Optical Considerations: Distortion

Distortion is caused by the refraction of light as it transitions from the water to the lens system. Distortion is the deviation from a scene’s geometric normal. Water-corrected lenses ensures the image axis is not distorted compared to the photographed scene.

We are all used to seeing the way distortion effects light as it passes through a water lens. Your hands in water appear magnified and your fingers are slightly bent. It is only when you see a human-made object with straight angles underwater that it becomes obvious how much distortion is in the image.