Starting with CS5 the Lens Correction filter can automatically correct distortion based on several pre-calibrated parameters. Lenses typically require more than one parameter for accurate correction. One parameter often does a fine job on standard and telephoto lenses. You could use a very expensive tilt & shift lens like Canon’s new TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II to correct the perspective distortion but what about the barrel or pincushion distortion? Luckily there is a great little tool called PTLens that can handle almost every type of complex distortion correction you’ll ever run into.Prior to CS5 the Lens Correction Filter used one parameter (a single slider) to correct distortion while PTLens can utilize up toģ parameters. If you enjoy travel, architecture or even urban photography, sooner or later you’ll run across a situation where you take a shot of a beautiful tall building but end up with an image you don’t like due to the complex distortions created by your very expensive wide-angle lens. Click on the image above for a larger version.
Post capture processing was done in Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 using ePaperPress’ PTLens and Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro plug-in filters.
The exposure was taken at 18mm, f/13 for 1/40th of a second at ISO 100 on Sandisk digital film.
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 40D set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM tripod-mounted. I was fortunate enough to be able to try out this lens last Saturday during a shoot in Goliad, Texas. I started by setting up my tripod and taking a few quick shots of Goliad’s historic courthouse using my EF 24-105mm zoom at 28mm. For most of us, using PTLens is definitely the way to go. Tom’s program and Photoshop plug-in filter are nothing lens than amazing at correcting distortions that are easy to overlook with the naked eye. In a post last week I discussed using Tom Neimann’s PTLens program to correct for barrel, pincushion and perspective distortions in your architectural images. Post capture processing was done in Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 using Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro filter.
The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/16 for 1/20th of a second at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens tripod-mounted.
I find that most architectural images look best in black & white. I finished this image very simply using Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro plug-in filter. You first level your camera on the tripod (which cuts off the top of the building in the frame) and then simply turn the shift knob until the building “shifts” down and into the frame as shown in the final image below. This is typical perspective distortion caused by the wide-angle lens being tilted up to capture the entire building in the frame.Ĭorrecting this using a Tilt & Shift lens is very simple. I was fortunate enough to be able to try out this lens last year during a shoot in Goliad, Texas. I started by setting up my tripod and taking a few quick shots of Goliad’s historic courthouse using my EF 24-105mm zoom at 28mm.Īs you can see in this image, the top of the courthouse seems to lean away from you and the vertical lines tend to converge. Bryan does a much better job of explaining the technical aspects of this unique lens than I ever could. Since I’m a newbie at using a Tilt & Shift lens I’ll leave the complete explanation and demonstration of this unique lens’ features to Bryan Carnathan at. There is another way to correct for perspective distortions however, using a “Tilt & Shift” lens such as Canon’s brand new TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II. In a post last year I discussed using Tom Neimann’s PTLens program to correct for barrel, pincushion and perspective distortions in your architectural images.