Please help choose lens for specific shot

[divo]

<p>

<p>

<p><strong>The Theme: </strong>My friend and I have an ongoing project on the theme of Interality: The Spaces Between. I have an idea for a shot, but I'm having problems executing it. I'm hoping I can get advice on what lens to choose to best express the emotional thrust of my concept.<br>

<br>

<strong>The Scenario:</strong> A large T-intersection with large, multistory apartment buildings on all sides. Even though the road is wide, I get the feeling of being totally swallowed up by the surrounding buildings. I think it is this feeling of claustrophobia/compression of living space/breathlessness/loss of light that made me see it as a negative interpretation of the theme: the absence of space between.</p>

<p> </p>

</p>

</p>

[divo]

<p><strong>What I Tried:</strong> I'm trying to capture this feeling of being swallowed up in the bowl created by the apartments all around me: they seem to loom over me and bend over the road blocking out the light. My first instinct was to grab my EF 17-35mm 2.8L and get up close. Unfortunately, this destroys the illusion of oppression created by the buildings because getting so close ends up bringing in space, light and sky from the arms of the T-intersection. If I use the wide angle further back, the buildings just shrink to insignificance, and I lose the illusion again.</p>

[divo]

<p><strong>Lens Options:</strong> For my next try I can think of two options. 1. I use an EF 24-70mm 2.8 and do a pano stitched together out of several shots and hope that PS CS3 allows me to stitch them together without losing the illusion. My fear is that I would still end up with converging diagonals again when I almost want diverging diagonals at the top of the photo to give that oppressive vibe. 2. I do the same thing but from further back with the EF 70-200mm 2.8L (non-IS) hoping that the distance minimizes convergence.</p>

[divo]

<p>Have I missed any other options here? I don't own a tilt-shift lens, but could this help me to recreate the illusion that I am going for? I think this is my real problem--I'm trying to photograph an illusion! That is new territory for me, which makes it exciting but also confusing!<br>

<br>

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.</p>

[savagesax]

I would suggest the 28mm TS lens on a full frame camera. It's a pretty remarkable lens.

[bjscharp]

For the `buildings coming towards you' effect, you might consider a fisheye...

[sattler123]

<p>B.J. got it right! I would use a fisheye - that'll make teh building lean in-wards.</p>

[ed_v.]

I agree with the fisheye idea. Also, you could try Photoshop's distort filter for a similar effect.

[nathan_meador]

<p>fisheye was my first thought as well.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>You'd have to really, really want this shot to buy a TS-E lens just for it. That being said, that is a terrific lens on a 35mm sensor camera. The even more expensive TS-E 17mm is the one to get for APS-C bodies, unfortunately.</p>

<p>You actually sound like you've got your act together for this, but I'd be reluctant to go so far as to invest in a fish-eye lens--they are pretty much a one-trick pony and the effect is a little "over" the top if used too often. If the 17mm didn't do it for you, I'm not sure that either the TS or fish-eye effect will not have the same problems.</p>

<p>I would suggest that you buy and try a wide-angle adapter (one of the 0.45X or so types) and see what happens first, before investing in very expensive and specialized lenses.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>14mm or 15mm etc, fisheye or not. Point upwards for extreme converging verticals of surrounding buildings.</p>

<p>Is "Interality" a real word? I don't know what it means.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>JDM, my good friend, a diagonal fisheye is more versatile than most people give it credit! ;-) I agree that a circular fisheye is a "one trick pony," but a diagonal fisheye is simply a different sort of extreme wide angle lens -- different geometry. It bends straight lines but keeps objects in roughly correct proportion, compared to the rectilinear lens, which keeps straight lines straight but stretches objects in the margins.</p>

<p>FAIW, I love my little $200 MC Zenitar 16mm f/2.8. It's a tiny lens, so it's easy to carry. It's slightly kludgy to use (e.g. stop-down metering and manual focus via the focus scale), but that's not really a problem for anyone with a basic command of photography.</p>

<p>I have a few sample images (both full frame and crop frame) on my website, along with test results...</p>

<p><a href="http://www.graphic-fusion.com/zenitar16.htm">http://www.graphic-fusion.com/zenitar16.htm</a></p>

<p>Oddly, the reason I bought the lens was to do ultra-wide photography with extreme foreground objects and involving people. (My rectilinear lenses were stretching people's heads, which I didn't want.) I've been using it for other subject matter too, of course. It's definitely not a one-trick pony, IMO, although I admit I don't use it a whole lot. (I carry it a lot, though, because it's so small and light.)</p>

<p>Peace,<br>

Sarah</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Fisheye - either circular or diagonal depending on how extreme you want to go. If you get low and look up it will exaggerate the buidlings leaning in. You can always rent one if you do not want to buy.</p>

[divo]

<p>Hmm. Fisheye seems to be a popular recommendation! Thanks for your thoughts. I'll have to see if I can find a company that rents here in Korea. I should have mentioned I am shooting with a 5D (orig.), so it is FF.</p>

<p>Robin-- No Interality isn't a 'real' word, but it's more interesting and evocative than interstitial spaces! We don't want to limit the idea to physical space. Physical, emotional or interpersonal space are all part of the idea. Our styles are so different that we had to go with a broad theme. </p>

<p>For those interested in the project, my initial attempts are here. <a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=813530">http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=813530</a><br>

</p>

 

[dennisgg]

<p>Samyang makes an excellent 8mm fisheye lens (not autofocus and you stop down meter with it) that is about $300-360 on ebay. It is also under several names (Rokinon, Bower, Falcon, Vivitar Series 1 - as a 7mm but it is the same, Opteka calls it a 6.5mm, etc.).<br>

ebay Item number:200407481017 has an example of the type of picture I think you are wanting on it.</p>

<p>See:<br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5y12u3k/sets/72157619250695100/<br>

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/test-driving-the-vivitar-7mm-fisheye_topic49327.html<br>

http://www.lenstip.com/160.1-Lens_review-Samyang_8_mm_f_3.5_Aspherical_IF_MC_Fish-eye-Introduction.html<br>

http://michel.thoby.free.fr/SAMYANG/Early%20test%20report.html<br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentpoudrette/sets/72157622620233980/</p>

<p>There is also the Sigma 8mm DG f3.5 is about $900, but I don't think it is 3 times as good. It is, of course, an autofocus and electronic aperture.</p>

<p> </p>

[divo]

<p>Thanks Dennis. I guess subconsciously I was thinking of a fisheye lens-style shot; however, not owning one left me unsure of how to go about making the shot. Those examples give me some ideas to work with.</p>

[markonestudios]

Interesting project :) I would also propose a fisheye in your case. Before looking at your samples, my assumption was that the project was ALL about the apartments at the intersection. Having seen the other shots, I now stand corrected on my initial assumption :) Now that this shot is going to be part of a whole body of work, the notion of a monotonous fisheye effect no longer holds true, methinks :)

[philip_wilson]

<p>Having seen your photos i would suggest a diagonal fisheye - not circular. The 15mm canon is probably a good lens or you can look at a Russian or Chinese lens. I have the old 15mm F2.8 Canon FD lens and it is a very good performer.</p><div></div>

[philip_wilson]

<p>This is what a circular one looks like as I just bough a demo model sigma. EOS 5DII body ISO 1600</p>

<div></div>

[divo]

<p>Thanks for your thoughts. Some interesting possibilities present themselves.</p>

<p>Has anyone ever tried to combine a pano taken with a wide angle and a standard lens?</p>

<p>Much like this:</p>

<p>(IIII)</p>

<p>Combining the curvature of the fisheye at the edge of the frame, the '(' with the straighter lines of a more standard lens, the 'I', might be one possible interpretation of the shot. Obviously, lining things up in PS would be brutal!</p>

<p>Has anyone tried this? Is PS CS3 capable of joning up panos with that much difference in distrotion? I'd have to cut the fisheye shots for the end down the middle and only feed it half the picture. Hmm. I'll have to try this over the weekend. Thanks a lot for your thoughts on this one. At least I have several options to work on now.</p>