Distortion Question

Hey All - I'm wondering if these leaning buildings ...A) ruin the shot, B) don't bother you, or C) "a little from column A, a little from column B."


I didn't want to cut off the buildings' tops. At 70mm that meant angling the lens upward a bit. I had a 50mm with me but I didn't think that would capture the "wall of buildings" the way 70mm does.


Any suggestions to make this shot better next time? Distortion, composition etc.?


Thanks for any thoughts you'd care to share...


5D 70-200 @70mm 25sec @ f/11 ISO 100


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.29.05/5D_5F00_20100703_5F00_17_5F00_distortion.jpg[/img]


not that you need them, but here's the same shot with a few vertical guides


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.29.05/5D_5F00_20100703_5F00_17_5F00_distortion_5F00_guid es.jpg[/img]

I didn't think the EF 70-200 would have such a barrel distortion at 70 mm [:|].


IMO, the picture would look better with the buildings straight, but I think you can correct that in DPP.


Distortion aside, it's a great picture!

The tilt of the taller building on the right does tend to distract a bit from this otherwise excellent shot. You picked a perfect time of day to shoot this, and the reflection is great. Some options:
- correct the angle distortion electronically as Carlos said, with a small penalty in resolution
- use the 50 mm lens, keep the camera vertical, and crop it afterwards
- use a tilt-shift lens (very expensive option!)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carlos Lindado

I didn't think the EF 70-200 would have such a barrel distortion at 70 mm [img]/emoticons/emotion-8.gif[/img].

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It's not barrel distortion it is perspective skewing. The camera is tilted up and not perpendicular to the focal plane so the building are going to look tilted inward.


The next tim set up at higher elevation and level up the camera and it should take care of the leaning towers.


PS


You can fix that really easily in Photoshop with out too much image degradation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keith B

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carlos Lindado

I didn't think the EF 70-200 would have such a barrel distortion at 70 mm [img]/emoticons/emotion-8.gif[/img].

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It's not barrel distortion it is perspective skewing. The camera is tilted up and not perpendicular to the focal plane so the building are going to look tilted inward.

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I'm sorry for my ignorance [:$]

No apology needed. Did mean to come across brash. Everyone is here to learn.

Thanks for the replies folks....


unfortunately "higher elevation" isn't an option at that location as it's just buildings and a dock. I was already on private property at 4:30am (a barking rottweiler announced my presence; luckily the area was deserted) ...climbing to the roof of one of the dock shacks in the dark didn't seem too smart. And I guess I'd need quite a bit more elevation than that anyway...


These types of distortions are simple enough to correct. Right now I'm trying to get an idea of what's objectionable and what's not. I look on the various photo sites and see leaning buildings all the time...then again, postcards, framed photos displayed around town (the stuff that sells) - there are no leaning buildings in those...


I suppose I'll want a T/S at some point. Sure wish they weren't so expensive... Everything I shoot outdoors has buildings or bridges in it, and it's rarely possible to keep the camera level and still capture them in full.


Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!