Need advise. How to combat wide angle lens distortion?

[ST_sg]

Hi All,

I know that if shoot in wide angle like 24mm and below, distortion is unavoidable. However, is there any work around or any tips that can use this focal length to its fullest?

I just took this pic using the kit lens EF-S 18-55mm. And the distrortion really trash the pic, I guess.

Would greatly appreciate if you guys can share some input on what situation should I put this 18mm (FLM) = 24mm in good place. Or, is this distrortion only found on this cheapo lens? :dunno:

Expect all bad comments welcome

Cheers!

 

[Kit]

What you are getting here is not distortion. Its converging lines which is pretty common for architectural photography. The reason why you get these converging lines is because you did not align your film/sensor plane perpendicular to the subjects. In this case, you've tilted the camera upwards.

Several ways to overcome this problem.
1) You can adjust the convrging lines in PS but that would also means cropping a considerable amount from the edges.
2) Use a wider lens.
3) Use a tilt/shift lens or a view/field camera with shift movement. Not advisable unless you're into serious architectural photography because of the costs involved.
4) Choose a different angle to shoot your buildings.

 

[Kit]

Converging lines will happen with all lenses if you don't align the camera right.

 

[ST_sg]

I see. Learn something new today

Thanks Kit for enlighten me about this issue :thumbsup:

 

[student]

Hi All,

I know that if shoot in wide angle like 24mm and below, distortion is unavoidable. However, is there any work around or any tips that can use this focal length to its fullest?

I just took this pic using the kit lens EF-S 18-55mm. And the distrortion really trash the pic, I guess.

Would greatly appreciate if you guys can share some input on what situation should I put this 18mm (FLM) = 24mm in good place. Or, is this distrortion only found on this cheapo lens? :dunno:

Expect all bad comments welcome

Cheers!

Kit had explained that the "distortion" in your photo has nothing to do with wide angle, and the only way to deal with this problem, whether architecture, or trees, or mountains when you are forced to tilt your camera up in order to get the top into the picture is to use a lens with "rise" facility or a view camera.

Unless you want to invest in such equipment, use the "distortion" creatively. Look at books and magazines. You will see many creative examples where perspective problems were put to good use.

 

[jOhO]

honestly this is very normal, as kit has mentioned, the cheapest way to fix this is to photoshop.

 

[espn]

I'm just going to add on a bit more.

This is known more as perspective distortion, it happens as you tilt the camera upwards and the CCD/CMOS plane is not on the same level as the object thus perspective distortion appears.

It doesn't matter HOW to remove it, the importance I find is the beauty of the distortion, ie: should be homogenous and how the distortion is uniform.

Looking at the 18-55, I can see the barrel distortion also is in effect, curving the buildings near the sides.

 

[kex]

this effect is call keystone...

u can level ur camera with a spirit level or use a tilt shift lens to correct the vertical lines if u are shooting slides.
for digital,just use PS.

 

[ST_sg]

ya man. "simple" picture can have "complicated" flaws

Was that so-called "Vignetting" from the clear blue sky? (center point brighter/lighter blue than the top) :dunno:

Please, if you can find anymore flaws from this picture,..so I can avoid / take note. I know the obvious flaw was the one who took this pictures

 

[Kit]

ya man. "simple" picture can have "complicated" flaws

Was that so-called "Vignetting" from the clear blue sky? (center point brighter/lighter blue than top) :dunno:

Please, if you can find anymore flaws from this picture,..so I can avoid / take note. I know the obvious flaw was the one who took this pictures

From what I can see, you don't have vignetting. Just some tonal differences.

 

[ST_sg]

From what I can see, you don't have vignetting. Just some tonal differences.

hmm... is this "tonal difference" appears here also a norm and acceptable?

Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[sehsuan]

how to combat it? use a cannon.

nah.

really, if you want to get rid of it, you could either use a tilt/shift lens that cost an arm and a leg (not exactly, though) or you could use the perspective crop in photoshop CS

 

[weevil84]

vignetting is the occurance of black or underexposure at the corners of the frame, normally due to too much filters or a inadequate lens hood on a wide angle lens... as with all things with photography, vignetting can always be used creatively...

 

[Kit]

hmm... is this "tonal difference" appears here also a norm and acceptable?

Thanks for sharing your experience

Yes, quite common if you are covering a larger portion of the sky with a wide angle. Acceptable? Depends on who you talk to.

 

[blurblock]

how to combat it? use a cannon.

nah.

really, if you want to get rid of it, you could either use a tilt/shift lens that cost an arm and a leg (not exactly, though) or you could use the perspective crop in photoshop CS

Russian 35mm Shift lens .... damm cheap ... think of getting one myself

 

[ST_sg]

hmm... so this pic still consider normal lah
Got to rush to recycle bin and recycle it with PS :think:

 

[Kit]

Well, you got to decide if this is a keeper or not.

 

[arm]

photoshoped

 

[ST_sg]

good leh... care to share how you did it in PS :thumbsup:

Thanks guys for responding this thread

 

[arm]

Photoshop 8

crop tool, outline picture
enable perspective option (at top)
drag crop tool to form trapezoid

crop,

crop off excess
done