The Perfect Camera for Architectural Photography?
Is there a perfect camera for architectural photography ?
This question was easier in the pre-digital era when the 4x5 view camera was the hands down winner. There were a few photographers who used medium format cameras for their work, but the vast majority of architectural photography specialists used the 4x5 view camera.
The big question used to be whether a 4x5 field camera or a 4x5 studio camera was the better choice. Studio cameras generally have a greater range of movements but are heavier than field cameras. Since I would typically arrive at a location with at least one assistant and a van full of lighting equipment, I wasn’t too concerned about the extra weight of the studio camera that I always used. If I were a landscape photographer backpacking in the mountains, a field camera would have been my first choice.
Today, architectural photographers can choose from three main categories of digital cameras:
-View cameras (technical cameras) with medium format digital backs
-Medium format cameras with digital backs
-High end DSLR’s such as the Nikon D3x and Canon1Ds MII
With the postproduction capabilities of Photoshop, most architectural photographers are doing their perspective correction with the computer rather than in the camera. The ability to produce architecturally correct perspective (vertical lines parallel) is no longer the exclusive domain of the view camera.
The decision of which camera type to choose has more to do with shooting style than camera movements and mega pixels. An architectural photographer who will spend an entire day lighting and shooting one interior view will probably be very happy with a view camera and digital back system. The photographer who is documenting an entire building, “exploring” the space with the camera, may benefit from the speed and flexibility of a high end DSLR.
So is there a perfect camera for architectural photography? The “perfect camera” is the one that best suits your work and shooting style. The choice of camera format has always been, and will likely always be, a compromise. The best choice is the system that best suits the majority of your work. You can always rent specialized equipment for those unusual projects that come through only occasionally.
Curt Clayton
This question was easier in the pre-digital era when the 4x5 view camera was the hands down winner. There were a few photographers who used medium format cameras for their work, but the vast majority of architectural photography specialists used the 4x5 view camera.
The big question used to be whether a 4x5 field camera or a 4x5 studio camera was the better choice. Studio cameras generally have a greater range of movements but are heavier than field cameras. Since I would typically arrive at a location with at least one assistant and a van full of lighting equipment, I wasn’t too concerned about the extra weight of the studio camera that I always used. If I were a landscape photographer backpacking in the mountains, a field camera would have been my first choice.
Today, architectural photographers can choose from three main categories of digital cameras:
-View cameras (technical cameras) with medium format digital backs
-Medium format cameras with digital backs
-High end DSLR’s such as the Nikon D3x and Canon1Ds MII
With the postproduction capabilities of Photoshop, most architectural photographers are doing their perspective correction with the computer rather than in the camera. The ability to produce architecturally correct perspective (vertical lines parallel) is no longer the exclusive domain of the view camera.
The decision of which camera type to choose has more to do with shooting style than camera movements and mega pixels. An architectural photographer who will spend an entire day lighting and shooting one interior view will probably be very happy with a view camera and digital back system. The photographer who is documenting an entire building, “exploring” the space with the camera, may benefit from the speed and flexibility of a high end DSLR.
So is there a perfect camera for architectural photography? The “perfect camera” is the one that best suits your work and shooting style. The choice of camera format has always been, and will likely always be, a compromise. The best choice is the system that best suits the majority of your work. You can always rent specialized equipment for those unusual projects that come through only occasionally.
Curt Clayton
Posted by Curt Clayton at 4/28/2009 1:14 PM 
Categories: Digital cameras, Architectural photography
Tags: architectural photography digital cameras DSLR digital photography
Categories: Digital cameras, Architectural photography
Tags: architectural photography digital cameras DSLR digital photography
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I fully agree that the "perfect camera" is the one that best suits your work and shooting style. At various studies required different cameras!
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Can you suggest a camera best suitable for an architecture student.
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That's a very informative post! Thank you for providing options for cameras. I am an architecture student and I have been given an assignment to go and take pictures of buildings in my city. I'll definitely look up one of these cameras to do a professional job. Thanks for posting this!
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I was recently talking to someone about how fast motion photography has changed in the digital era. It never occurred to me that something like architectural photography would be reassessed as well! At least, as you say, you don't have to travel around with all the heavy equipment - just go home to PHotoshop!
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Digital capture does allow an architectural photographer to work faster on site and with less gear, but if you want to produce top quality photography for your client you are still going to have to light! We may not need to bring as much lighting gear as was needed when shooting large format transparency film, but architectural and interior photographers still need to use supplemental lighting. Not all interior or exterior photographs will require additional lighting, but the photographer needs to be prepared and have the equipment ready for those images that will benefit from supplemental light. Photoshop, Photomatix and other software programs are just tools that can help architectural photographers to be more productive and produce better work. The really great (and in demand!) architectural and interior photographers are capable of producing top level work with either film or digital capture.
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My son is a professional photographer and has also made note of the value of software such as Photoshop which provides the photographer an opportunity to finally have some control over "perspective" relative to that offered by a 4X5 view camera. As an amateur photographer, I also appreciated your "open minded" discussion relative to the different types of cameras an architectural photographer may wish to use depending upon how active they expect to be while on assignment. Ideally, a photographer would be fortunate enough to be able to choose between each of three categories you listed!
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Glad that you liked it! Thanks for reading and responding. Curt Clayton
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Regards, A
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I didn't think that there could be a specific camera for Architectural photography. Great post!
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