The Balfron Tower – Nikon 19mm PC-E F/4 Lens review

Since moving to the Poplar area 10 months ago I’ve been fascinated with the Balfron Tower which is a few hundred metres from my home. The building was designed by the Hungarian architect Erno Goldfinger and completed in 1967. It was a precursor for The Trellick Tower in West London.

More info on the The Balfron Tower here.

Photographing this huge Brutalist slab of concrete presents many challenges for a photographer, surrounded by housing to the west and the busy A12 road to the east, it is difficult to get a clear view of the building, whilst keeping verticals straight.

Until the Nikon 19mm PC-E tilt shift lens arrived that is. I’ve been happily working with the Nikon 24mm PC lens for the last couple of years, but have often been restricted by the possible field of view, unable to get far enough away from a tall building to fit it in the frame, I would glance enviously at my Canon compatriots who have had the 17mm and 24mm PC lenses available for years.

Now the 19mm Nikon version makes shooting monolith’s like the 27 storey Balfron Tower possible. Here are some pictures from my first outing today with the new kit. I’m looking forward to re-visiting much of London’s architecture over the next few months with this lens.