90mm Tilt Shift Lens

[Tom Robbins]

I've spent most of this summer experimenting with Canon's TS-E 90mm lens. It has been an interesting experience. After a whole lot of tilting and shifting, my respect for earlier generations of photographers has grown tremendously.

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/128811167.jpg

This photo of the Illinois River taken shortly after dawn several weeks ago is a throw-away, but it might serve to demonstrate how to "skim" the plane of the river's surface at a wider aperture and faster shutter speed than would have been possible with a normal lens. This opens doors for creative possibilities not available with normal lenses. This is old stuff and nothing new for most folks here, but it has been nothing less than a revelation for me.

Tom

[Asher Kelman]

I've spent most of this summer experimenting with Canon's TS-E 90mm lens. It has been an interesting experience. After a whole lot of tilting and shifting, my respect for earlier generations of photographers has grown tremendously. This photo of the Illinois River taken shortly after dawn several weeks ago is a throw-away, but it might serve to demonstrate how to "skim" the plane of the river's surface at a wider aperture and faster shutter speed than would have been possible with a normal lens. This opens doors for creative possibilities not available with normal lenses. This is old stuff and nothing new for most folks here, but it has been nothing less than a revelation for me.

Tom



http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/128811167.jpg


Hi Tom,

I'm so delighted to see this. Bart and I believe Michael Fontana showed us the 24mm TSEII and then both Cem and I got hooked too. I must admit I have been using the lens more as a walk around lens with my 5DII. However, I'm using the shift and Tilt separately. The shift for architecture and the tilt for art.

Your application, getting the low wave patterns over such a distance demonstrates the utility for creatve work and the practicality of being able to open up and yet tilt the plane of focus. Nik's new HDR might be worth looking at for creative development to take this a step further.

Asher

[Mark Hampton]

Tom,

that lens and a good focus screen will finish me for years... Nice image btw.

cheers

[Tom Robbins]

Mark and Asher,

Thank you for your comments, they're much appreciated. Shifting with this lens makes creating panoramas easy. Level the camera body (I use a bubble level attached to the hot shoe) and then take a series of photos from left to right, or right to left. There is some light falloff at the extreme ends, so I usually avoid them.

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/129293776.jpg

Link to larger image - http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/129293776

[Asher Kelman]

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/129293776.jpg



This is a very effective image. Thanks for sharing. I do especially like the added detail on the old building in the form of text. Makes it more specific and less generic as if the place is not one of those anonymous farms but a real special location with meaning.

Do you shift your camera on a rail in the opposite direction to neutralize the lens movement? Do you ever use filters to this lens for the sky?

Asher

[Tom Robbins]

Hello Asher,

I try to travel as light as possible, so no rail is used. As for filters, I tend to avoid them altogether, especially for skies. ND grads have to be perfectly aligned with the horizon (got enough plates in the air already) and circular polarizers tend to produce uneven effects across a blue sky. This could be minimal at 90mm, but even so, I'd just as soon not place any glass between my subject and the front of a lens. Guess I've turned into a curmudgeon in my old age, heh-heh...

[Asher Kelman]

Hello Asher,

I try to travel as light as possible, so no rail is used.

I ask since I'm toying with the idea myself! currently I use my 24 mm TSE as my main travel lens and do not account for the distance. You have managed perfectly well. With a shorter focal length one tends to work closer and perhaps a rail would be a good idea.

Your work in the stitching is flawless. I think that's because of the distance to the structures are relatively large. Likely the stitch was not in a complex part.

Asher

[Tom Robbins]

Asher,

Your thoughts regarding the 24mm version got the old wheels spinning. The 90mm has opened a lot of creative possibilities; possibly more than any other recent addition to the toolkit. Aside from the flexibility of the shift and tilt, the acuity of the optics is mesmerizing. If this is true at the other focal lengths, I may have to rethink my retirement plans.

Do you have any 24mm images you care to share? If so, I'd very much like to see them.

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/129464629.jpg

This is an experiment in horizontal tilt. The 90mm was adjusted to follow - more or less - the inside surface of the railing of the bridge at f/2.8. It's not much of an image (no critiques, please) but it illustrates the idea that the focal "plane" is actually more a wedge which widens with distance from the camera. This is old hat for most folks here, but it is an essential concept for Scheimpflug newbies like me.

[Mark Hampton]

Asher,

Your thoughts regarding the 24mm version got the old wheels spinning. The 90mm has opened a lot of creative possibilities; possibly more than any other recent addition to the toolkit. Aside from the flexibility of the shift and tilt, the acuity of the optics is mesmerizing. If this is true at the other focal lengths, I may have to rethink my retirement plans.

Do you have any 24mm images you care to share? If so, I'd very much like to see them.

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/129464629.jpg

This is an experiment in horizontal tilt. The 90mm was adjusted to follow - more or less - the inside surface of the railing of the bridge at f/2.8. It's not much of an image (no critiques, please) but it illustrates the idea that the focal "plane" is actually more a wedge which widens with distance from the camera. This is old hat for most folks here, but it is an essential concept for Scheimpflug newbies like me.

Tom,

keep them coming - the above seems to me to be using this lens to help direct the subject of the image to me - the hand rail (steadying the eye on the path across the bridge).. man you I ken this is going to dent my wallet!!

[Asher Kelman]

Mark,

I agree that the lens tilt adds power even as the distant part of rail curves downwards and that's impressive as a guide for the eye. Now to add a model!

Asher

[Tom Robbins]

Asher,

One interesting aspect of panos is that they require pre-visualization. This is not unique to panoramas of course, but they serve as obvious examples of the notion. One sweep of a given scene with the eyes will take in a lot of information. Conjuring up an amalgam of discreet images takes a bit of effort.


http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/126847561.jpg

A little farm scene photographed with the 90mm with about 6 shifted frames this summer. I am very sorry it appears here so small, but that's the way things are set up at OPF, evidently.

[Asher Kelman]

Asher,

One interesting aspect of panos is that they require pre-visualization. This is not unique to panoramas of course, but they serve as obvious examples of the notion. One sweep of a given scene with the eyes will take in a lot of information. Conjuring up an amalgam of discreet images takes a bit of effort. A little farm scene photographed with the 90mm with about 6 shifted frames this summer. I am very sorry it appears here so small, but that's the way things are set up at OPF, evidently.





http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/126847561.jpg

Tom,

I love t5his scene!

You can go up to 1200 pixels wide! I like the sweep of the fields on the right. I wonder whether there's some way to strengthen to landscape to the left of the road and whether there's more texture to be found in the road itself by looking at the contrast and saturation of these elements.

Asher

[Tom Robbins]

Thanks Asher,

I didn't know 1200 pixels was possible here. There must be something about the photo sharing site that selects a smaller version of a photo. Another thing to noodle out...

[Tom Robbins]

90mm shifted upward this time to adjust perspective. These lens movements are addictive.

http://www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/131385994.jpg

There wasn't much to gain by tilting, so the lens was parallel to the sensor. Focus was at the top of the stairs at f8.

Not much going on here beyond the heavy overnight snow.

[Asher Kelman]

Tom,

Excellent seasonal picture. I love the drawing of the lens of the snow with good shading and the geometry of the bridge of snow-covered steps.

Asher

[Tom Robbins]

Thank you Asher, I spent an enjoyable half hour or so waiting for a gust of wind to knock some snow loose from the cedar trees at the top of the bluff trail. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, there were no other visitors to the state park that morning.