architectural photography

[kengai]

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I like to photograph facades and other architectral elements. The problem of lines and deformations is always very strong. What is the best technique and the most suitable lens?

[Ecar]

Heavy tripod. DSLR. T/S lens.

Frankly, an M is not the most suitable tool for this kind of job.

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[M11 for me]

Unless you want to use the tools in Lightroom to straiten lines. But make sure that you have enough room around your main subjects so that parts can be cut off.

 

With regard to the lens I think that there is not THE suitable lens and all others are not. Use what you have.

[Peter H]

I suggest looking through the photos in this thread https://www.l-camera-forum.com/forum/11-architecture/ .

 

Some you'll like and some you might not, but it might give you a better idea of what's possible with M cameras and lenses and a bit of imagination. It will also give you some idea of some of the  techniques you might want to avoid, as well as those you may wish to adopt.

 

Please try to avoid the temptation of spending large amounts of money on new equipment that won't necessarily add anything interesting to your photos.

[a.noctilux]

I use sometime with my M Super-Angulon-R 2.8/28mm or Nikkor PC in 35mm and 28mm.

Not practical, but better now with LV and EVF, it's doable and as light as M system can be if I don't use tripod.

 

Somewhere, I must have a lens waiting to be used, great but large and heavy Zuiko shift lens 24mm and using/shifting is not easy.

Great shift 24mm with built-in ring-rotating filters.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Kengai,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

A lot of really nice architectural photos are taken from a distance with longer lenses.

 

If you take a 90mm, 135mm or longer lens & move back you may be better able to achieve the results that you are looking for.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Steve Spencer]

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If you plan to do a lot of architecture photography. You might consider getting the Cambo Actus system which allow extensive movement with lenses that have a wide enough image circle. You can then develop a set of lenses (I would recommend Medium Format lenses, but if you want to spend a bit more there are some very nice Large format lenses from Rodenstock and Schneider) that you can use with the system and allow camera movements. Learning to shoot with movements (i.e., tilt/shift/rise/fall) will take a bit of time to learn, but it isn't that hard. 

[Ko.Fe.]

+1 to T/S lens on DSLR. Or two standards on LF film camera with extra-wide bellows. But, as for as I know M240 or any Leica M with LV works with almost any lens. T/S (which is manual focus lens anyway) should be no problem at Leica M with LV, I guess. Or SL.

[pgk]

I like to photograph facades and other architectral elements. The problem of lines and deformations is always very strong. What is the best technique and the most suitable lens?

 

I'm sorry but I don't understand the question. Given that you are using a rangefinder any architectural details such as facades or other elements are actually like any other similar subject and the best techniques and appropriate lenses are the ones that ensure appropriate focus, sufficient depth of field and which frame the image to your liking. If you want to shoot precise architectural records then a rangefinder is unsuitable.

Edited July 25, 2017 by pgk

[Jared]

I like to photograph facades and other architectral elements. The problem of lines and deformations is always very strong. What is the best technique and the most suitable lens?

 

 

As others have mentioned, the best approach for architecture is probably to use a tilt/shift lens, but as far as I know there are none available for Leica M mount.  So what's the next best option?  Choose a lens with low distortion.  If you are shooting in fairly tight spots (interiors, for example), you'll likely want a fairly wide angle.  Something like the 21mm SEM would work very well.  

 

In general, use a tripod, be very careful of composition, expect to do some serious cropping and/or perspective correction in software.  Beyond that, not much I can offer.

 

- Jared

[Michael Hiles]

If your goal is formal pictures with no converging verticals, 35mm cameras have serious limitations.

 

But I make “architectural” pictures all the time with my Leicas. I try, where possible to get high-ish so I am not pointing the camera at the ceiling (this minimizes the converging verticals) and where possible I try to point the camera and compose to minimize the worst of the problem.

 

When I can I also do as Michael suggests (above) – stand back with a longer lens. This is an instance where closer is not always better.

 

And I can live with some convergence of my verticals – converging verticals happen in life. If you stand at the base of any building and look up – the verticals converge. So what??? It is not the end of civilization as we know it.

 

I am not a formal architectural photographer – I just want my pictures to catch the eye.

[masjah]

A shift lens (I have the 28/2.8 PC SA R) works perfectly well with a Leica M equipped with R-M adapter and EVF2. I don't miss the tilt facility, since the image plane of architectural photographs is usually vertical. Of course an M uses stopped down metering anyway, so the manual diaphragm on this lens is no problem either. The lens is not included in the R lens list which comes up with the R-M adapter; this is unsurprising since any corrections would be heavily dependent on the shift applied, which of course cannot be known by the camera. A tripod is highly desirable, and the "artificial horizon" in the M is very useful.

[gyoung]

I used to do a lot of it professionally, with a Sinar and a 75mm Super Angulon. When I retired I acquired a PC Nikkor to play with.

Now you can do all the 'perspective correction' very well with Lightroom and any lens can provide the raw material, at least for anything you can do with rising or cross movements, swing/tilt

though is something that can't be replicated by software as you are moving the plane of focus. Simplest way would be a tilt and shift lens or two on a full frame dslr.

 

Gerry

[marcg]

Please try to avoid the temptation of spending large amounts of money on new equipment that won't necessarily add anything interesting to your photos.

 

 

:o   How dare you suggest that the members of this forum might spend money simply in the belief that their photography will improve.  I am sure that nothing could be further from the truth.

 

I truly think that this kind of infamous comment amounts to a blasphemous slur against Leica owners generally.

 

I think banning is too good for Peter and that the moderators should arrange a stoning.

 

Who wants to cast the first one????