A perspective-control lens (like the 24mm Zuiko) does not increase or
decrease the distortion of an image. Rather, it lets the camera remain
parallel to the object being photographed, while the lens moves to
center the part of the object you want to photograph on the film. The
principle is exactly the same as moving the front or back standards of a
view camera vertically or laterally.
The range of movement, however, is less than that from a view camera.
Nor do you have all the other view camera movements (such as tilting the
back and lens board to increase depth of field). The 24mm Zuiko shift
costs almost $1800. If you often take architectural photos, you'd be
better off putting that money towards a view camera and lenses. You can
get a decent view camera for around $1000, and a lens with sufficient
coverage costs around $600, so a view-camera outfit wouldn't cost much
more than the Zuiko. And you'd be adding a whole new format to your
photographic aresenal.
By the way, the convergence of lines when you tilt the camera back is no
more "distortion" than the exaggerated perspective you see when you use
a wide-angle lens close to the object being photographed. In general,
lenses show the world pretty much the way the eye sees it. The only
lenses that produce true distortion are fisheyes. *
* An argument could be made that wide angles (especially 28mm and wider)
distort the image because the focal length of the lens must increase
away from the center in order to bring the image to focus at the film
plane. (The human eyeball is curved, not flat.) Don't flame me on this.
Any expert out there have a definitive answer?
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