a fisheye is considered a wide-angle lens, just on the one extreme end. Think of it as a specialty lens in the larger group of lenses.

Basically, a wide-angle lens would be any lens with a wider focal length than what would be considered "normal" for a given camera format...

[ladybugamanda]

If I may butt in - what would be a good, reasonably priced macro for a RebelXT? I'd like that to be my next lens. And, do you feel the quality of the kit lens that comes with the XT to be sufficient? Thanks!

[another view]

I just shut off my external hard drive - the one with some fisheye examples on it. However - my wallpaper happens to be one of them, so I did a quick screen shot. The doorway I'm looking thru has straight sides and I'm maybe about one foot outside of it. The total diameter at the top of this lighthouse can't be more than 8'. Notice that the lines curve more the farther they are from the center. And notice that at the center the vertical lines have very little distortion, as does the horizon - because the camera was level when I shot it.