[Leica] Biogon SWC (lack of) distortion

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

Hasselblad got much mileage  out of the 38mm Biogon lens and the Hasselblad
square format going together like peanut butter and jelly.
But they did this certainly with rhetoric but even more certainly example
after example; of top mainly commercial photogs getting breath taking
results; notably industrial photography. Which were well printed in well
designed Hasselblad booklets. Printed in Sweden.

-- 
Mark R.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/winterdays/


> From: Tim Gray <tgray at 125px.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 13:26:34 -0500
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Biogon SWC (lack of) distortion
> 
> On Mar 04, 2012 at 04:04 AM -0800, Richard Man wrote:
>> Yes, but my question is, how come the SWC Biogon doesn't seem to have the
>> distortion of circles becoming oblong on the edges, or am I incorrect in
>> saying that?
> 
> You are incorrect in saying that.  What you are referring to is often
> called perspective distortion, and any lens that has a rectangular
> projection has it.
> 
> What the SWC doesn't have is barrel, pincushion, wave, mustache, or
> other types of distortion that makes straight lines not straight.
> 
> Personally I think the SWC downplays perspective distortion a bit
> (relative to 35mm lenses) because of its square format.  The diagonal
> field of view (FOV) is 91 degrees, similar to the diagonal FOV of 21mm
> on a 35mm camera.  But the horizontal/vertical FOV is only 72 degrees,
> which is slightly less than the horizontal FOV of a 24mm lens for 35mm
> format.  Lastly, it's vertical FOV is similar to a 15-16mm lens's
> vertical FOV on 35mm.  So in some senses (diagonally), it's as wide as a
> 21mm lens, in other senses (horizontally), it's narrower, and
> vertically, it's a good deal wider.  Compared to a 35mm lens, it's much
> more balanced in the FOV it provides in different directions on the
> basis of it being a square format.
> 
> When I had an SWC, I wasn't putting peoples heads in the corners of the
> frame; if they were near the edge, they were much more likely near the
> top or the side, so you get a bit less perspective distortion there.
> 
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