Alternatives to Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L

Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
edited September 14, 2011 in Cameras
I would like to buy one of these toys. However they seem too expensive.
Any decent alternative, if you please ? :D
Thank you :bow

17mmTS.jpg
All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook

Comments

  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,129 moderator
    edited September 12, 2011
    There are a couple of Russian made tilt-shift/perspective-control type lenses that are much less than the Canon and Nikon counterparts, but they do not have as high a build quality or image quality. The Canon TS-E 17mm, f4L is the only 17mm lens with axis controls on the planet.

    What is your application? (How would you use the lens?)
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    The Sigma 12-24, (full-frame) ...and then crop the image! :-P (At least ,for the purpose of perspective correction...)

    =Matt=
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    @ Ziggy The use of such lens is for Architecture and to pursue my theme "Urban Decay".

    However, the compulsory use of a tripod is something I have to bare in mind as it be comes a time consuming lens, if you know what I mean.

    Even if I will not buy one I would like to try it in a couple of shots.

    @ Matthew Thank you for your suggestion bowdown.gifD BUt... It's not Tilt and Shift is it ??? Not good ! for what I want ! I do have already a 16-35mm f/2.8 so...

    900 US$ mwink.gif "better" than Canon.
    200_12-24mm_f45-56_EX_DG_ASP.png
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    @ Matthew Thank you for your suggestion bowdown.gifD BUt... It's not Tilt and Shift is it ??? Not good ! for what I want ! I do have already a 16-35mm f/2.8 so...

    900 US$ mwink.gif "better" than Canon.
    ...I dunno about the "better than Canon" quote, but the Sigma 12-24mm is the best way to achieve perspective correction at 17mm without actually buying the 17mm TSE.

    Explanation: Compose your shot at 12mm, parallel to the axis of whatever it is you want to correct, and then crop up or down for your composition and ~17mm. Voila, poor man's TSE! You'll lose megapixels, as I mentioned, but if you're shooting at 21 megapixels you should have enough to get the job done...

    =Matt=
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,129 moderator
    edited September 13, 2011
    To control perspective distortion with a rectilinear corrected lens, shoot to fill the scene and then, in Photoshop, use the following method to correct the perspective distortion:

    Here is a Red Schoolhouse I shot in Indiana:

    258640119_XFt7o-O.jpg

    Note the slant caused by perspective distortion.

    Brought into PhotoShop:
    Select
    ...All
    Edit
    ...Free Transform

    You'll see control points on the edge of the image frame. On a Windows machine, Ctrl-left-mouse-click on one of the control points and draw out to distort the image. It helps to pull out a Guide Line from the Rulers in order to align an edge to the guide.

    Here are the control points and a single guide line:

    258641982_D6nLu-O.jpg

    ... and here is the image after the upper left control point is dragged to the left to adjust the building on the left side:

    258641971_qEkq3-O.jpg

    You need to draw the right side as well and probably extend the image vertically a bit to complete the perspective adjustment.

    Here is where I wound up:

    258640093_M8DVn-O.jpg

    Pertinant EXIF:

    Model - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
    ExposureTime - 1/1000 seconds
    FNumber - 8.00
    ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
    ISOSpeedRatings - 800
    MeteringMode - Multi-segment
    FocalLength - 13 mm
    Quality - RAW
    Exposure mode - Av-priority
    Focal length - 10 - 20 mm (1 mm)

    Lens used was the Sigma 10-20mm, f/4-5.6 EX DC.

    I generally use Adobe Camera Raw to upres the image first, which just tends to avoid any visible "jaggies" caused by the perspective correction.

    For a very tall structure, shot at close range, I'll also use a panoramic head and vertical stitching technique.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    I am not that sure about losing pixels as I work in raw and ... Smart Objects ! but ...
    Here is an image I just made to compare.
    The first one is as shot, the other corrected.
    Thank you for your advice. :D

    From the theme "Postal cards"
    i-5pW9h7P-M.jpgi-v2J89vJ-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    Thank you Ziggy. I do everything in ACR with Smart Objects.
    The image above - shot early morning as we can see by the shadows on the facade - was shot with a 5D at 24 mm with a 24-70 Canon f/2.8 L lens, 1/2500 f/4.5 ISO 500.

    :D
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    More dramatic changes can be done... with decent reasults just using ACR, CS5 and Smart Objects. :D
    QED
    i-L6jr97v-M.jpgi-KRWcjzh-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,129 moderator
    edited September 13, 2011
    Looking good. clap.gif

    Sometimes you may also want to leave in some perspective if your vantage point seems to warrant the perspective.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited September 13, 2011
    bowdown.gifD
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited September 14, 2011
    Yeah, or you can always do it in post. :-)

    =Matt=
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
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