WC-DC58N test - mixed feelings

I recently purchased the WC-DC58N wide-angle converter for the G6 (and it fits the G3 and G5). I got it, 2nd-hand, from KEH Camera, for about $100 (with shipping). Decent price, for sure.

The optical quality of the converter is quite good, as it appears to be very sharp and contrast seems to be acceptable. One thing that really is sad is the fact it accentuates distortion at the widest setting, to the point where it's not really usable for most of my personal work. The main reason I bought the WA converter was as my job as an insurance broker, I often need to get a LOT in a scene - I'm sure there are some on this forum who can relate trying to shoot an entire house with their G-series cam, it's hard to make it work at close distances.

For such images, they do not have to be "perfect" and the WC-DC58N is OK for that, since the insurance industry is not as fussy about some barrel distortion. (I often make 4x6 proofs of these or send as email attachments) Look at the attached image and you'll see what I mean by its weakness.....Unfortuna​tely, there are few compacts that give you a truly wide angle setting, natively, with its built-in zoom lens.

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You can get rid of distortions with PTlens
http://epaperpress.com​/ptlens/
only costss $5 and they will do a profile for free if they dont have your combination.


Terry

Sorry, this may not be too helpful, as I do not have experience with wide lens attatchments on G.series, but I can only comment on the downfall of software correction...

You can also use The Lens Correction filter built in to PS CS2 (Filter > Distort > Lens Filter), BUT, with this method [and with PTlens also] you will be losing/cropping/loppin​g some (possbly important) part of the edge of the photo which kind of ruins the point of using the Wide Angle in the first place...

We want wide angle to fit more info in to the pic. but the Lens Correction Filter and PTlens will take out this extra wide info. to a certain extent

I applied the lens correction filter just so you can see how nuch you may loose:
The Greens bits are the parts you would have to lop off.
The second picture is after the crop...

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andrewaaa5 wrote:
Sorry, this may not be too helpful, as I do not have experience with wide lens attatchments on G.series, but I can only comment on the downfall of software correction...

You can also use The Lens Correction filter built in to PS CS2 (Filter > Distort > Lens Filter), BUT, with this method [and with PTlens also] you will be losing/cropping/loppin​g some (possbly important) part of the edge of the photo which kind of ruins the point of using the Wide Angle in the first place...

We want wide angle to fit more info in to the pic. but the Lens Correction Filter and PTlens will take out this extra wide info. to a certain extent

I would agree that the correction with cs2 and then cropping is not an ideal solution. but the crop with the more sophisticated PTLens would be very slight indeed in what after all is a not very wide combination.

It would certainly be worth a try.

It improves the drawing in architectural shots at all settings on a G series camera.When you see the comparison you can easily see the difference.

The problem with the example given is that you have had to correct for converging verticals as well as barrel distortion.

Terry

I would love to see an example if you can process one? I am baffled as to how little the PTLens would shave off in comparison to the PS filter...

It would make no difference in this case. as the main problem is converging verticals. He would have the same problem had he used any lens.

The amount you are cutting away through barrel distortion is represented by the Ears at the bottom, which is not much.

PTlens is small but what it does it does very well, It makes accurate corrections over the whole area of the lens coverage. It does that task better than either DxO or photoshop.

Terry

Ok, thanks for your explanation. I should look into 3rd party plugins, but I am too reliant (and stingy ) and thus use the OOTB PS filters...

As an option -- to get a lot of the scene in your image -- shoot a PANORAMA. Use your PC to stitch 2-3 overlapping images together to get a large wide angle shot. Use the SEARCH function in this forum to find out more info on software and hardware tips to make the shots look even better.

Look on these two sites to get an Idea of what is required

Though it would be too much trouble for simple reference shots.

www.tawbaware.com/ptas​mblr.htm

www.nodalninja.com/


The attached is a very unexciting picture. taken for it's difficulty. to prove nodal points. It is two rows of three pictures, and I was standing about 4 feet from the salt bin,and could nearly touch the nearest branches.

This is a correction using PTLens, only correcting the lens distortion not converging verticals.

They have a preset for a G6 with a dc58n attached. so no adjustments need to be made,
as you can see it straightens all the lines and cuts off a minor ammount.
Any lens pointed up will converge verticals. that is not a lens fault.

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