Lens Options for this kind of shot (pic included)

[SR071]

G'day,

I was out last night taking a few happy snaps, just experimenting really...

I wanted to take a shot of this building, wanted the whole building in frame - but as you can see it's cut off...

This was done with a 28mm lens, so my question is, how low would I need to go to get it all in frame? I'm not after a tilt/shift lens at all, just something to get all the bits in the shot for that kind of shot.

Using a 20D and tripod of course. :)

There's only about 10 feet of building off to the left that's not in frame.

[Dew]

I'm thinking one of these.....

http://www.canon-europe.com/Images/13_221321.gif

or this....

http://www.canon-europe.com/Images/13_27009.gif

or maybe one of these....

http://www.canon-europe.com/Images/13_27011.gif

[schmoelzel]

The 16-35 is a great lens and would get your building in the frame. At 16mm, it is very sharp (at least the copy I had!). At 16mm w/20D you are looking at 25.6 mm; your 28mm lens w/20D was effectively at 44.8 mm...............haven't used the 14L or the 10-22. The 10-22 can only work with the smaller sensor cameras (DRebel, 20D etc.) but it is VERY wide!

[condyk]

You probably have got it in with a 20mm give you have lots of nothingness on the right hand side. The 12-24 Tokina is a great value, good quality lens. Also, you can't go wrong with the 17-40 Canon L. 18-50mm 2.8 Sigma is very nice and fast. Great walkaround/wide angle at a fairly attractive price.

[CyberDyneSystems]

... or back up a bit ;)

The difference betwen 28mm and say.. 17mm is colossal! 17mm would efinitely do it.

So you could even do it with the kit lens.. for a mere $150.00

[SR071]

Thanks for the options guys...

Looks like this is going to be an expensive building shot...

I'll have a scan of the 2nd hand shops methinks before looking at new Canon gear.

Thanks for the tip on the Tokina - I will look at this as first port of call.

[ddelallata]

Here is a shot taken with my 17-40L not too long ago on a trip to Mexico. I couldn't be happier with the performance and quality of this lens.

[willg]

here is one taken with my tamron 17-35

http://www.spideronthefloor.com/bridge.jpg

[wilflee]

How about using a 50mm lens (to reduce converging lines, unless you wanted the perspective error), turn the camera 90 degrees and photostitch?

[SR071]

I did turn the camera sideways and lined it up, but I still needed to shoot at 28-35mm - 50mm meant the top/bottom was cut off.

I have been considering purchasing a 50mm lens for the 20D (the 1.4) but haven't done so as yet, as that makes it an 80mm in the old money on my 20D. 80mm, as I understand it, is good for portraits etc. as it closely matches the human angle of view if you're staring at someone.

However, I haven't yet worked out what other applications a 50mm (80mm) would be useful to me for.

There was a thread a few days ago here raving about the 50mm - but I don't know if they meant 50mm or 80mm, to get 50mm in the old money on a 20D that makes it 30mm - which is smack-bang in the 17-40 range of the lens Willg recommends (great shot too BTW).

In confusion....:confused:

How about using a 50mm lens (to reduce converging lines, unless you wanted the perspective error), turn the camera 90 degrees and photostitch?

[willg]

i paid just over $500 for that lens, its a stop faster than the canon 17-40 at the wide end, and pretty sharp wide open too

[willg]

wait..what lens were you using for that building shot..the exif says you shot it at 17mm

[wilflee]

I did turn the camera sideways and lined it up, but I still needed to shoot at 28-35mm - 50mm meant the top/bottom was cut off.

I have been considering purchasing a 50mm lens for the 20D (the 1.4) but haven't done so as yet, as that makes it an 80mm in the old money on my 20D. 80mm, as I understand it, is good for portraits etc. as it closely matches the human angle of view if you're staring at someone.
If you use Photostitch, then the 50mm lens will be fine because you can take shots of the top & bottom separately and join it back together. The real question is what type of picture you want to shoot. Something with wildly distorted perspectives or something with more natural looking perspectives. That's the deciding factor for the choice of lens. Typically though, architectural photography tends to stay away from wide angle lenses. But there is no right and wrong here.

As for the 50mm turning into 80mm, that's not quite true. 50mm will have the FOV of an 80mm. But everything else in the picture remains characteristic of 50mm.

[SR071]

It was a 28-80 set at 28 - I just looked at the exif too and see it says 17mm - that's not right, I don't know how that happened!!! I wish I did have a 17mm though...

wait..what lens were you using for that building shot..the exif says you shot it at 17mm

[SR071]

I was after both distorted perspective, as well as a more natural look (obviously not in the same shot!). For this one, the only important thing was getting the whole building in frame. Perspective was not something I was concerned about at all.

About your comments regarding FOV (which I presume means Feild Of View) - you've really thrown me...

As I understand things, FOV is the ONLY difference between a 50mm and 80mm, assuming everything else is equal.

Can you please let me know what other differences there are besides FOV for two lenses 30mm apart? I understand there's differences in background blur etc. and differences between manufacturers...but these are not consistent differences. What are the constant 'characteristics' of a 50mm?

I'm now even more confused...sorry! :confused:

If you use Photostitch, then the 50mm lens will be fine because you can take shots of the top & bottom separately and join it back together. The real question is what type of picture you want to shoot. Something with wildly distorted perspectives or something with more natural looking perspectives. That's the deciding factor for the choice of lens. Typically though, architectural photography tends to stay away from wide angle lenses. But there is no right and wrong here.

As for the 50mm turning into 80mm, that's not quite true. 50mm will have the FOV of an 80mm. But everything else in the picture remains characteristic of 50mm.