Cheap Perspective Control lens/accessory for Nikon DSLR

[talkinglittlegirl]

<p>Thanks Chatterjee... :) Your response gave me some more useful insights....thanks to all other guys who answer me :D blow my kisses to all of you :) MUAH!<br>

After hopping around the net all day again with your advice in mind, I think the old PC-Nikkor is my VERY best bet. I'd better not spend the money to get those so-called ARSAT or whatever.<br>

Large format is definitely lovely, since the bellow allows us to shift up and down! I saw great archi pix taken with that...but I bet it's for exterior landscapes, or urban landscapes...? Correct me if I'm wrong...haha....not yet qualified to enter the world of large format....</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<blockquote>

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2334411">Saint Chatterbox</a> , Jan 26, 2009; 05:43 a.m. (<a href="../bboard/admin-edit-msg?msg_id=00SEsY">edit</a> | <a href="../bboard/admin-delete-msg?msg_id=00SEsY">delete</a> )</p>

 

<p>Lex, your solution sounds very cute...and indeed it's too abstract for me to understand...do u have any kind of illustrated examples? or a picture of your device?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>This illustrated article may explain the technique better than I can: http://shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lenses/1000sb_doityourself/</p>

[bernard_lazareff]

<p>Some may not like this, or consider it to be off-topic, but the cheapest solution is a good panorama software. I use PanoTools GUI:<br>

http://www.ptgui.com/<br>

Free alternative (almost identical functionalities) at:<br>

http://hugin.sourceforge.net/<br>

Normally these softwares are used to stitch in a geometrically correct way several overlapping images. In a nutshell, each of the individual images is projected onto a sphere, they are collectively adjusted for proper stitching, including a determination of lens distortion, and then the sphere is re-projected onto a cylinder (that can be flattened to a plane), or onto a plane, the so-called rectilinear option. Shown below is a view of the Basel city hall. Stitched from a number of pictures with my daughter's credit-card size Sony. Who needs a super-angulon?<br>

Back to your question, you can use just the reprojection part (rectilinear mode) applied to a single image. This provides a geometrically correct solution to the problem. As far as I know, the "solution" proposed in Photoshop just makes the vertical lines parallel; that is not equivalent to a picture taken with a shift lens, keeping the plate and lensboard parallel to the building. In the second case, the 10th story of the building will appear with the same height as the first, in the Photoshop trick, after making the verticals parallel, the top of the building will still be foreshortened (in the vertical direction) with respect to the first one.<br>

Hope this helps</p>

 

[bernard_lazareff]

<p>Some may not like this, or consider it to be off-topic, but the cheapest solution is a good panorama software. I use PanoTools GUI:<br>

http://www.ptgui.com/<br>

Free alternative (almost identical functionalities) at:<br>

http://hugin.sourceforge.net/<br>

Normally these softwares are used to stitch in a geometrically correct way several overlapping images. In a nutshell, each of the individual images is projected onto a sphere, they are collectively adjusted for proper stitching, including a determination of lens distortion, and then the sphere is re-projected onto a cylinder (that can be flattened to a plane), or onto a plane, the so-called rectilinear option. Ideally the exposure should be consistent betzeen the images (read manual exposure) but the software successfully handles moderate discrepancies between images. Shown below is a view of the Basel city hall. Stitched from a number of pictures with my daughter's credit-card size Sony. Who needs a super-angulon?<br>

Back to your question, you can use just the reprojection part (rectilinear mode) applied to a single image. This provides a geometrically correct solution to the problem. As far as I know, the "solution" proposed in Photoshop just makes the vertical lines parallel; that is not equivalent to a picture taken with a shift lens, keeping the plate and lensboard parallel to the building. In the second case, the 10th story of the building will appear with the same height as the first, in the Photoshop trick, after making the verticals parallel, the top of the building will still be foreshortened (in the vertical direction) with respect to the first one.<br>

Hope this helps</p>

<div></div>

[gary_watson]

<p>The 35/2.8PC fits anything because its aperture ring is at the front of the lens.There's no clearance issue since it's a pre-set lens that's stopped down manually.The problem is the 1.5x crop factor that makes it around 52mm--not exactly wide. They're not wildly expensive now.</p>

[walterh]

<p>That is a really nice tower. It seems to have grown with time - at least it looks very wide to me at the top :-)</p>

 

[bernard_lazareff]

<p>Walter,<br>

<em>"at least it looks very wide to me at the top :-)"</em><br>

Open the image in PS or other, and turn the grid On.<br>

It's an psycho-sensory illusion. Full perspective correction runs against the eye/brain expectation that the verticals should converge. I tried to provide a solution to a technical question: perspective correction. Whether perspective should be fully corrected for aesthetically pleasing images is an interesting, but distinct question.</p>

[peter]

<p>There is a "pretty cheap" Nikkor PC lens available at a fixed price of $339 on eBay at the store named betteroffblu fotograph but its price is obviously above your limit. (This price looks good to me for what looks like a mint piece of kit. ) I have dealt with this e Bay store before and they usually price pretty well and I have found them to be reliable. It looks like a nice bit of kit.<br>

Sorry I cannot post a direct link as this dopey site will not allow eBay links. But if you search that search string when on eBay then search the word nikkor PC when in the store you will find it.<br>

If this is too expensive then may I suggest buying a copy of Corell Paint Shop Photo Pro X2. It has a perspective correction filter that is very effective and extremely easy to use. You are presented with a square "box" made up of 4 lines at right-angles to each other, overlaying your image. You just click and move the corners of the box to align with the current edges of the building you wish to correct. Once that is done, then one further click and the job is finished . I do a lot of building photography although this "artistic" more than documentary so I do not always need proper perspective. But for those occasions when I do not want any distortion I find that 99% of the time it results in a perfect fix on the first go.<br>

Cost in USA about $100 I believe. (I am in Oz where it cost a little more.) But as an alternative to Photoshop / Photoshop Elements its well worth it as it also has all of PS capabilities that a Photographer needs wrapped up in an easier to use package and also accepts PS plugins. (e.g.If you shoot RAW files it will handle all of that editing and conversion too.)<br>

Another lens option you may wish to look at is this little baby. It's Russian in design and build (but don't let that put you off as it has a fine reputation for optical and mechanical quality) even tho' the name sounds German. Its cheaper than "name" brands and is and is an interesting design to boot. You may find one approaching your price point on the Bay if you are very lucky but the home site says they are out of stock so second hand is the only option here.<br>

http://www.hartblei.com/lenses/lens_35mm.htm<br>

I just love the look of this thing and would almost be tempted to try one just for fun if I were serious about TC photography.</p>

<p> </p>

[john_robison3]

<p>SC, listen up, and the rest of you folks too. Go to www.loreo.com and scroll down to "PC lens in a cap". $21 plus shipping. Cheapest PC lens around. They have sample shots.<br>

regards John R.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<blockquote>

<p>Go to www.loreo.com...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Good to see the spirit of Spiratone is alive and well. All they need now is a "girl watcher" round-the-corner peeper lens and a pair of X-Ray Specs.</p>

<p>I almost want that doodad that turns an inconvenient SLR into a simple P&S...</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Just to further illustrate the idea that this can be done reasonably well these days in software, here is a PS "rectification" of the Reichstag. Not that PS is "cheap", but if you already have it. This was taken with a 20mm lens on a Nikkormat EL.</p><div></div>

[john_robison3]

<p>Lex, I just love cheap contraptions. I have a home made adapter to use my 24mm f2.8 Zuiko as a PC lens on my old Pen F. I figured the image circle would be about 46mm anyhow on the 24, and the diag. on the Pen F is 30mm so I have about 7 or 8 mm to play with in shift on the long axis.<br>

Hey, here's an idea. When they start to make more adapters for the Micro 4:3 mount why dosen't someone make them to tilt and shift too. Plenty of room for the mechanics I'll bet. What do you think folks?</p>

[walterh]

<p>"Whether perspective should be fully corrected for aesthetically pleasing images is an interesting, but distinct question."<br>

Bernard I did not critic your post - actually I appreciate it and like it :-)</p>

<p>I just wanted to point to the problem that for some images pefect parallel vertical lines may not look convincing. Your image seemed such a good demonstration that I could not resist to raise curiosity and to make the readers aware of the problem. We "know" that the tower should look thinner at the top. You stated it well.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<blockquote>

<p>There's no software solution for the DOF control provided by a tilting lens.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually, there are several. I typically use either Helicon Focus or CombineZ. TuFuse and EnFuse are the "new kids on the block" but are gaining in populatity. Hugin supporu for EnFuse is improving.</p>

[jphotog]

<p>Actually, there are several. I typically use either Helicon Focus or CombineZ. TuFuse and EnFuse are the "new kids on the block" but are gaining in populatity. Hugin supporu for EnFuse is improving.</p>

<p>But that implies taking multiple exposures...</p>

[bob_irvine]

<p>Last year I had to create a virtual scene in 3D of an existing building with new landscaping and additional structures for a funding proposal. I took several photos of the building and separated individual components of all the flat surfaces which were than used as textures on a wireframe model.<br>

PS's perspective crop was used for the adjustment of all the components which worked out very well indeed. Not as good as correcting it from the lens I'm sure; but it sure was less expensive!</p>

<div></div>

[josephbraun]

<p>You could purchase a large format camera system.. it wouldn't be cheap but you'd have a whole other system to work with at the end of the day. </p>

[fred_labounty]

<p>I use a Leica Curtagon 35mm/4 lens on both a Leica R 6.2 body and on my Canon bodies. Gives pretty good results and can be found used for around $500.00.</p>