I hate cameras with small lenses.

I am a size queen when it comes to camera lenses.

Smaller lenses (35mm and smaller) tend to exhibit barrel distortion. This is particularly noticeable when looking at pictures with lots of edges (buildings, streep lamps, signs, etc).

Is there a program that can easily fix this type of distortion?

Otherwise, I'm going to say _|_ to digital and use film exclusively until Minolta releases their digital SLR, so I can continue to use the pricey good lenses I own... I do hate looking at pictures which are otherwise darn good except the buildings or signs have a curved or warped appearance to them, particularly as you look toward the edges... :puke:

go ahead, I dares ya!

It's one of the building across from my apartment during a thunderstorm. Looks rather lovely overall except that the barrel effect distorts a sign in the lower left corner and the left side of the building. I'm not sure about the tree in the lower right corner as the actual tree is slightly bent too. :-)

I tried some correcting, but then it throws something else askew. But I reckon a more specialized program is needed...

Looking at other pics I've done on that camera, I can now see the barrel distortion for what it is, but the effect doesn't show nearly as badly because of the subject and surrounding elements are less likely to be distorted...

Besides, I should do this on my own... once I figure out the barrel shape the camera made, then I can easily create a template of sorts to do a mass batch fix of all my photos...

But I have a camera that has some noticable barrel distortion, but I use this to frame certain kinds of shots.

If you want to think of the effect in artistic terms, it gives me effects like a Tom Benton landscape, or and El Greco painting.
It also purple fringes on higher sensitivity settings. Yes, it can be hard to edit out, but good photoshoppers can overcome some of these defects.

Its main qualities are its size and surprizingly good color fidelity- it will fit in an altoids tin. But like anything, you make choices.
The batteries do a good job for their size, as well.



I am impressed with this post dawn shot of heavy fog in Franklin Mo, for example.




And its macro is quite nice.

I understand your hesitancy, but a camera like the pentax optio s is so handy that you will get those anti photographs that elude set up and deliberation. Not all digitals have that bad distortion. Try Fuji's optical zoom lens, for example.

Reminds me of my days with the OM-1 and Kodachrome 64...lens flare and all.

I really like having a camera I can literally keep in a pocket.

Sure, the Fuji has a far better optical zoom, but for the close to middle distance the optio does pretty good, and it compresses the piss out of its audio recordings.

http://65.64.114.185/images/ContactSheets/2004KatyRideMay/index.htm

100 miles on the KATY Trail.

http://katytrail.showmestate.com/frames.asp?map=yes

Check out IMGP2867.jpg, 2980, 3019, 2938.

I think it would make a great journalist's tool.

You tryin to tell me something? ;-)

Practice, develop an eye and you have it made. You're well on your way.

its a shitty lens. A better one would help.

Any decent graphics program will have distortion effects that should pull the distortion out.

However, i think you're really talking about a perspective distortion where buildings are tilted or slanted. Usually, this comes from holding the camera at the wrong angle. If you tilt a camera up to get the whole building in, the sides will converge. This is also easily corrected with any graphics program. In the old days, we tilted the easel when we made prints, and that helped a bit.

In the pre-cambrian era of view cameras, there were swings and tilts and rises to eliminate these problems. Nikon, Pentax, Schneider and Canon made 35mm wide angle lenses with similar movements.

Perspective is a funny thing. The same problem shows up even with telephoto lenses, but since the field of view is so narrow, you rarely notice it.

Know what it is, what causes it or knows enough to work with it.

You also left out the Olympus series of pre-digital Professional Lenses.

Go for it and do it on the best camera you feel comfortable with is the best possible advice I can give you.