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Hi,
I shoot landscape and architecture and am looking to upgrade my camera to a 5D MK II and also my lenses. I am tempted by the 28-105mm L series because of its quality and zoom range (a good general purpose walk around lens). However, there appears to be more barrel distortion at 24mm than the 24-70mm.
Does anyone use this lens and shoot architecture?
Is the distortion simple to correct in PS?
I would also like a wider lens, and a larger telephoto (for detail shots), 200mm or possibly 300mm. But the expense of the upgrade is obviously expensive, thus, I wanted to get as close I could get to an all round lens in the beginning.
Also, does anyone shoot architecture professionally and not use a Tilt and Shift lens? I ask, as I have recently seen some very well executed perspective correction on PS.
Thanks in advance for your advice
Phil
I'd recommend the 17-40 as a good starting point for architecture
It's mid-priced (i.e. bloody expensive thanks to the weak pound), very sharp, little distortion and very very wide on the 5D body.
Take a look at my portfolio - just about every shot of a building in the last 3 years was taken with that lens on a Canon 5D.
I sell my architecture shots and don't use a TS-E lens (yet) - there are ways of minimising perspective problems and with Photoshop you can use perspective and skew and guide lines to try to square things up.
The 17mm TS-E would be ideal for me as I do city work where you are constrained for space and need the wide lens - though the 24mm may be ok for your needs.
Nikon and Canon both do tilt and shift lenses that seem to be standard kit for the architectural snappers. Many professionals prefer to get it right in camera.
I have not noticed any significant barrel distortion in the 24-105 but this is easily corrected. However, 24mm is not wide enough for much architecture. I used a Canon 10-22mm on my 20D and considered the Canon 16-35mm or my full frame but for various reasons bought a Sigma 12-24mm for the full frame. I have been pleased with the architectural shots so far. If money was no object, I would certainly buy a Canon Tilt and Shift lens.
Dave
If you're serious about architectureal photography, have a look at this....
I don't think that includes the digital back either... we're talking serious money
exactly - how much would a 5 by 4 inch digital back cost??
add that on to the $7700 for the body
oh and then some lenses...
really is going to be the price of a new Beamer!
Wow, Ade that certainly is expensive, and without the back! I was thinking of buying the 17-40mm as you suggested. How is the corner sharpness?, and is there much barrel distortion?
Also, can you or anyone recommend a mid range zoom suitable for capturing architectural details? I want to cover all the focal lengths, can someone recommend an essential lens kit?
Thanks again
Agree with Ade; the 17-40 is what I use too. Any distortion is easily corrected in PS. It's also worth remembering that you can always use it at the 40mm end to reduce distortion and stich a few shots into a pano.
very low distortion - very sharp
that's why I recommended it 
I know, maybe I should've been more specific and said wide angle distortion i.e. converging verticals and all that malarky. 
ah yeah - if you point the camera up, you'll get al lthe builkdings leaning in like the Shambles in York!
one tip...
shot portrait and get your centre spot on the pavement to minimise converging verticals
I agree - though the more you minimise distrotion in PS by keeping the lens as level as possible, the more believeable the final result will be.
Extreme distorion corrections can look really odd, and you can end up with straight lines bending which causes a right head ache, you end up doing all sorts of stuff to try to rectify that!
I've found the warp tool quite useful if it's not possible to get it right in camera.
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