Digital SLR what lens should i use for photographing?

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anObsession

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If an architect wants me to photograph a facade which is 23 floors high, and very modern. What lens is best to use; if he wants a creative photo to exagerate the unique design, it is made out of stainless steel and glass.

Keep in mind, there is a 10 story building on the street opposite.

What size lens is best to use? and or attachments or filters etc?

Any recommendations.

Thankyou
Rachel
 
Can you get access to the building opposite? A view from the tenth floor of the opposite building may give an interesting perspective, but I would have thought you may well need a wide angle of some kind to fit it all in, or do some kind of multishot panorama?
 
No idea!! I would say that you need to get some people with experience on Nikon DSLR's on here. I have a bridge, so I am limited to what I can do.

You may find that a long exposure to show ghosting people/cars etc could look good also.

I think the length you need will depend on how close you want to be and the angles you can get.

What kind of a vision do you have for the shot?? Do you want to be lying on the pavement looking up to get that kind of persepctive? are you just trying to fit in the building?

If yougive us an idea, or post a shot which you would like to emulate, then someone will help.
 
i would do a variety.... but laying down looking up is certainly a good one. or from the corner and up...

Just not sure what lens is best.
 
You could tripod the cam and take multiple images and stitch them together in order to get the lines straight.
 
What lenses do you have at your disposal?
 
i know a photography who has alot. 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm, 300mm and more ...
 
do they still do the architectural shift lens..?
 
Ok, I would take the 20, 30 and 50mm. Possibley the 85mm if over the street.

Make sure you are using a high F number - as big as the lens will go to get a nice long DOF.

(please note I am Blagging, and someone who knows more will be along soon and give you more exact info!)
 
You haven't mentioned which brand.

Personally I think you'd need at least one very wide.
Tokina 11-16 or sigma 10-20. Tripod.
Also as it is a big building you may need a zoom to capture details. So depending on what details may be a 50-500 on the tripod. This gives you flexibility of range and zoom.

If you can borrow the lenses n practice first? Might be someone nearby who can assist?
 
No, you really don't want to use a wide angle unless it has tilt shift.

The problem you have here is converging verticals (distortion) and the closer you are to the building, the worse it gets.

You can sometimes use this as an effect but generally I've found that architects are not too keen.

Accessing another building at mid height is actually not such a bad idea.

Get yourself a book on architectural photography if it is something you want to do properly, it's actually a very demanding discipline especially when it comes to lighting interiors.
 
Maybe one alternative is to do a panasonic picture using the camera in the vertical position and stitch the frames together. Just a thought.

Realspeed
 
realspeed said:
Maybe one alternative is to do a panasonic picture using the camera in the vertical position and stitch the frames together. Just a thought.

Realspeed
Click to expand...

I love panasonic photos...I much prefer them to panoramic ones...

As has been already mentioned, the Nikkor PC-E lens is the one you need to do the job properly, but you'll also need a 'proper' camera...
 
10 storey's? I managed to get almost the entire 50 storey's of the 1 canada square building with a 14-45.
Ok, so I was practically touching it with my chin, but I got it all in.
:)
 
pearce_jj said:
Nikon lens mount system really is a joke :cuckoo:
Click to expand...

swings and roundabouts really - Canon made the decision you can't use lenses older than 20 years on EOS, Nikon made the decision you can't use 3 high end, specialised professional lenses on consumer bodies. (Before anyone says it you can use AF-D and older on the D60 seris bodies, I know you lose AF)

Hugh
 
Not sure 99% of customers would want to though? In any case, an old lens can be used manually with an adapter, which is essentially the setup with Nikon in cases too as evidenced above.
 
pearce_jj said:
Not sure 99% of customers would want to though? In any case, an old lens can be used manually with an adapter, which is essentially the setup with Nikon in cases too as evidenced above.
Click to expand...

not really the same is it? We're talking about 3 highly specialised lenses that can't be used with a consumer body. It strikes me as a reasonable assumption that anyone wishing to use one of these lenses would do so with a high end body. Thats a bit different from needing an adapter to work any older lens.

Hugh
 
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