Industry Secret

shatch

Ok, I can't figure it out...

I am currently using a Canon 20D with a 10-22 lens for interior shots of real estate. When I compare my photos with those of the professionals in magazines, mine create an undesirable depth to the rooms. The photos in the magazines almost seem to be a wide angle with a telephoto feel. They keep perspective and flattening of the image to a very desireable level. Is this technique or lens selection, or both? Are they using a tilt/shift lens?

Thank you in advance for any insights or thoughts you have.

cmason

some examples would help us understand what you are describing...

BenA2

shatch wrote:

Ok, I can't figure it out...

I am currently using a Canon 20D with a 10-22 lens for interior shots of real estate. When I compare my photos with those of the professionals in magazines, mine create an undesirable depth to the rooms. The photos in the magazines almost seem to be a wide angle with a telephoto feel. They keep perspective and flattening of the image to a very desireable level. Is this technique or lens selection, or both? Are they using a tilt/shift lens?

Thank you in advance for any insights or thoughts you have.

Many professionals use tilt-shift lenses for architecture work. That gives them a wide angle with limitied distortion and greater control over depth of field.

tsk1979

Look up hugin(hugin.sourceforge.net)
There is an excellent step by step tutorial which you can try on your test shot, and if you like the results, you can use this software. Its Open source, hence free download.

XHawkeye

Also use two row panoramics with a non t/s lens.

Mike02

shatch wrote:

Ok, I can't figure it out...

The photos in the magazines almost seem to be a wide angle with a telephoto feel.... Are they using a tilt/shift lens?

Yes. Or maybe shooting medium format, either way, neither is possible with your current equipment (unless you can use photoshop really well :P).

Pindy

I believe DxO can do some nice corrections for lens distortions.

Andy

TS-E and / or multi-row panos are the key

claudermilk

Mike02 wrote:

Yes. Or maybe shooting medium format, either way, neither is possible with your current equipment (unless you can use photoshop really well :P).

That was my thought. A medium format with a wide-angle tilt-shift would make a huge difference from a 20D/10-22. Recall that a 20D equivalent to the classic 35mm camera 50mm "normal" lens is about 34mm, while a 645 medium format is 80mm and a 6x7 is 100mm. So they can go "wide" and still get a more telephoto look than a crop DSLR on a normal lens.

padu

I own a 4x5" view camera (still learning), but I can see why view cameras are very popular among pro (read magazine) architecture and interior photographers.
Beyond it's incredible high resolution, the camera movements allow a very good control of perspective and DOF. Well, DOF is more complicated, but I believe I could perform some of the perspective control on photoshop... need to do some tests.

shatch

Thanks!
Sorry, been out of town for a couple of days. Just got back and read all of your replies. Thank you!!! Lots of great ideas. Looks like I need to start perfecting panos and start saving sheckles for the TS-E.

Thanks again to all who provided feedback. Very helpful indeed.

Manfr3d

shatch wrote:

Ok, I can't figure it out...

I am currently using a Canon 20D with a 10-22 lens for interior shots of real estate. When I compare my photos with those of the professionals in magazines, mine create an undesirable depth to the rooms. The photos in the magazines almost seem to be a wide angle with a telephoto feel. They keep perspective and flattening of the image to a very desireable level. Is this technique or lens selection, or both? Are they using a tilt/shift lens?

Thank you in advance for any insights or thoughts you have.

It's inherent to the APS-C format that the DOF is much greater
with the same lens and settings than in the FF Format. Example:

Take a shot with a 5D at 35mm and f2 -> the DOF will be somewhat shallow. If you cut out the center of this image matching the frame
the 20D would've taken @ 35mm, you simply crop away alot of what
makes the shallow DOF. So the smaller the format the seemingly "greater"
the dof.

Just one quick remark to multi row panos. If you do that you will end up
with a sperical focal plane where the centerpoint = the nodal point of your
lens. Sth to think about if you want shallow dof at a geometic interieur.