ShiftN for Windows

Used ShiftN for Windows?

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffFebruary 21, 2024

Professional photographers use shift lenses (expensive) or special large-format cameras to avoid the undesirable visual effects caused by converging lines in images, especially in architectural and landscape photos. Marcus Hebel's ShiftN is freeware that does much the same thing, analyzing images for parallel lines and correcting the perspective.

ShiftN's simple, efficient interface is divided between two panels, an image pane and an EXIF data view that also serves as a preview pane for image processing. Aside from a file menu bar, this program has five buttons: Open, Automatic Correction, Re-Optimize, Adjust Correction, and Save and Exit. We clicked Open and loaded the program's sample image. We could apply a grid to the image via the View menu. We selected the autocorrect option, and ShiftN processed the image, displaying converging lines and other image elements in the preview pane image. We saved the image and then opened both the original and processed images for comparison. The changes made by ShiftN are subtle but highly effective, shifting the perspective in the frame to a more attractive plane. Next we applied ShiftN to an image of a lighthouse. The correction provided a much more accurate view that didn't distort the width of the structure's base. Using the adjustment sliders, we could drastically alter the perspective to achieve custom effects. ShiftN's Options and Help file make this versatile tool easy to set up, too.

With ShiftN, owners of point-and-shoot cameras can approximate the capabilities that professional photographers spend thousands of dollars to achieve. It's easy enough for amateurs yet advanced enough for pros to use to try out shots before they shoot.

ShiftN for Windows

Used ShiftN for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: July 30, 2012

Latest update: February 21, 2024

Version: 4.0

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 10
Windows 8.1
Windows 8
Windows 7

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 8,554

Downloads Last Week: 6

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Last Updated

User Reviews

4.4/5

5 User Votes

Simply superb. Simple to use and phenomenally effective
October 27, 2015
Pros
Simple to use. Does exactly what it says.
Cons
No cons. Does a great job.
Summary
This is a very useful program
casilleroAugust 8, 2012
Pros
I have used the earlier version [3.6.0] for some years and find it a very useful program for improving perspective. I usually only use it with the automatic correction, but no doubt with a bit of input I could make further adjustments. I would certainly recommend it to others.
Cons
NONE! IT WORKS FIRST TIME
Summary
Works well
Mr EarlFebruary 29, 2012
Pros
Very easy to use
Cons
No problems
Summary
A very handy tool.
Very useful correction program.
casilleroOctober 13, 2011
Pros
This program readily corrects poor perspective in the original image. I have used this for a number of years.
Cons
None that have caused me problems
Summary
Overall does a pretty good job
chalkinoSeptember 28, 2008
Pros
Nice clean interface. Reasonably easy to use on automatic settings. It does get confused though.
Cons
The option parameters take some amount of knowledge, and the manual operation can sometimes be tricky and time consuming. Multiple angle confusion. The batch facility relies on all the angles to be corrected as the same, otherwise it doesnt work.
Summary
For a simple operation, eg. A building with very little else to interfere with it, works very well. When the picture contains many converging verticals however,it can sometimes get confused, and lead to some 'interesting' results. The Batch facility in reality is not of much use, as it uses the parameters set for the first photo, which is fine if all the buildings are taken at the same angle of elevation, which in reality is not going to be the case. This could be useful only if using a tripod for example, and possibly for 'multi-exposure' shots, say for an HDR image, where all the images must be taken from a fixed position. If you don't have 'proper' image manipulation software, eg. Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro etc, its does a reasonable job. These programs have the same facility, and as a 'stand alone programme with these along with these, it would not be worth the extra effort to add this to the list of 'things to do' Overall however, worth a try, and better still its free!

Developer’s Description

By Marcus Hebel

Correct converging lines automatically.

ShiftN permits correction of converging lines a majority of the correction work is taken over automatically by the program. Both the effects of converging lines and poor camera angle are corrected automatically. The process in ShiftN is to search the image first for straight lines and edges, and to consider those which are sufficiently vertical to be likely architectural elements. On the basis of these straight line segments the program runs an optimization process that attempts to determine perspective, correcting the image so the lines are made parallel to each other.