lens - What's the term for wide angle lenses with no distortion?

Is there one word to describe the difference between wide angle lenses that have a circular distortion and wide angle lenses that produce images where perspective lines remain straight?

Answer

The two types of lenses you refer to are:

• Rectilinear - lenses which produce straight horizontals and verticals across the image


• Fisheye - lenses with circular distortion

Rectilinear lenses produce more 'natural' looking images but tend to stretch features towards the edges of the frame, so some subjects, e.g. faces, look odd. But they work well for interiors and landscapes. Fisheye lenses are generally regarded as special effects lenses but Matt's excellent answer gives some more practical uses.