The Cologne Cathedral (der Kölner Dom) didn’t fit into the wide end of my Nikon Df’s 28-200mm zoom lens. Nor could I make it fit into the extra-wide 21mm lens on my Reto Ultra Wide and Slim. So I got out my iPhone and set the camera to ultra wide — 13mm (equivalent). That did it. But even then, I had to back up so far that other smaller objects blocked some of the view, and I had to tilt the camera.
Finally, I’ve found a good use for the iPhone’s ultra wide camera!
When I visited in 1984, I knew that my cheap 110 camera couldn’t fit the entire cathedral into one frame. So I shot eight overlapping images of the church, working my way up from the bottom. For years, I had them taped in order to a piece of paper. But about 15 years ago I scanned the prints and used a program called Autostitch to bring them together. Then about 10 years ago I bought a cheap digitizer for my 110 negatives, and did the same.
For fun, I repeated the exercise with my Nikon Df and that 28-200mm zoom lens. I used Photoshop’s Photomerge feature this time. After 40 years I still haven’t learned to make more images across in the lower sections of such a large object.
My other cameras weren’t useless here. I got some good drama with the Nikon Df when I moved close and looked straight up.
I tried this angle on the Cathedral with the Reto Ultra Wide and Slim with Fujicolor 200.
Finally, with the Pentax IQZoom 170SL, I went for a conventional straight-on shot. It was a full-sun morning, with light falling directly onto this scene. The T-Max 100 film inside returned great detail. I developed the film in Rodinal 1+50.
My iPhone proved useful one more time at the cathedral for a good selfie.
I also photographed the cathedral from the rear, and made a whole bunch of images inside. But this post is long enough, and those images will wait for another day.
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