Crop sensor for architectural photography ?

[mxp]

Do you think full frame sensor camera is necessary for professional architectural photography ?

Do you think that a Camera like EOS 50D will do the job ?

[Park Street]

The combo I see repeatedly used is the 5D/5d II and the 24 TS-E. If you want to compete in the architectural market I believe this is the starting point. About 90% of my work over the last two years has been done with the 24 TS-E though I am using a 17 TS-E now quite a bit.

If you cannot afford the 5D II buy a used 5D and get a used 24 TS-E. There are going to be plenty on the market as soon as quantities of the 24 II TS-E get out.

Good luck and remember it is all about marketing yourself.

[airfrogusmc]

If you're going to do it really seriously and high end most of you're competition will be using large format view cameras. ;)

[Park Street]

If you're going to do it really seriously and high end most of you're competition will be using large format view cameras. ;)

This was true when everyone shot film. Now out of the 20+ architectural shooters I know, only one shoots large format - a Cambo Wide DS. Not one still shoots film and the digital back for a large format camera is the expense that stops many from going that route. Even on the ASMP Architectural Specialties Group the vast majority of shooters are using DSLRs.

I can get 20X30 prints that are stunning out of a 21 mp camera and have little reason to want to go to a larger format. None of my clients have ever seemed disappointed in the results.

[airfrogusmc]

You're going to have to be able to seriously deal with perspective and a T&S lens is very limiting. I said HIGH END because thats what you're judged against. LF and a digital back is what most architectural photographers around here are using. I just shot a job ( an open house for the donors of a new hospital tower) and the guy they hired to do the architectural photographs was using just that.

[airfrogusmc]

Large format and one of the best.

http://www.hedrichblessing.com/

[Park Street]

Then your market is certainly different that mine and many of the photographers in ASMP.

Of course some architectural shooters are still shooting large format but telling a person that is asking if they can use a crop sensor to use large format seems a tad overkill. There are plenty of architectural shooters in this area making their living without shooting large format. I would bet that most of them wouldn't want to go back if even cheap digital backs were available.

What movements do you foresee that the new Canon TS-Es cannot do that is really needed for architectural shooting? I have a friend that made his living for 25 years doing architectural work shooting large format and never used any movements except front rise and fall. I can see the desire for slightly sharper lenses with less distortion and more pixels but more movements...?

[Shamir]

Used 5D I or II and a 16-35 Will be nice for whole buildings for up close =)

[breal101]

This was true when everyone shot film. Now out of the 20+ architectural shooters I know, only one shoots large format - a Cambo Wide DS. Not one still shoots film and the digital back for a large format camera is the expense that stops many from going that route. Even on the ASMP Architectural Specialties Group the vast majority of shooters are using DSLRs.

I can get 20X30 prints that are stunning out of a 21 mp camera and have little reason to want to go to a larger format. None of my clients have ever seemed disappointed in the results.

It was a post in that group that got us thinking digital for architecture back in '03. A photographer shot a job with a 1Ds with the 24 TS-E and also with 4x5 film. He showed large prints from both to the client and they chose the digital shots. IMO digital handles mixed light situations much better than film. We still have a couple of 4x5 Sinars but they get very little use. It's a very rare day that anyone asks for 4X5 anymore. To try to answer the OP's question, there are a lot of very good architecture shots posted here from crop bodies. Possibly with a 17mm TS-E and another wide zoom you could be successful.

[airfrogusmc]

Its more about CONTROL that you get with both the front lens board and the back movments that gives you greater control and thats what you get with view camera and if you are going to do it seriously, perspective is something you are going to need to control whether its with a tilt and shift lens, which again is very limiting, or a view camera.

Proper tool for the job.;)

[Park Street]

Large format and one of the best.

http://www.hedrichblessing.com/


Talked with them on the phone and they use this camera.

http://www.vistek.ca/store/ProPhotoLargeFormatCameras/212512/arcaswiss-mmonolith-6x9-orbix-wmicro-metric-control/Specs.aspx

It appears to have full swings but only a front rise.

[airfrogusmc]

There ya go...

[Picture North Carolina]

What about panorama? How does that work on a FF with something like a FL of 24? Not 3, 4, or 5 frames as normal, but 2. And perhaps overlapped at the 1/2 mark so that it just augments the width a little? Just wondering if anybody has tried it.