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Thread: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

  1. #21
    Dominik
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    I'll second Frank Petronio's opinion 90mm is wide angle with a moderate wide angle = still natural look 75mm is super wide angle territory = unnatural look. Good for some things but rarely used in a good way.

    Dominik

  2. #22

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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    4x5 vs. 135 focal lengths

    47mm = 13mm
    58mm = 16mm
    72mm = 20mm
    75mm = 21mm
    80mm = 23mm
    90mm = 25mm
    110mm = 31mm
    115mm = 32mm
    125mm = 35mm
    135mm = 38mm
    150mm = 43mm

    Some folks don't like wide angle distortion. I don't always either but I often do. It depends on the subject matter. If my goal was to make the most realistic rendering of a structure as is practicable then, if space constraints allowed it, I'd select a normal or slightly long lens.

  3. #23
    Moderator
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    ONF, it's hard to compare with too much precision. The aspect ratios are different, and the effects of movements make a given lens seem wider, by introducing more rectilinear distortion to parts of the frame. This is particularly true when the image is selected from close to the edge of the image circle, such as for tall structures that require a LOT of front rise to get into the frame. A 90 on 4x5 works about like a 24 on 35mm in my experience, when both have movement capabilities.

    For me, I like the 90 for buildings when at least one of two things are true: 1.) there is an angle on the building that is particularly dramatic when portrayed with some rectilinear distortion, or 2.) a longer lens is infeasible because of foreground objects or room to back up to capture the whole structure.

    When (1) is the case, a 72XL may be desirable, because the rendering might be even more dramatic. But it may also call too much attention to itself as an effect. With the exception of the 72XL, other lenses that short and shorter usually don't have the movements necessary for exteriors, unless vertical convergence is acceptable. For interiors, where one doesn't need as much rise, a shorter lens can be a problem solver.

    But when (2) is the case, the driving force for me has been to use the longest lens that provides the appropriate field of view feasibly.

    In most cases of amateur architectural work, the building has some striking aspect, which is the reason people want to photograph it. Drama is good. But for commercial work, the building may be boring, and in those cases, the added drama of deep rectilinear distortion may be what sells the work.

    Rick "who studied architecture and photographs it as an amateur" Denney

  4. #24

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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Ha good point about distinguishing amateur versus professional work, sometimes professional work means photographing a low, flat, long warehouse as nicely as possible.

  5. #25

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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Hey Rick... We both just stated the same thing though your post is more thoroughly explanatory.

  6. #26
    bdkphoto
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Lens choice is just the beginning of making a successful architectural image. The 90 is quite useful, and a common choice for focal length but there is no magic with it. You have to have a pretty full kit of lens choices to work successfully. The most common mistake I see with architectural photography is shooting to wide. My own preference is to shoot as long as possible given the circumstances. The amateur vs professional thing is a bit moot too, the big difference is the ability to shoot and light interior spaces- that is what really separates the two--that and the fact that there is very little professional work being done on film today.

  7. #27
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Quote Originally Posted by bdkphoto View Post
    The amateur vs professional thing is a bit moot too, the big difference is the ability to shoot and light interior spaces- that is what really separates the two--that and the fact that there is very little professional work being done on film today.
    The point in distinguishing amateur versus professional work is not about the difference in quality--there are professional hacks and deeply expert amateurs as well as the reverse. The point is that the amateur chooses what building to photograph, while the professional does not have that choice. Thus, they have different problems to solve, which may require different tools.

    And, sure, commercial pros may not be using film. But in that case, the question might well have been, "Why would the Canon 24mm TSE lens be the go-to lens for architectural photographers, and not the 45, or the 17?" Same question, in terms of aesthetic reasoning, as the one posed here.

    Rick "hoping to avoid another 'pros vs. amateurs' debate" Denney

  8. #28
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Around here 75mm lenses were mainly used for taking shots in crammed areas like a bathroom or small kitchen (often important subject matter commercially). Nowdays that
    kind of thing tends to be done with DLSR's, since the bulk of client presentations are shown on laptop screens, and only serious brochure of magazine cover shots seem to still warrant view cameras. 90's and 120's are a lot more versatile on 4x5. And I personally hate the distortions which come with the shorter focal lengths, at least for architecture per se. Something very unprofessional about getting too "creative" when a client is footing
    the bill and wants his work shown realistically. Totally different than personal "art" photog.

  9. #29
    joseph
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    It's disingenuous to suggest that anything photographed at less than the magic 90 number is going to show 'distortion'. The lens does no more than project an image, and if the photographer chooses to put identifiable forms on the edge of a 120º image circle, then they will be stretched, and will be met with distaste by the non-skateboarders among us.

    The photographer may choose to project a different image, that doesn't draw attention to the extreme corners.

    This is the last image from the 72mm that I posted on this forum, uncommented on in the 'Post your Churches' thread. Is that because you were all sickened by the distortion? Since I got the 72mm, I hardly ever take the 90mm out, and it's a 5.6, pre XL version, with a similar image circle.

    Lenses are just tools, to say that they will inherently 'distort' is misleading. Photographers distort.


  10. #30
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: 90mm & architecture – why the popularity?

    Did the architect or the contractor hire you to shoot the cathedral? Yeah, that would be
    a legit usage, but if it were more in the 120 range of lens I'd reach for my 125 Fuji W rather than a typical 120 SW like a Super Angulon simply to avoid stretching the edges
    and having so much illumination falloff & CF need. But that option isn't always possible due
    to the more restrictive movements. There is a reason rectilinear designs like the Biogon
    were once made - too bad it was so heavy with so little wiggle room. Any typical 90 wide
    has a lot of distortion, even a 120 SA will. I hated it - but what can you do when you need
    the coverage?

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