problem with lens or thats the way it is?

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Name
Alex
Edit My Images
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Hello

Used a 5d2 and 24-70L today to photograph a large group of people, they filled the frame to the left and right edges.

I shot at ISO800 1/250 f.6 24mm (dull day)

Now the person on the very left hand side of my picture looks like she is being stretched horizontally and had less contrast/clarity than anyone else....its the same for the person on the right but not as bad.

I shot in Raw and viewing the image in lightroom, I have used the lens profile auto calibration but its still quite bad, even bringing the distortion level to the lowest...its still not very nice....

I understand lenses have barrel distortion but should I expect this from a £1k lens?

I would upload a copy of the pic but it was for a nursery and there were lots of children in the picture, I want to maintain the confidence the nursery and parents put in me.

Any advice appreciated

Alex
 
At 24mm you've got to be pretty precise in getting everyone one the same line. Even a slight crescent (end people a little forwards of the centre person) and you'll distort them....it's called volume anamorphosis and gets worse as the focal length gets shorter.....nothing to do with lens quality.

Bob
 
I think you need to get more familiar with your lens. See here http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/528-canon2470f28ff and pay attention to page 2.

Anyway, 24mm is a bit too wide for people, unless you are very careful and certainly avoid placing anybody in the far edges. 35mm should be more like it, but I prefer 50-85mm.

At 24mm you've got to be pretty precise in getting everyone one the same line. Even a slight crescent (end people a little forwards of the centre person) and you'll distort them....it's called volume anamorphosis and gets worse as the focal length gets shorter.....nothing to do with lens quality.

Bob

With canon 24-70 @ 24mm the field of focus is significantly bent outwards near the frame edges, and that's presuming the lens is well assembled. The problem goes away as soon as 28-35mm.
The ultra wide zooms, like 17-40 which I own and hate have the reverse field of focus distortion with edges being in focus much closer than the centre.
 
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