Distortion on the 16-35mm is unacceptable. are 24,28,35 primes better?

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691802
There must be another way !! how do people shoot at close range..?

I think most people don't do closeup shot of people with an UWA. Learn to be creative.

Try not to focus on facial feature with it, use it to capture the surroundings and atmosphere with the wider perspective.

When it comes to the subject, shoot tight with a macro lens or something and frame tightly.

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Heath wrote in post #16691814
If you can find a way to rewrite the laws of optics, you will become a very wealthy person.

LMAF..

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691793
Was this a prime or a zoom.. one subject its not really a wide angle family shot which is completely different..
How far from the subject were you?? metres please, as I don't know much about feet.. (3 feet to 1 metre I think ?? ) sorry I am metric

That was the 35L/5D. Don't know how far away I was, but was just using that as an example of how much of the frame I'm comfortable with filling with a single subject. Are you saying that you're getting too much distortion when shooting a group at 35mm, even when individuals are taking up less of the frame?

Bill is my name - I'm the most wanted man on my island, except I'm not on my island, of course. More's the pity.

kin2son wrote in post #16691820
Learn to be creative.

I am very creative.. I order everyone around.. I don't care.. but in some situations its just not possible.. It is what it is..

EOS 5Dmk3 X2, 60D, EF24-70mm f2.8L mk2, EF70-200mm f2.8L IS mk2, EF85mm f1.8, EF50mm f1.4, EF50mm f1.8 mk1(350D with 18-55mm Sh"kit" lens).
Speedlite 600EX-RT, 430EX II Flash. manfrotto 190XDB tripod, Giottos GTMML 3290B Monopod, B+W 77mm 110 Single Coated filter, Hama 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter.

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691834
I am very creative.. I order everyone around.. I don't care.. but in some situations its just not possible.. It is what it is..

Then just be happy with the result then

I am sure they will be ok with the result. Most people don't care about these things. It's all in our photographer's head

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691822
Guys............... I am talking about a sudden situation.. where a family puts you on the spot and wants a family shot in front of you and they are 3 metres wide (10plus people and you already squashed them together)) and you are 2-4 metres away as you do not have anymore space to back up...

2 meters away would be tight, but I wouldn't think that 4m would be a problem... examples?

Bill is my name - I'm the most wanted man on my island, except I'm not on my island, of course. More's the pity.

WhyFi wrote in post #16691832
That was the 35L/5D. Don't know how far away I was, but was just using that as an example of how much of the frame I'm comfortable with filling with a single subject. Are you saying that you're getting too much distortion when shooting a group at 35mm, even when individuals are taking up less of the frame?

I am talking a group of people that want a shot ... Now, at this moment "Please get a shot of all of us" straight after the service, in the church.. Half don't even speak English , and even so... The shot is needed now by the people that are paying for my business... no time to say I think we need to find a better location.. you cant just move 20 people with 85 year olds to suit my shooting needs, it just doesn't work !!.. it is what it is...

EOS 5Dmk3 X2, 60D, EF24-70mm f2.8L mk2, EF70-200mm f2.8L IS mk2, EF85mm f1.8, EF50mm f1.4, EF50mm f1.8 mk1(350D with 18-55mm Sh"kit" lens).
Speedlite 600EX-RT, 430EX II Flash. manfrotto 190XDB tripod, Giottos GTMML 3290B Monopod, B+W 77mm 110 Single Coated filter, Hama 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter.

Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691802
There must be another way !! how do people shoot at close range..?

At heights and angles that minimize the distortion, by centering the subject to help minimize the obvious distortion, keeping body parts away from the edges of the frame, or by simply embracing it.

This was shot at 45mm. She couldn't move back any farther and if I would have taken a step back I'd have my butt in someones steak. If you look at her nose, chin, and right elbow you can see the effects of perspective distortion. Her nose and chin are a bit bigger than they should be and her elbow and arm are stretching out, making her arm look much fatter than it was. I kept the camera level and kept her near the center of the frame to help minimize distortion.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/tltichy/1249092​5675/
Cinderella: Akershush Restaurant by tltichy, on Flickr

This was shot at 24mm. Again the camera was level and the subjects were on either side of the center of the frame. None of their body parts are near the edges of the frame (sometimes you just have to shoot loose and crop in); very tight space in the second bathroom:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/tltichy/8356494​680/
Bubble Bath by tltichy, on Flickr

Sometimes you just have to embrace the distrotion. This was shot at 17mm. Again with the subject centered and the camera as level as I could get it. I simpled cropped to 8x10 to get the offset composition.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/tltichy/8611046​563/
Amelia as Sleeping Beauty by tltichy, on Flickr


All of these shots were taken in very tight quarters, and all exhibit perspective distortion. I would say that they are all acceptable despite that though.

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Bill is my name - I'm the most wanted man on my island, except I'm not on my island, of course. More's the pity.

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691858
.. it is what it is...

There goes your answer

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Photographing 1or 2 people is not a problem.. as I said

Here are some of the shots..Rejects, nothing that a customer would get of course, but they seem to all be this bad..

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EOS 5Dmk3 X2, 60D, EF24-70mm f2.8L mk2, EF70-200mm f2.8L IS mk2, EF85mm f1.8, EF50mm f1.4, EF50mm f1.8 mk1(350D with 18-55mm Sh"kit" lens).
Speedlite 600EX-RT, 430EX II Flash. manfrotto 190XDB tripod, Giottos GTMML 3290B Monopod, B+W 77mm 110 Single Coated filter, Hama 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter.

pwm2 wrote in post #16691895
It isn't an error with the lens that gives us the perspective distortion. So we can't shop for any magical lens that doesn't give it. As already described, it's just a question of trying to understand the physics behind it and use the lens in the best way possible.

Yes I agree, so please advise??

EOS 5Dmk3 X2, 60D, EF24-70mm f2.8L mk2, EF70-200mm f2.8L IS mk2, EF85mm f1.8, EF50mm f1.4, EF50mm f1.8 mk1(350D with 18-55mm Sh"kit" lens).
Speedlite 600EX-RT, 430EX II Flash. manfrotto 190XDB tripod, Giottos GTMML 3290B Monopod, B+W 77mm 110 Single Coated filter, Hama 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter.

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Nick_Reading.UK wrote in post #16691901
Yes I agree, so please advise??

He already did?

Here's a suggestion - The main issue is the people at the extreme corner, in the 2nd pic create a 3rd row in front and ask some of the youngster to kneel down a lil?

5D3 Gripped / 17-40L / Σ35 / 40 Pancake / Zeiss 50 MP / Σ85 / 100L Macro / 70-200 f2.8L II IS / 430 EX II / 580 EX II / Canon 2xIII TC / Kenko Ext. Tubes
EOS M / EF-M 18-55 / EF-M 22f2 / Ricoh GR aka Ultimate street camera
Flickr | My Images on Getty®‎