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Re: [OM] What to buy for architectural photography at a budget?

Subject: Re: [OM] What to buy for architectural photography at a budget?
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:57:01 -0400
No PhotoShop required.  You can use PTLens which is better than 
PhotoShop and costs only $25.  While those of us with PhotoShop use the 
plug-in version, PTLens also comes as a stand-alone version and also as 
an external editor for Lightroom.  Both PC and Mac are supported. 
<http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/index.html>

One really great feature of PTLens is a database of lenses which has 
built-in distortion correction parameters.  If you have a lens not in 
the database you can send the author a set of images using that lens and 
he will determine the correction parameters from your test images and 
include it in the database.  For digital images having lens data in the 
EXIF data the correct lens is chosen automatically.

If you're going to be be bending pixels to correct perspective than 
having lots of pixels is an advantage to help maintain resolution.  The 
Canon 550D gives 18 MP vs 12 on the E-620 and the Canon EFs 10-22 lens 
would be a good match.  Unfortunately, that pair, at US prices is about 
$70-80 over budget.  I also don't know how the 10-22 performs whereas 
the DZ 9-18 is well reviewed at DPReview (low distortion is one of its 
charms).

Of course, outside 4/3 cameras one can look at Tamron, Tokina and Sigma 
lens alternatives.  The Tokina 12-24 and 11-16 are excellent lenses.  I 
assume the Tamron 10-24 is also.  And don't forget Pentax for bodies. 
The Tamron 10-24 is available in Pentax mount.  It seems to me that 
Andrew just recommended the just released Pentax Kr ($800) for something 
recently.  The Tamron 10-24 has a $100 rebate on it right now and can be 
had for $400.  Within budget.

Chuck Norcutt


On 10/18/2010 4:22 PM, Andrew Fildes wrote:
> I'd stick to Olympus normal 4/3rds as the mFT lenses tend to be more
> expensive. Also it looks more 'professional' . It's not that much of
> a dead end - you won't care what the situation is in 5 years time!
> The E-620 with 9-18mm and 50mm would be good. What you really need is
> a shift lens but you don't have the budget for it so access to
> computers with a site licence for Photoshop is essential. Andrew
> Fildes afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> On 19/10/2010, at 5:59 AM, iwert bernakiewicz wrote:
>
>> Hello everybody,
>>
>> Long time no write, but it has been very busy here. I've been
>> reviving the tool of photography at my architecture school and it
>> is rather successful. I'll be doing two courses for alumni about
>> photography in the architectural practice (architectural models&
>> other specialties as well as the basics). the first was full in 48
>> hours, so there appears to be a need in the professional world :).
>>
>> Now that the iron is hot I got a friendly mail today telling me to
>> propose a camera for school with a budget of 1500 Euro maximum.
>>
>> Now there are a few quirks: no second hand allowed, and to be of EU
>> origin, and including TVA, so this will be the rough equivalent of
>> 1500$.
>>
>> Students as well as teachers will use the camera, not always too
>> friendly I suppose. So I've been thinking:
>>
>> Panasonic G2 kit (570) + 7-14mm (1019), has video, lots of DOF
>> (required for architectural models, the more the better:) and can
>> mount the old Leica macro lenses we still have through an adaptor.
>>
>> Panasonc GH1 kit (1019) + Olympus 9-18 (599)
>>
>> Olympus E-620 (509,-) + 50 f2 (589,-) + 9-18 (509,-) might do it
>> however. Question if this is not too much of a dead end?
>>
>> (but all these are over budget by 100 Euro..., why isn't it
>> possible to buy body only with panasonic... would do the trick
>> otherwise)
>>
>> First two offer video, which might be interesting to experiment
>> with for the students.
>>
>> Live-view is a definite plus. Canon is not good at the wide end
>> (except for the shifts, but that is not within budget either :).
>>
>> Any ideas?
>>
>> Iwert --
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>>
>
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