NZDavid Posted May 18, 2007 Share #1 Posted May 18, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm eager to get a digital camera with an ultra wide angle lens for houses, interior and exterior. Max quality images essential. I hate the barrel distortion evident on some compact models. My 24 Elmarit ASPH used with M3 and M6 has zero distortion, but would translate as a 32 I think with the M8. Options: * Get M8 plus new W/A. Which one? (M8 also useful for other photojournalistic work.) * What are the ultra compact C-Lux D-Lux models like? * Another compact, eg Ricoh GR-D. * DSLR. * A software fix for barrel distortion? All advice welcome! David http://www.davidkillick.co.nz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 18, 2007 Posted May 18, 2007 Hi NZDavid, Take a look here Not wanted: barrel distortion. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
gdb Posted May 18, 2007 Share #2 Posted May 18, 2007 David, If you really hate barrel distortion, (as I do), forget about the D-Lux 2 (or 3 since the lens is the same), or any other samll zooms ot wide range zooms. I have no experience about M lenses. In the R series, if you want digital, there is no other choice than the R8/9/DMR. In this case, avoid the 28-90mm Vario. It's a wonderful piece of optics, but at 28mm barrel distortion is quite visible especially in architecture photography. In my opinion and experience, the latest R 19mm Elmarit is wonderful and should suit your needs very well. Papers and graphs show that the R 15mm Super Elmarit is even better. But prices are not the same... Cheers Gérard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted May 18, 2007 Share #3 Posted May 18, 2007 I'm probably going to get beaten up over this but you could try an L1 or D3 with a Olympus 7-14 mm. No discernable barrel distortion there. Works out to a FOV of 14mm and no fish eye effect. The price of the 7-14 is not for the faint of heart..... The software fix would be Adobe CS2 or 3 and has lens correction features. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted May 18, 2007 Share #4 Posted May 18, 2007 ...A software fix for barrel distortion?... ImageAlign: http://www.grasshopperonline.com/ (Leica Digilux 1 - ImageAlign 1.2 - Photoshop Elements 2.0) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill vann Posted May 18, 2007 Share #5 Posted May 18, 2007 fwiw, easy to fix in photoshop and other tools. bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirvine Posted May 18, 2007 Share #6 Posted May 18, 2007 If you want max image quality, transform tools in PS is not an option. This is destructive process, when you're paying close attention to the result. I would suggest the m8 with an ultra wide like the Zeiss 15mm, or the CV15 if speed is less of an issue and cost matters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtmerideth Posted May 18, 2007 Share #7 Posted May 18, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Overall, I agree with Sol. My one point to add is there are a number of WA zooms which have barrel distortion at the wide end and pincushion at the long end. Somewhere in between there is no distortion. So it's a budget solution. Sol's direction of quality primes is far and away the best solution. gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted May 18, 2007 Share #8 Posted May 18, 2007 There are numerous postings on the M8 forum with Leica, Zeiss, and CV lenses for your purposes. If you look you will see that distortion is not going to be a problem for you. Several people use the CV 12 and 15. There are a few users of the WATE already (big $). And, there are some Zeiss 15 users. The problems that are being worked out at this time are cyan drift and the lack of the now-correct Leica-branded IR-cut filters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjr Posted May 18, 2007 Share #9 Posted May 18, 2007 The 15mm 4.5 will exhibit the unwanted distortions but having said that and for the price I would say not too bad.I have used it on my MP.The 15mm Zeiss is massive by Leica standards , its weight is in excess of 500 gramms but thats what you get for f2.8 ! If one where to seriousely compare the WADE it is really beyond comparison and thinking carefully its price is a bargain for what you get.By the way it is superbly built,feels absolutely solid, the movements are indeed fantastic and yet it weighs less than 350gramms ! A masterpiece of design...as for results,well. By the by, the build ''feel'' of the ZEISS is nowhere near that feel quality of the WADE. If you can leave with f4 and if you can find one then it is the lense....I can. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted May 18, 2007 Share #10 Posted May 18, 2007 Another good software is Lens Doc from Andromeda. It fixes distortion (barrel and pincushion), distortion and a lot of other things quickly and easily. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/24441-not-wanted-barrel-distortion/?do=findComment&comment=258861'>More sharing options...
wda Posted May 18, 2007 Share #11 Posted May 18, 2007 I'm eager to get a digital camera with an ultra wide angle lens for houses, interior and exterior. Max quality images essential. I hate the barrel distortion evident on some compact models. My 24 Elmarit ASPH used with M3 and M6 has zero distortion, but would translate as a 32 I think with the M8. Options: * Get M8 plus new W/A. Which one? (M8 also useful for other photojournalistic work.) * What are the ultra compact C-Lux D-Lux models like? * Another compact, eg Ricoh GR-D. * DSLR. * A software fix for barrel distortion? All advice welcome! David David Killick, Freelance Journalist and Photographer, New Zealand David, Your option list is wide open: DSLR and digital compacts! I would back software correction unless all your work needs correction. That would be a mammoth task. Others can give you better advice on DSLRs but if you are seeking a good quality compact with the feel and design philosophy of a Leica, do handle and try the Ricoh GR-D. It is truly a professional's camera for take anywhere photography provided you can accept a fixed lens at 28mm (but it is supreme in its class - an earlier version was made for Leica) and can tolerate around 10 seconds for in camera processing of RAW. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted May 19, 2007 Some really helpful thoughts there, I shall do some more research. I like the little Ricoh - it fits in with my philospohy of keeping things compact and simple. But even subtle improvements can be decisive for a magazine, and as they pay quite well it's worth investing in gear that will produce the ultimate result. So, it looks like: forget the smallest compacts except the Ricoh, possibly L2/Digilux3, M8 plus a choice of interesting lenses (and of course I an use my existing ones), Canon DSLR, Leica Digital module. Software makes a big difference, but - as with film - I feel it helps to start with the best original image. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted May 19, 2007 Share #13 Posted May 19, 2007 David, I forgot to mention that the Ricoh GR-D also takes a 21mm conversion lens and uses a clip-on finder. That would be useful for architectural interiors. In which case it makes sense to buy the kit package. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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