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How To Fix Distortion Using Tilt Shift Lenses

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Panorama images are very captivating if done well, but scary if anything goes wrong. This means creating them must be done with care to ensure congruence in the image. Common distortions that come up when capturing panoramic scenes can effectively be eliminated using tilt shift lenses. This guide explains everything you need to know on the use of tilt shift lenses to eliminate distortion.

It is most likely that you have come across the image of a tall building that seems to lean backwards. This is not because of a structural defect on the building but due to camera distortion. As the viewfinder tried to fit the image on focus, some movement was involved and the plane of focus distorted. This could be avoided if the lens was shifted parallel to the image plane.

With a tilt shift lens camera, you achieve the same clarity you get when shooting from a high point but with more focus on the subject. The shifting mechanism moves the lens up a few millimetres in relation to the sensor, thus tricking the camera you are standing on an elevated place. Millimetres may appear a small measure but it means a lot in photography.

Overview of Traditional Approaches of Fixing Distortion
Leaning Backwards
Tilt shift cameras have been around for some time, but people still captured panoramic views in their absence. The difference created by the new technology is their ease of use and the quality achieved. With a shoot and point camera, the photographer has to lean over backwards and point the camera upwards. This has the effect of tilting the plane of view of the camera’s sensor from the building. Unfortunately, this introduces the distortion commonly known as the falling over syndrome.

Standing on Elevated Areas
Photographers also captured wide area or tall buildings with point and shoot cameras by standing on high areas. The challenge with this approach is that not always will people allow you to climb to their rooftops to take the images. Worse still, not every scenic view will be close to a tall building from where to set up your equipment.

Post Capture Correction
Photo editing software have been created that have the ability to eliminate distortion. The main advantage of this approach is that you can use any camera to shoot. However, this approach has too many drawbacks. In post capture correction, each photo has to be edited individually. Pulling the edges of a building to the required alignment is not an easy task. Correction also leads to loss of some detail due to compression. The process ends up distorting the sharpness and clarity of the image.

Use of Ultra-Wide Lens
Ultra wide lens enable you to fit a wider area into the frame without necessarily having to tilt the lenses. The main advantage of this approach is that wide lens can be purchased for a number of DLSR cameras. It is also possible to improve the angle of view on iPhones using wide-angle lens.

Convenience of Tilt Shift Cameras
The introduction of tilt shift cameras was a relief to photographers as they could finally fix the distortion problem with ease. The lenses of tilt shift cameras are designed to move physically independent of the camera. This design feature gives the user improved control over the perspective of view.

When to Use the Tilt and Shift Functions
The tilt function is used when focusing on different elements on different planes. This enables you to shoot different objects that are a distance apart. This is unlike in regular lens configurations where you have to either shoot in the foreground or the background. On the other hand, the shift function minimises distortion when using wide angle lenses. This becomes especially useful when shooting from a low or high angle.

Utilising the Tilt Shift Function to Get Best Results
There are three important steps to remember whenever using tilt shift lenses to fix distortion. First, ensure the camera is horizontally and vertically level. Most cameras have electronic level guides to help you adjust positions. Secondly, check if the top part of the subject is cropped and adjust the shift knob to correct this. Once you are sure the whole image is perfectly straight, use the lock shift knob to freeze the setting before taking a shot. You can maximise the quality by stitching several images together using software.

Creative Shooting with Tilt-Shift Lenses
Moving Subjects
Moving subjects are some of the most difficult to capture as they can easily get out of focus. However, a tilt-shift lenses camera enables you to extend the plane of focus so you can capture both the front and back planes of the object. The resulting image is usually sharp even if the two areas of focus are on different distances. The same principle is also applied when capturing portraits since two subjects are captured on the same plane.

The Scheimpflug Effect
The Scheimpflug effect refers to the capability of a tilt-shift camera to focus a bonus of the subject’s plane. It is through this effect that some frames seem to have an infinite depth from the near plane to the far end. This is achieved by tilting the plane of focus to the direction of the subject’s plane. Scheimpflug effect proves helpful when you want to capture fine details while keeping a wide field of view.

The Miniature Effect
Some applications require that you focus on a given area and blur out the other parts of the image. It is possible to create this miniature effect if the lens is tilted during shooting. Basically, the miniature effect is achieved if the plane of focus is tilted or shifted to remain with a very small area in focus. Miniature effect is not a principle but an optical illusion that helps us to focus on the most relevant detail.

Conclusion
It has now become easier to fix distortion using tilt shift lenses due to their usability. This technology overcomes most of the difficulties faced in the past such as leaning backwards and the falling-over syndrome on tall buildings. Tilt-shift sensors also save you the time and effort required for post-capture processing. When using tilt shift lenses to fix distortion, you also get greater depth without necessarily using smaller apertures. Choose this technology today to improve your photography experience.


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