Lens Corrections for Older Lens not found in Photoshop CC

[Brownbear]

I'm curious as to whether choosing a similar lens to apply a lens correction to images, and then adjusting any peculiarities still seen in the image, manually, is a sound approach?

It seems to me that if the lens are built by the same company and have similar specs that similar lens corrections would still be applicable or at least a good starting point? It seems far easier to use a similar lens profile then it would be applying lens corrections manually (I might miss some needed corrections) and/or building a lens profile for an older lens.

For example, at this time I have a AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-200 mm, f 3.5-5.6 G IF ED whereas some of my older images were photographed with a AF Zoom Nikkor 28-200 mm f3-5.6 6D IF (the newer lens has VR). The default lens correction that comes up in LR is the Nikon Coolpix, which makes me wonder if perhaps this is the profile I should use when working on older images?

A couple of years ago I owned a Tamron AF 200-400 mm f3.5-5.6 G IF ED so perhaps I could use the profile for the Tamron SP 200-500 mm f5-6.3 Di AO8E as a start?

Thank you.

[Shadowman]

See the video.
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/ho...orrection.html

I have at times had the program load a different profile than the lens I was using. Usually only occurred with my 10-24mm UWA lens and a 14-24 profile was chosen.

[Brownbear]

Thank you for sharing. It's a great basic video.

The thing that I find hard with using manual corrections, is that needed corrections are far easier to see and fix in architectural images than say an image of a bird or a whale, hence the question about using a similar lens profile as a starting point.

See the video.
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/ho...orrection.html

I have at times had the program load a different profile than the lens I was using. Usually only occurred with my 10-24mm UWA lens and a 14-24 profile was chosen.

[Shadowman]

Thank you for sharing. It's a great basic video.

The thing that I find hard with using manual corrections, is that needed corrections are far easier to see and fix in architectural images than say an image of a bird or a whale, hence the question about using a similar lens profile as a starting point.

It depends on the corrections needed, for chromatic aberration the video showed a good example of how to correct. I doubt if you'll get any keystoning in a nature capture but you might get what looks like an elongated figure, not sure if I've ever seen how that would be corrected. What were the particular issues you were trying to correct with animal imagery?

[Brownbear]

Thank you, John

I suppose I'm just curious because as I learn more I realize how much more I need to learn.

Yes, CA is easy enough... Perhaps distortion, or knowing if an image is level/vertical when there are no trees or the image lacks a horizon. More so, I've noticed that when one chooses an alternate lens and hits the lens correction (auto) the exposure and the tones of the image change, especially if you choose the wrong lens. Perhaps it is not important, and just comes down to having an artistic vision of the final image.

Thank you.

It depends on the corrections needed, for chromatic aberration the video showed a good example of how to correct. I doubt if you'll get any keystoning in a nature capture but you might get what looks like an elongated figure, not sure if I've ever seen how that would be corrected. What were the particular issues you were trying to correct with animal imagery?

[Manfred M]

Christina - even with two lenses that have similar focal lengths and similar apertures, the lens behaviour can be quite different from one generation to the next. Look at the specs and you will see that there are mechanical and optical changes with lens updates. The new lens may have more or less elements and both the design and groupings will be different and the glass formulations will be different.

Based on that premise, the Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, etc. profiles for the same "spec" lens should be identical, and they are not. I just checked out the profile correction for two well known Nikon lenses; the current and previous generation f/2.8 70-200mm lens, and the profiles are noticeably different.

So, if you need these profiles, see if someone has already built them or make your own, but using a different lens profile will not be correct and the resulting image might be better or might be worse than not correcting at all.

[Brownbear]

Thank you, Manfred.

That's exactly what I wanted to know, and truly appreciated. Since it is likely needed just for a few old images I think it is probably best if I use the manual corrections and go with what looks best. I checked out building profiles and it seems quite complicated and time consuming.

Christina - even with two lenses that have similar focal lengths and similar apertures, the lens behaviour can be quite different from one generation to the next. Look at the specs and you will see that there are mechanical and optical changes with lens updates. The new lens may have more or less elements and both the design and groupings will be different and the glass formulations will be different.

Based on that premise, the Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, etc. profiles for the same "spec" lens should be identical, and they are not. I just checked out the profile correction for two well known Nikon lenses; the current and previous generation f/2.8 70-200mm lens, and the profiles are noticeably different.

So, if you need these profiles, see if someone has already built them or make your own, but using a different lens profile will not be correct and the resulting image might be better or might be worse than not correcting at all.

[Manfred M]

Frankly, unless you are actually seeing the effects of distortion and they are negatively affecting your image; pin-cushion or barrel distortion from wide angle lenses in architectural shots, for example, I would be very surprised if anyone even noticed that you have not applied lens correction to the image most of the time.

In the film days, these types of corrections were not possible, so there is an awful lot of work by the likes of Cartier-Bresson, Robert Cappa, Philippe Halsman, etc. running around that never saw this feature applied to their magnificent images... And they are still great images.

[loosecanon]

The Adobe site has a lot of corrections developed for older and independent lenses by others, which are frer to download and use. Some may be for a difffernet camera model, but here all that really matters if it is full frame or crop frame. As an example The Somyang 14mm lens has a complex distortion, a profile exists for it used with a canon 5D mk II, one can use the profile with the 5D III or 6D.