15mm on K-1 for interiors or ...?

**BarryE** · 07-31-2019, 02:24 PM - **1 Like**

I've a 15mm Irix and the Pentax 24-70 mm. I've started to get some work shooting interiors/real estate. Key FL for interiors often range from about 15mm to 28mm. The barrel distortion of the Irix is less than the Pentax 15-30 at 15mm and so with little correction and cropping the Irix images, I'm starting to find I can effectively fill the gap I have in my FL range with the Irix - switching, when needed, to the 24-70 on a second body for the longer shots.

Cropping a wide angle shot in post also means I have some wiggle room for cropping out things in post I've missed when they sneak into the frame.

I've been using multiple, bracketed photos, blended and dodged/burned in PS as my preferred method of 'lighting' the shots. I do have flash options if required, though I'm finding getting even flash lighting, even with multiple flashes, and much bouncing, less easy than blending.

I do like using the Irix as it's small and I fear the 15-30's size might be awkward to use especially in small rooms (how I wish there was a f4 version of the 15-30). I need the images for web mostly and maybe the occasional 10 x 8 " print.

At 15mm and at f5.6 and above everything is in focus in room shots. I appreciate there may be a little perspective differences in taking a shoot at 15mm and cropping to emulate a slightly longer FL, but in reality I can't see in making any difference. Or might it ... ?

And so to my question: can anyone see any pitfalls in this approach of using the relatively small Irix and cropping to effectively give me a few more mm, thus filling in the missing FLs ? Or is the pricey, long, heavy, and possibly awkward 15-30 going to give me a better performance in the missing focal lengths and maybe improve my speed/workflow ? Any interiors shooters out there ?

Thanks ...

Sandy Hancock · 07-31-2019, 02:51 PM

My DFA15-30 shows considerably less barrel distortion at 24mm than my DFA24-70. Just one more thing to consider.

pschlute · 07-31-2019, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

My DFA15-30 shows considerably less barrel distortion at 24mm than my DFA24-70. Just one more thing to consider.

Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ?

**Bob 256** · 07-31-2019, 03:54 PM

If you're happy with the image quality of cropped 15mm shots, there's no reason not to use that process. The only drawback might be slight distortion but the Irix is pretty rectilinear and may not show any more distortion than a prime of higher FL. The K-1 gives you a lot more leeway since it's a full-frame image with 36Mp so cropping is quite practical, still maintaining a good pixel-count. If the lens is sharp (as most Irix lenses are), a shot for web-use should work well using cropping and the single Irix 15mm (a la a compact super wide "zoom")

The same technique is used by a good number of cell-phone cameras and is marketed as a zoom when it's really an "electronic zoom", but as long as the photos are not going to be enlarged much (which most cell-phone shots aren't - they're just traded on cell-phone size screens), it works great. Just be cautious and do a test if you anticipate blowing up any photos taken this way to hang on the wall.

Last edited by Bob 256; 07-31-2019 at 04:03 PM.

**jatrax** · 07-31-2019, 04:10 PM - **2 Likes**

I have a love / hate relationship with the DFA 15-30. It's heavy and awkward. And it produces exceptional images.

Everyone has their own needs but personally if I was shooting interior real estate on a regular basis the 15-30 would be glued to my K-1.

Paul the Sunman · 07-31-2019, 05:34 PM

Originally posted by pschlute

Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ?

I never do. Let me see the whole frame, and I'll decide what to do with it in pp. There I can apply distortion correction if I like, but rarely do. A bit of distortion in UWA does not offend me unless I'm looking for rectilinear rendering of architecture for example.

Sandy Hancock · 07-31-2019, 06:09 PM

Originally posted by pschlute

Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ?

Never by default. Like Paul, I apply them occasionally in post processing.

photoptimist · 07-31-2019, 06:27 PM - **1 Like**

The gap between 15 and 24 is pretty big. If you have a scene that absolutely requires a 23.9 mm field of view, you'll be forced to use the 15 and crop at 63% which gives you about 14 MPix of image left from the 36 Mpix you started with. If that's good enough, then you are fine.

If that's too much cropping for your taste, you might look at getting a prime that splits the difference. The math says you need a 19mm lens to minimize the worst-case cropping over the range of 15 to 24. Perhaps a 20 mm prime might fill the gap.

**RobA_Oz** · 07-31-2019, 09:01 PM

How wide you wish to go rather depends on the space and on the effect you’re trying to achieve for the client.

This is a house I renovated and sold last year. Although the real estate agent engaged a professional (she had a Canon, of course), I shot this interior on my K-1 with the FA20/2.8. I obviously could have got wider with the Irix 15, but to my eye it would have exaggerated the size of the space (around 6m x 4m, IIRC), but maybe it could have drawn more attention, if it had been used to advertise the house.

**david94903** · 07-31-2019, 09:04 PM

Sounds like you have a technique that is working for you, don't fix it if it's not broken

The 15-30 is a beast, and like jatrax, I too have a love hate relationship with it. I'd debated getting the Irix but ultimately decided on 15-30 when the price dropped last fall.

Post some photos. Would love to see the results you are getting.

**BarryE** · 08-01-2019, 12:29 AM

Many thanks for replying. I'll continue with the using the 15mm for now as there doesn't appear to be any particular gotchas from what's been said.

I have a shoot today and another next Tuesday to confirm my approach or maybe after these I'll decide to engage with The Beast ...

Dericali · 08-01-2019, 12:50 AM

If you are doing interiors a lot you are probably going to see some advantages from having the zoom, being able to shoot at 18-22mm, 26-30mm etc and not needing to change lenses... if this is regular paid gig then it could be worth the money.

I use mine for architecture and design shoots. Having a zoom is nice to be able to play around a bit more. Weight is not really an issue on a job, though if you're using it for landscapes etc then I could see the problem.

aacjr · 08-01-2019, 01:41 AM - **1 Like**

I shoot real estate every day and I use the K-1 with the DF-A 15-30 and it is a great combination. I thought about the Irix 15mm for the size and weight and also because it’s a prime lens all good features to be sure, but in the end I went with the 15-30.

The 15-30 weigh more and is bigger than the Irix but I have not had any problems carrying the 15-30 around any house. All in all, I am very happy with my choice of the 15-30.

Also as Dericali said I do use the zoom a lot depending on the shot I am trying to get.

Below are a few photos taken the other day.

All photos taken with a K-1 and 15-30

**BarryE** · 08-01-2019, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by aacjr

I shoot real estate every day and I use the K-1 with the DF-A 15-30 and it is a great combination. I thought about the Irix 15mm for the size and weight and also because it’s a prime lens all good features to be sure, but in the end I went with the 15-30.

The 15-30 weigh more and is bigger than the Irix but I have not had any problems carrying the 15-30 around any house. All in all, I am very happy with my choice of the 15-30.

Also as Dericali said I do use the zoom a lot depending on the shot I am trying to get.

Below are a few photos taken the other day.

All photos taken with a K-1 and 15-30

They're very nice shoots, aacjr - fresh, clean and well composed. Interestingly they are all (except detail shot) taken at 15mm.

aacjr · 08-01-2019, 09:05 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by BarryE

They're very nice shoots, aacjr - fresh, clean and well composed. Interestingly they are all (except detail shot) taken at 15mm.

You are absolutely correct. When I’m shooting a house without furniture I like to shoot at the wide end to show how much space the house has. When there is furniture I will shoot wide to show the space and I will also zoom in to show the individual rooms. I will very rarely zoom into 30mm except to high light certain areas. I usually will stay between 15-24mm I think that is the sweet spot for me.

Here are a few examples.

07-31-2019, 02:24 PM - 1 Like	#1
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653	15mm on K-1 for interiors or ...? I've a 15mm Irix and the Pentax 24-70 mm. I've started to get some work shooting interiors/real estate. Key FL for interiors often range from about 15mm to 28mm. The barrel distortion of the Irix is less than the Pentax 15-30 at 15mm and so with little correction and cropping the Irix images, I'm starting to find I can effectively fill the gap I have in my FL range with the Irix - switching, when needed, to the 24-70 on a second body for the longer shots. Cropping a wide angle shot in post also means I have some wiggle room for cropping out things in post I've missed when they sneak into the frame. I've been using multiple, bracketed photos, blended and dodged/burned in PS as my preferred method of 'lighting' the shots. I do have flash options if required, though I'm finding getting even flash lighting, even with multiple flashes, and much bouncing, less easy than blending. I do like using the Irix as it's small and I fear the 15-30's size might be awkward to use especially in small rooms (how I wish there was a f4 version of the 15-30). I need the images for web mostly and maybe the occasional 10 x 8 " print. At 15mm and at f5.6 and above everything is in focus in room shots. I appreciate there may be a little perspective differences in taking a shoot at 15mm and cropping to emulate a slightly longer FL, but in reality I can't see in making any difference. Or might it ... ? And so to my question: can anyone see any pitfalls in this approach of using the relatively small Irix and cropping to effectively give me a few more mm, thus filling in the missing FLs ? Or is the pricey, long, heavy, and possibly awkward 15-30 going to give me a better performance in the missing focal lengths and maybe improve my speed/workflow ? Any interiors shooters out there ? Thanks ...

07-31-2019, 03:02 PM	#3
pschlute Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,188	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock My DFA15-30 shows considerably less barrel distortion at 24mm than my DFA24-70. Just one more thing to consider. Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ? Last edited by Sandy Hancock; 07-31-2019 at 06:09 PM.

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07-31-2019, 02:51 PM	#2
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,267	My DFA15-30 shows considerably less barrel distortion at 24mm than my DFA24-70. Just one more thing to consider.

07-31-2019, 03:54 PM	#4
Bob 256 Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,375	If you're happy with the image quality of cropped 15mm shots, there's no reason not to use that process. The only drawback might be slight distortion but the Irix is pretty rectilinear and may not show any more distortion than a prime of higher FL. The K-1 gives you a lot more leeway since it's a full-frame image with 36Mp so cropping is quite practical, still maintaining a good pixel-count. If the lens is sharp (as most Irix lenses are), a shot for web-use should work well using cropping and the single Irix 15mm (a la a compact super wide "zoom") The same technique is used by a good number of cell-phone cameras and is marketed as a zoom when it's really an "electronic zoom", but as long as the photos are not going to be enlarged much (which most cell-phone shots aren't - they're just traded on cell-phone size screens), it works great. Just be cautious and do a test if you anticipate blowing up any photos taken this way to hang on the wall. Last edited by Bob 256; 07-31-2019 at 04:03 PM.

07-31-2019, 04:10 PM - 2 Likes	#5
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	I have a love / hate relationship with the DFA 15-30. It's heavy and awkward. And it produces exceptional images. Everyone has their own needs but personally if I was shooting interior real estate on a regular basis the 15-30 would be glued to my K-1.

07-31-2019, 05:34 PM	#6
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,842	Originally posted by pschlute Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ? I never do. Let me see the whole frame, and I'll decide what to do with it in pp. There I can apply distortion correction if I like, but rarely do. A bit of distortion in UWA does not offend me unless I'm looking for rectilinear rendering of architecture for example.

07-31-2019, 06:09 PM	#7
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,267	Originally posted by pschlute Sandy, do you not use "lens corrections" ? Never by default. Like Paul, I apply them occasionally in post processing.

07-31-2019, 06:27 PM - 1 Like	#8
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,121	The gap between 15 and 24 is pretty big. If you have a scene that absolutely requires a 23.9 mm field of view, you'll be forced to use the 15 and crop at 63% which gives you about 14 MPix of image left from the 36 Mpix you started with. If that's good enough, then you are fine. If that's too much cropping for your taste, you might look at getting a prime that splits the difference. The math says you need a 19mm lens to minimize the worst-case cropping over the range of 15 to 24. Perhaps a 20 mm prime might fill the gap.

07-31-2019, 09:04 PM	#10
david94903 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Rafael, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 806	Sounds like you have a technique that is working for you, don't fix it if it's not broken The 15-30 is a beast, and like jatrax, I too have a love hate relationship with it. I'd debated getting the Irix but ultimately decided on 15-30 when the price dropped last fall. Post some photos. Would love to see the results you are getting.

08-01-2019, 12:29 AM	#11
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653 Original Poster	Many thanks for replying. I'll continue with the using the 15mm for now as there doesn't appear to be any particular gotchas from what's been said. I have a shoot today and another next Tuesday to confirm my approach or maybe after these I'll decide to engage with The Beast ...

08-01-2019, 12:50 AM	#12
Dericali Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Berlin Posts: 298	If you are doing interiors a lot you are probably going to see some advantages from having the zoom, being able to shoot at 18-22mm, 26-30mm etc and not needing to change lenses... if this is regular paid gig then it could be worth the money. I use mine for architecture and design shoots. Having a zoom is nice to be able to play around a bit more. Weight is not really an issue on a job, though if you're using it for landscapes etc then I could see the problem.

08-01-2019, 01:41 AM - 1 Like	#13
aacjr Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 446	I shoot real estate every day and I use the K-1 with the DF-A 15-30 and it is a great combination. I thought about the Irix 15mm for the size and weight and also because it’s a prime lens all good features to be sure, but in the end I went with the 15-30. The 15-30 weigh more and is bigger than the Irix but I have not had any problems carrying the 15-30 around any house. All in all, I am very happy with my choice of the 15-30. Also as Dericali said I do use the zoom a lot depending on the shot I am trying to get. Below are a few photos taken the other day. All photos taken with a K-1 and 15-30

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08-01-2019, 12:16 PM	#14
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653 Original Poster	Originally posted by aacjr I shoot real estate every day and I use the K-1 with the DF-A 15-30 and it is a great combination. I thought about the Irix 15mm for the size and weight and also because it’s a prime lens all good features to be sure, but in the end I went with the 15-30. The 15-30 weigh more and is bigger than the Irix but I have not had any problems carrying the 15-30 around any house. All in all, I am very happy with my choice of the 15-30. Also as Dericali said I do use the zoom a lot depending on the shot I am trying to get. Below are a few photos taken the other day. All photos taken with a K-1 and 15-30 They're very nice shoots, aacjr - fresh, clean and well composed. Interestingly they are all (except detail shot) taken at 15mm.

08-01-2019, 09:05 PM - 2 Likes	#15
aacjr Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 446	Originally posted by BarryE They're very nice shoots, aacjr - fresh, clean and well composed. Interestingly they are all (except detail shot) taken at 15mm. You are absolutely correct. When I’m shooting a house without furniture I like to shoot at the wide end to show how much space the house has. When there is furniture I will shoot wide to show the space and I will also zoom in to show the individual rooms. I will very rarely zoom into 30mm except to high light certain areas. I usually will stay between 15-24mm I think that is the sweet spot for me. Here are a few examples.