Architectural beginnings

[tim_elm]

I want to create professional architectural images, mostly houses

and city structures, like churches and skyscrapers. I am fairly

well equipped with 35mm cameras and lenses, but am wondering, if I

upgrade to medium format, what would be a good starting camera and

lens. Or will a tilt-shift solve all my perspective problems?

[eric friedemann]

Historically, architectural photography has been done with 4x5 inch or larger view cameras. View cameras allowed for perspective correction and the larger film allowed for superb image quality that was demanded by many customers of such work.

 

 

Whether 35mm format will be acceptable depends on you potential clients' applications for your images. As to medium format, the usual problem is that medium format shift lenses come in focal lengths that are too long for many architectural applications. However, Mike Reichman writes of an interesting, relatively short, reasonably priced MF lens:

 

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/hartblei45.shtml

[ellis_vener_photography]

Skip over a medium format system for the time being and go directly to a 4x5 monorail

view camera. The advantage here is not just the larger image size (and higher iamge

quality) but the full control over

depth of field (controlled by tilt and swing) on the lens but the same set of movements on

the rear standard control depth of field and perspective rendering. A decent used 4x5

(Sinar F2 (notthe F1) or Cambo) and a basic set of

lenses (65mm, 90mm, 150mm & 210mm) will cost less than a medium format system.

You'll also need a very good tripod, cable releases, Polaroid 545 holder and about 10 4x5

film holders.

 

tilt/shift lenses alone will not get you where you want to go but they and 35mm or high

res (6mp or higher) DSLR cameras definitely have their place in the architectural

photgraphers kit.

[richard_cochran]

A compromise might be to get a rollfilm back for a view camera,

combining the convenience of 120 film with the movements of a view

camera.

<p>

A cynic would say that, for architecture, a conventional "solid body" medium format camera combines the lack of movements of a 35mm camera

with most of the size and expense of large format.

[eric friedemann]

"A cynic would say that, for architecture, a conventional 'solid body' medium format camera combines the lack of movements of a 35mm camera with most of the size and expense of large format."

 

 

Here's my perspective. Ellis is correct in that if you want to do serious architectural photography, a view camera with a moderate wide angle and a range of movements would be best. The processing of 4x5 film is getting pricey; but razor sharp, grainless images are standard requirements for such work. So, 4x5 is still state of the art.

 

 

I have some realtor friends. From time to time, they need a good shot of a home or a 1-2 story building for use on a website or reproduced in a maximum size of 3x4 inches in a brochure. For their requirements, I can acheive overkill using a Mamiya 7II with a 43mm lens. For a shot of a 2 story structure, I shoot from atop a 12 foot A-frame ladder to get my lines squared up.

[will_legge]

Just to add to what has beed said, there are also medium-format view cameras or you can get medium-format roll-film holders for a 4x5 camera.

 

Field, technical, or flat-bed view cameras can also be used (basically they are different names for the same design). I perfer it over a monorail when using it on location - easier to pack and can be more stable. Monorail cameras are good too as they are more flexible, but I find I don't need the bellows draw or extreme movement they have. But if you are going to use wide lenses with a flat-bed camera, make sure it has a drop bed and check on the minimum focal length lens that can be used with the camera or the availabilty of recessed lens boards.

[olivier_koning]

At the risk of infuriating view-camera purists ;-) (I know, there's nothing better than large format for architecture), have you considered digital? I know several architectural photographers veterans who use digital quite regularely, combined with Photoshop and a good printer. On a 8X10 output, a good digital shot at 300dpi gives you results pretty damn near those of a large-format if you know what you're doing.