Hi guys. If you could start with a blank canvass and money was not a consideration, what would your ideal system be for architectural photography?
Here are some considerations:
- There would be a lot of tall buildings/limited space as part of the job. Canon's 17mm TSE would be ideal.
- Flash would be needed in certain instances, a remote speedlight system would be best.
- Video would be part of the job, but only at 1080p.
- Output would be a focus on high end rather than volume.
The three systems I'm considering are as follows:
1. The Canon eos R with the Canon 17TSE, 24TSE, 24-70L and the 600 RT Flash Units
2. The Nikon Z 7 with the Nikon 19mm TSE, 14-24, 24-70 and SB 910 flash system
3. The Sony A7RIII with the Canon 17TSE, Canon 24TSE, Sony 24-105 and Sony HVL Flash units
Are there any inherent weaknesses in those systems?
For right now, I'd stick with a Canon 5DS coupled with a 17mm TSE, 24mm TSE (for when you want more scene compression) along with a 24-70 2.8 for vignette/detail shots. As far as video goes, I'm kind of surprised at architectural photographers having video as part of the job as that's really something for real estate people, but I wouldn't use the camera for that. Not being a video guy, I'd just use a smartphone on a DJI gimbal. Maybe that's sacrilege.
I'm interested that you would pick the 5DS over the EOS R or 5D Mark IV. Is it for the bump in resolution?
Basically. I'd want a proven workhorse (the 5D series) along with the ability to crank up the resolution when needed. Can shoot on S-RAW if you need a lower pixel count. I personally use a 5Dmk4 and love the camera, but I use it for more than just architectural work. It's perfect for me, but for a purely architectural camera, I'd go with the 5DS.
As far as mirrorless goes, I wouldn't personally invest in the Canon system until it matures a bit. I think it's going to be amazing and it's the future for sure, but for right now, I'll stick with what I know will work perfectly in the field versus the latest technology that requires adapters to work with the required EOS lenses.
The thing is, I use a 5DS and while I appreciate the bump in resolution, I don’t love the shadow noise. To get the best out of the camera, you still need to expose to the right. I think I’d get more mileage out of the 5D IV/EOS R chip. It’s a case of image quality vs resolution.
Understandable. For my uses, I'd be using a tripod and bracketed exposures for everything other than walkaround vignette/detail shots of finishes and materials. The 5Dmk4 is a pretty huge jump in quality from the 6D I was using prior, but I'm not familiar enough to compare the noise versus the 5DS. Interesting stuff.
The 5DS is a little worse in dynamic range and noise performance than the 5D Mark III. The noise performance I was referring to applies to shadow areas where the exposure needs to be bumped. This is at ISO 100 on a tripod. Shooting bracketed exposures and combining into an HDR fixes the issue, but doing this for every shot is time consuming. Those 50MP files are not quick to work with! Currently, I use the 5DS and the 1DX Mark II and although the 5DS files are more than double the size in resolution, if the architect does not intend on blowing up the images to billboard size, I can deliver superior images from the 1DX.
Not an expert in architectural photography but have been doing quite a lot of it over the last year and a bit, so here would be my kit list:
1. Canon DSLR or EOS R - I use the canon 6D and its great, but is quite an old camera and the video is fine but not the best, so may be better to get the EOS R, 5d mark 4 or 5DS if you want that boost in res.
2. Canon 24mm TS - I use this lens nearly all the time and it is amazing, probably the best for arch and interiors.
3. Canon 17mm TS - Don't own the lens but if its anything like the 24m then I'd happily get it. Especially as sometimes the 24mm just isn't wide enough so would be great to have!
4. Ipad (any apart from the 12.9in pro as its too big to hold in one hand) - Works well over the Canon camera wifi to show you what you're shooting, which I find essential for architectural and interior photography.
5. Flash wise what ever you can afford - I use a cheap Yongnuo for my interior work and it works great considering it was £50. It would be nice to have a bigger flash though for larger rooms and also for exterior work
6. Either Canon 24-105 F4 or Canon 24-70 f2.8 - Would work great for video work giving you a nice wide to telephoto mm.
7. Zhiyun Crane - Great for video work, use it a lot for interior filming when you want to flow round a building.
8. DJI Mavic Pro - A drone is always a great extra to have for any situation, allowing for high detail photos from above and also great video quality.
That would probably be the main range of gear I find myself using for most of my interior and architectural shoots at the moment.
I did not think about the crane, that would be a great addition! I use both the 24 and 17 TSE and you’re right, they’re both amazing. It’s why I’m thinking of sticking to Canon even though both Sony and Nikon have better bodies.
While the Nikon and Sony bodies have great sensors, I found in my tests that for the work I do, the results were indistinguishable from Canon.
Architectural work is very controlled with the opportunity to bracket if needed and lighting is often used. Some situations demand larg-ish corrections yet none have exceeded the capabilities of my Canons.
I use Canon gear and I have:
1. 17TS-E
2. 11-24 f4
3. RF 24-105
4. EOS R
5. 5DmkIV
6. 5DsR
I use a 1.4x TC with the TS-E to get a 24mm TS and it is very sharp.
I use the R with an adapter and it works well. The 5D bodies are also great but I also use a CamRanger and the USB connector is poor while the USB C on the R is more secure.
As for flash I use Godox lights because of the family of flashes that all use the same trigger. I have several 850s, 6- AD360s, and several AD600s. The 360s get used the most as they have a great blend of power and compactness.
I absolutely cannot stand composing interiors using the sensor - you're often limited to bloomy blown out windows with muddy dark interiors. So an optical viewfinder is a must. Besides, the edited photo's dynamic range looks closer to what the eye sees. I personally use the 5DIV over the 5DS as the IV slightly outperforms the S in every way besides resolution, which no client has yet complained about. I like to get the comp as close to 100% right in-camera, which makes Tilt-Shift glass and the 1.4 extender a must. The 24-105mm is great for scouting though. Lights are lights - I use AD600s cause they're powerful, durable, cheap, and easy to handle without lightstands. Video is a whole other discussion as none of my video gear mixes with photo gear...sadly the shots have to be composed with a sensor :-(
Composing on the back of a camera is terrible, I agree. However I can compose on an iPad with the CamRanger. While I agree that blown windows can be an issue in some cases, it really helps with making sure every element is where I want it. The OVF is tops for bright rooms and backlit subjects but is mediocre if one is trying to see if small items are misplaced or absent/present.
The other advantage is I can show it to the client and they can make suggestions. They seem to love being part of the process.
I shoot with this:
1.-Nikon D850
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 G2
Nikon PC NIKKOR 19mm f/4E ED
2.-Nikon Z7
Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 test lens waiting for the my own Nikon send this for test and I love it.
3.-Fuji GFX50R
FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR
I shoot Hi end Luxury Real Estate and Hotels, and this 3 systems are great.
Michael Breitung had a problem when using the Canon TS-E 17mm lens in Hong Kong. This lens has some severe problems with sharpness if not used correctly, according to him.
And I believe him, I do not know if it is up to the sample or something else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqsGqSHaEBs&t=473s
I wouldn't say it's a "severe problem" of the lens sharpness, more a limitation on how far you can acceptably shift.
I had a similar problem with my 17TSE when I adapted it to the Sony using a Metabones adapter. When I use it on my 5DS, the problem is still visible, but not nearly as severe.
Also note, I had sent the lens to Canon to assess and they changed a part which cost me $800, only to make no difference at all.