What is the purpose of this lens: Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think...

DI Seller Loc: Knoxville, TN

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

DI Seller wrote:

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

Quick and simple - to correct perspective problems such as the sides of buildings looking like they are converging because the camera is looking up at them.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

DI Seller wrote:

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

It's all a matter of perspective

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Here is a comparison of a photograph taken with a typical lens with a photograph taken with a T&S lens. Using PhotoShop (or similar) the first photo can be edited to corrected perspective.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

DI Seller wrote:

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

The shift is for perspective correction, as mentioned. The tilt is for depth of field control utilizing Scheimpflug’s rule.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Now you have me confused. You say this is a comparison of tilt-shift and normal lens but this is an example of perspective correction with post processing. Then what is gained by spending $1K to $3K for a tilt-shift lens? My only guess is that the post-production perspective correction would result in lower resolution at the top of the image compared to the bottom?

Inquiring minds want to know!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Never mind. The Scheimpflug rule is all about plane of focus. Thank you, RWR!

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

This lens allow for some movements similar to a view camera. This helps with matters of plane focus, perspective and geometry. Lenses such as this have a image circle quite a bit larger than the sensor/ film size that allows for shift and they also have a tilt mechanism.
Here is a video by Fred Newman about view camera movements that may help explain it but remember it is a bit different for 35mm tilt-shift lenses but I feel that this illustrates the principles nicely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JU-eHpk97Y

Here is also a good article that explains it as well
https://paulturounetblog.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/view-camera-movements.pdf

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

robertjerl wrote:

Quick and simple - to correct perspective problems such as the sides of buildings looking like they are converging because the camera is looking up at them.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

OddJobber wrote:

Never mind. The Scheimpflug rule is all about plane of focus. Thank you, RWR!

You have to really need (or want!) the features to justify the cost of these lenses.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Nikonian72 wrote:

Here is a comparison of a photograph taken with a typical lens with a photograph taken with a T&S lens. Using PhotoShop (or similar) the first photo can be edited to corrected perspective.

Wow! I think you just figured out how to save the Leaning Tower Of Pisa!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

DI Seller wrote:

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

If your walking around the tall buildings in NYC and look up and want to shoot one. This lens can eliminate the converging lines of the building and straighten out the converging lines and make them go straight up instead on the building looking like it converges at the top. ie. gets narrower toward the top. Can do the same for interiors of buildings. Can also tilt a object either toward or away from the camera plane so from top to bottom it will be in focus. If you google this lens you might get utube videos on what it does and how to use it. Fun stuff.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DI Seller wrote:

Can someone tell me the purpose of a tilt & shift lens such as the Nikkor 45 or 85mm PC-E micro lenses. Let me also say that I think http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/compose-topic-screen?sectnum=1#all of you out there are outstanding. I have gained so much by reading your posts.

Here's what you can do with a tilt & shift. I recently saw an article about buying a cheap Russian lens, adding a rubber boot to match it to the camera, and getting the T&S effect that way.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tilt+and+shift+images&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS716US717&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=950&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0wZKZr8TSAhUGWSYKHSo7DhwQsAQIGQ

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

OddJobber wrote:

Now you have me confused. You say this is a comparison of tilt-shift and normal lens but this is an example of perspective correction with post processing. Then what is gained by spending $1K to $3K for a tilt-shift lens? My only guess is that the post-production perspective correction would result in lower resolution at the top of the image compared to the bottom?

Inquiring minds want to know!

If you use vertical shift, you can use your camera, leveled, and shift the lens up to capture the tops of the buildings and less of the foreground. When you correct in post processing there is an awful lot of cropping and interpolation going on, and image quality suffers from pixel loss.

Also, tilt/shift lenses have a huge image circle projected onto the sensor - to enable a considerable amount of shift and tilt without vignetting. When used without movements, you are using the center of the lens, which will provide really good image quality from corner to corner - a lot like using an FX lens on a DX camera.

cthahn

Not easy to describe and understand. Do a search on the internet and you will find a description and drawings showing how a shift and tilt lens functions. I have a shift and tilt bellows which can be used with any lens.