Digital Photo Auto Distortion Correction

Discussion in 'Software' started by MikeJohns, Sep 13, 2006.

  1. MikeJohns
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: Australia

    MikeJohns Senior Member

    If you use a digital camera then there is a very good utility (freeware) called "PTLens " currently downloadable at the link below:

    http://www.epaperpress.com/ptlens/

    It interrogates the photo reads the embedded meta-data wrt camera/ lens focal length zoom setting etc and corrects lens distortion from a lookup table, all automatic.

    I take lines off photo's of boats for modification work and this is proving to be very useful.

    Comes as a standalone and as a photoshop plugin.


    cheers
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. stevel
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: Ventura, CA

    stevel Lost at sea

    Thanks! This will be very useful.

    I have been thinking about this problem, but hadn't gone looking for a solution yet.
     
  3. ludesign
    Joined: Aug 2003
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    ludesign Senior Member

    The ability to fix perspective is built in into TouchCAD's high resolution image importing dialog. It allows you to fix perspective, rotation, and proportional errors and import the pictures in exact scale relative to the 3D model. It also allows you to import separate pictures for the Front, Top and Side views, and the program only displays the relevant picture for the view. www.touchcad.com
     
  4. MikeJohns
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    MikeJohns Senior Member

    Claes

    The point with software like PTLens is that it is simple cheap and effective for correcting image distortion such as pincushion induced by wide angle lenses.

    It does this without any input from the user other than the image itself. After PTlens has finished with it the image could well be ready for your software

    I doubt touchcad can remove vignetting chromatic abberation and barrel distortion ?
     
  5. Chris Ostlind

    Chris Ostlind Previous Member

    Nice

    Thanks for the heads-up on the new PTLens software, Mike.

    I've been using PTLens as a plugin since the Photoshop7 days for my architectural photography and had no idea that they were about to release a program that picked up the data from EXIF file.

    I have since purchased the software for my current edition of Photoshop and look forward to the continued ease of use on future shooting assignments.

    Chris Ostlind
    Lunada Design
     
  6. marshmat
    Joined: Apr 2005
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    Location: Ontario

    marshmat Senior Member

    If I read correctly, PTLens is not freeware, but is $15 for a perpetual licence. The free version is limited to 10 uses. Is this correct?
     
  7. Chris Ostlind

    Chris Ostlind Previous Member

    Yes. Seems kind of cheesy at ten saves, but what can you say about a great utility that is only $15.

    By the way, Mike didn't really go into this deeply, but the PTLens product will adjust perspective in the vertical and horizontal directions as well as correct most of the really bad behavior of the extreme wide angle lenses that are used on the modern, high end digital cameras.

    It's easy to use, straight forward in its results and produces excellent files.

    Chris
     

  8. MikeJohns
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: Australia

    MikeJohns Senior Member

    Cheesy !

    $15 dollars paypal whats that........ 2 fast food purchases. The competition charges hundreds then you have to buy each "Lens" for a hundred bucks each.

    This is good servce. Yes the auto EXIF is a great feature. It's great that software so inexpensively replaces expensive lenses.

    I still draw calibration squares on the hull prior to photographing.

    Cheers
    Mike
     
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