These are the best fisheye lenses for sports photography when you want immersive arena-to-crowd drama, behind-the-backboard dunks, goalmouth scrambles, bowl-to-sky skate lines, and on-field celebration swirls—with strong flare control under stadium LEDs, close minimum focus for CFWA energy, and compact, tough builds that survive pits, boards, and nets—and here’s what to look for as you buy: favor diagonal fisheyes on full-frame for edge-to-edge frames you can partially de-fish while keeping players proportionate, circular options for graphic arena plates, fast or near-hyperfocal focus you can tape for remotes, coatings that resist veiling in haze and floodlights, and light barrels that balance on gimbals and remote rigs; most fisheyes can’t take front filters—use a sacrificial protector only if debris is likely (remove if it ghosts), add foam bumpers/cages for safety, and set repeatable zoom stops for “no-hoop/no-prop” framing. Full-frame heroes: Canon EF 8–15mm ƒ4L Fisheye USM (benchmark circular→diagonal zoom with excellent coatings and quick AF—ideal for behind-glass backboards and corner remotes; adapts cleanly to RF/E/Z) and Nikon AF-S 8–15mm ƒ3.5–4.5E (equally sharp/versatile with modern flare resistance), plus Samyang/Rokinon 12mm ƒ2.8 diagonal (fast, featherweight, budget workhorse for dim gyms and indoor arenas) and Sigma 15mm ƒ2.8 EX diagonal (compact classic that tightens corners by ƒ5.6). APS-C standouts for lightweight cages and rink/court corners: Tokina AT-X 10–17mm ƒ3.5–4.5 DX and Pentax DA 10–17mm ƒ3.5–4.5 (close-focus champs—killer for end-board hockey remotes, BMX bowls, and touchline scrums); the Canon/Nikon 8–15s act as diagonal fisheyes across most of their range on crop if you already own one. Micro Four Thirds winners for gimbal walk-ins and handheld sideline video: Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm ƒ1.8 PRO (fast, sealed, superb into-the-spotlight behavior) and Panasonic Lumix G 8mm ƒ3.5 (tiny, sharp, cost-effective). Practical buyer tips: for maximum flexibility on full-frame, grab an 8–15 and save two zoom stops—(a) circular for arena rafters and (b) diagonal “no-vignette” for in-play remotes; if speed/price matter, the Samyang 12/2.8 is the value pick; on crop, the Tokina 10–17 is size-to-coverage gold; pick rigid EF→RF/E/Z adapters with zero play, use secure plates/cables for remotes, confirm house rules with league/venue, and map de-fish presets per focal length so lines feel consistent across a gallery. Sports fisheye shooting tips: ethics and safety first—pads on rigs, no player interference, check tethering; for action, start ~1/1000–1/2000 s (1/3200 s outdoors in sun) and let ISO float, work around ƒ3.5–ƒ5.6 (ƒ2.8 for moody indoor), center players to avoid facial distortion and use corners for crowd energy, position the lens inches from glass/boards for scale, keep backgrounds 3–10 m away for air, and time peak moments (dunks, goals, finish-line bursts); for backboard/glass remotes, pre-focus, tape the ring, set a safe zoom stop to exclude rim and stanchion, run silent shutters and radio triggers, and protect the front element; for skate/BMX, mount low in bowls for sky arcs and roll-in lines; for stadium nights, expose for faces and let LED walls clip gracefully—shade the front element with a hand/flag to kill veiling; for video, lock a 180° shutter with internal ND, set a fixed zoom stop before the take, move slowly—tiny wobbles read big at 180°—and de-fish lightly in post for cleaner sidelines; whether you’re hanging a backboard remote for a poster dunk, planting a glass-safe rig in the crease, chasing a touchdown tunnel celebration, or carving a halfpipe line from deck to sky, the best sports fisheye choices—8–15 zooms on full-frame, Tokina/Pentax 10–17 on APS-C, and Olympus/Panasonic 8 mm on MFT—deliver close-focus drama, manageable flare under brutal lights, and a projection you can shape in post so your moments feel loud, kinetic, and unmistakably inside the action.