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Optics, Lenses & Filters

Moustache Distortion

A complex distortion combining barrel and pincushion in the same frame, so lines curve one way near the centre and back the other near the edge.

Measured in %

In depth

Also called wavy distortion, it arises in aggressive wide-angle and superzoom designs where the correction overshoots at different radii. Because it is not a simple radial function, it cannot be removed by a single distortion slider — it needs a proper lens profile with a multi-term polynomial model.

Examples in practice

A 16-35 mm zoom at 16 mm shows a horizon that dips near the middle and lifts again at the frame edges.