Perspective Control

[Jim Sink Photography]

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I've been using the " Perspective Control " on my SL2S and SL2 with good results.

Just wondering if any other Architectural Photographers are beginning to use this feature. For me I've found it can save quite a bit of time.

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[SrMi]

I use LPC regularly when traveling, both for landscapes and cities.

Here is a test comparing Ligthroom's Auto vs Leica's LPC:

Here are my pictures from Venice and Amsterdam, most using LPC:

I find Leica's Perspective Control very useful and miss it when it is not available on a camera I use. 

Shift lenses are an alternative, and I bought a couple, but I rarely use them because they are more cumbersome (must use tripod, one extra heavy lens).

The problem is that it works only with Adobe software when shooting DNGs.

[Jon Warwick]

Yes, I’ve started to use LPC on the M11 suite of cameras for architecture, either using the Visoflex or rear screen. Normally always on a tripod. I find the pre-visualisation that’s in-camera of the LPC to be very useful, IMHO it’s a wonderful addition by Leica in that regard, and to me the corrections are surprisingly lossless in terms of image quality, even when resampling the image to a large print size of c 45” wide. I do try to be sensible about minimising the extent of corrections, ie, I wouldn’t stand under a building with a 28mm lens and demand a dramatic correction in post, when I could just as well walk across a town square and shoot the same building with a longer lens so that the base file needs less vertical adjustment. The alternative way to do this would be me using my GFX100 and getting the new Fuji tilt/shift lenses, but I’m sufficiently satisfied with using the LPC, especially with the Monochrom where I really really like the rendering that the B&W sensor outputs.

[masjah]

I too find the Perspective Control on my SL2 very effective, to the extent that I retain my 28/2.8 PC lens purely for sentimental reasons. The SL2 camera firmware PC using the 21-35 R lens + Leica adapter is good enough for me. I've posted onr or two images in the Architecture section.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

I tried it, but I found it too intruding to composition. I guess I do more landscape in general, but I found it kind of unnerving to work with. Is there a way to just log the data, but not have it used by default? Either in camera or in lightroom?

[SrMi]

35 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I tried it, but I found it too intruding to composition. I guess I do more landscape in general, but I found it kind of unnerving to work with. Is there a way to just log the data, but not have it used by default? Either in camera or in lightroom?

The angles are always written into the DNG, and corrections can be made on demand. Turning LPC on affects JPEG, and the corrections can be applied to the raw file by default (depending on import settings). Also, LPC guides are shown in the EVF, which helps with framing.

Note that you need Adobe software to recognize and apply the LPC angles.

How did LPC intrude into composition? I find the LPC guides helpful for leveling the camera and use them regularly for landscapes. After all, shift lenses are also used for landscapes.

However, I always have a button assigned to switch it quickly on/off, as there are compositions where they get in the way.

[Stuart Richardson]

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5 hours ago, SrMi said:

The angles are always written into the DNG, and corrections can be made on demand. Turning LPC on affects JPEG, and the corrections can be applied to the raw file by default (depending on import settings). Also, LPC guides are shown in the EVF, which helps with framing.

Note that you need Adobe software to recognize and apply the LPC angles.

How did LPC intrude into composition? I find the LPC guides helpful for leveling the camera and use them regularly for landscapes. After all, shift lenses are also used for landscapes.

However, I always have a button assigned to switch it quickly on/off, as there are compositions where they get in the way.

I found the guidelines very visually distracting. Just wondering if it is possible to have the guidelines off and auto-apply off in Lightroom, but still be able to use the information if needed. Basically, I would love to not see or apply them unless I decide later to use that info. It may well be included…I rarely use the perspective control in lightroom unless I really have to. 

[SrMi]

28 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I found the guidelines very visually distracting. Just wondering if it is possible to have the guidelines off and auto-apply off in Lightroom, but still be able to use the information if needed. Basically, I would love to not see or apply them unless I decide later to use that info. It may well be included…I rarely use the perspective control in lightroom unless I really have to. 

The best setting for you is to leave LPC off in the camera and apply it in the post when needed. You do that in Lightroom by clicking on Guided inside the Transform panel.

[Jon Warwick]

3 hours ago, SrMi said:

The best setting for you is to leave LPC off in the camera and apply it in the post when needed. You do that in Lightroom by clicking on Guided inside the Transform panel.

Yes, I think that’s right, I’ve certainly noticed my M11 had recorded the LPC, even when I had the composition lines switched off.

It took me a while to find that the correction is done via the “Guided” part of Transform. For whatever setting I have, I find the DNG is imported unadjusted into ACR in Photoshop and I then need to click on “Guided” to get the LPC adjustment.

I can’t say I’ve regularly used LPC for landscapes, only architecture in my case, where I find the composition lines to be very helpful in accurately assessing in-camera where the edges of the image will be post correction in Adobe.

All that’s side, I found Mr Farkas’ article interesting in understanding it if you haven’t seen it. 
 

https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2021/01/leica-perspective-control-for-m10-r-m10-p-and-m10m/

 

[SrMi]

4 hours ago, Jon Warwick said:

Yes, I think that’s right, I’ve certainly noticed my M11 had recorded the LPC, even when I had the composition lines switched off.

It took me a while to find that the correction is done via the “Guided” part of Transform. For whatever setting I have, I find the DNG is imported unadjusted into ACR in Photoshop and I then need to click on “Guided” to get the LPC adjustment.

I can’t say I’ve regularly used LPC for landscapes, only architecture in my case, where I find the composition lines to be very helpful in accurately assessing in-camera where the edges of the image will be post correction in Adobe.

All that’s side, I found Mr Farkas’ article interesting in understanding it if you haven’t seen it. 
 

https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2021/01/leica-perspective-control-for-m10-r-m10-p-and-m10m/

 

Thank you for the link. Also, once you have applied LPC in post, you can fine-tune the applied correction by moving the four guide-lines.

[Jon Warwick]

Anyone happen to know if one can select a different aspect ratio (such as 4:3), and simultaneously use it with LPC with the SL bodies?

I have an M11, where different aspect ratios in-camera don't exist, so curious if (say) a 4:3 aspect ratio + LPC is possible on the SL range?

Edited October 28, 2024 by Jon Warwick

[Photoworks]

11 minutes ago, Jon Warwick said:

possible on the SL range?

yes

[SrMi]

2 hours ago, Photoworks said:

yes

Are you sure? In Q3, LPC requires an aspect ratio of 3:2. You cannot change the aspect ratio and have LPC.

[Photoworks]

3 hours ago, SrMi said:

Are you sure? In Q3, LPC requires an aspect ratio of 3:2. You cannot change the aspect ratio and have LPC.

my mistake!

I set camera SL3 to 4:3 and then switched on LPC and it works.

after checking back the aspect ratio is grayed out and back to 3:2

[SrMi]

6 hours ago, Photoworks said:

my mistake!

I set camera SL3 to 4:3 and then switched on LPC and it works.

after checking back the aspect ratio is grayed out and back to 3:2

It's tricky. If you turn on Perspective Control, you cannot select an aspect ratio. On the other hand, the angles are always saved, and LPC can be applied manually, even with aspect ratios other than 3:2. One cannot see LPC correction lines in the viewfinder if the ratio is not native.