Tilt Shift
Last updated: 2024-04-14
Pentax 6x7 to Sony E-mount
My FotodioX Pro TLT ROKR arrived today and I just couldn't wait to get out and explore it's capabilities.
It's an adapter for an ancient Pentax 6x7 lens to a modern Sony e-mount camera. It lets me shift the little APS-C sensor within the much larger "medium format" 6x7cm image that the Pentax lens creates and also allows tilting the focal plane to create different focal lengths within the same image.
In the ajacent selfie I tilted it so the focal plane recedes further up then stepped back to bring my face into focus. Thus the texture on the wall behind and above me comes is also in focus while my sparkly necklace is blurred producing intriguing bokeh balls. Being manual focus moving to the right position to do selfies is more practical than trying to adjust the lens. Note: this just to give U an impression of what it does, not a necklace fashion statment.
Today I had a go with the shift capability. The final result is to take a shot of my entrance porch with me emerging from the front room passage (adjacent).
Note: You can also achieve the shift function in post processing and some cameras have it built into the software (e.g. it's called "Keystone Compensation" on Olympus cameras), but it will result in cropping the image if you want it to remain rectangular.
Without the shift function I had the following problems:
The picture is dominated by a blank wall straight ahead and I myself am sliced off in the passage way.
So I decided take it from a different angle. Composition is a lot better, but horizontal lines all slope off with perspective making it look distorted.
Leaving the camera in the same position I line it up straight on (staring at an exterior wall) and then adjust the shift function to bring me (from the much larger 6x7 image) back on to the little APS-C sensor in my camera.
What do you think of the tilt-shift tecnology? Do you have an adaptor for it?
tilt-shift follow up
I've been having loads of fun with my tilt-shift adapter. I did learn that everything that the shift function achieves can be replicated in post processing, but I do find it a very handy feature to frame the picture just right after setting the camera up on a tripod and not losing any to cropping. At the moment, however what I want to share with you are these two examples of the tilt function which you cannot do in any other way other than perhaps pasting multiple images together. Using a wide open diaphragm for maximum bokeh I use the tilt to recede the focal point away from me back down a line of trees that mostly all come up in focus as a result.
Then I try the trees on the other side that are at cross purpose with the tilted focal plane.
OK nothing special from me yet and I'm finding it really hard dealing with an ancient manual focus lens when I'm standing a good 10 meters away 😉 However I recon a more experienced photographer could produce some rather epic images with this technology... don't you?
There were some insightful disqussions and in consequence I'm tempted to try get a Pentax 6x7 macro lens. There is a 135mm and also a 100mm. My experience with macro as well as tilt shift lenses is that I won't be wanting auto focus anyway!
Effective Tilt-Shift revisited
Tilting the focal plane is tricky focusing at different depths. In this picture I slant the focal plane away, the higher you go on the frame. Then I (manual) focussed on Shadow's face (the doll). The object of her attention (hatchling dragon) I carefully maneuver into place for it too to be in focus, but in the forground, with some intriguing bokeh inbetween.
Just wondering if anyone else here has been playing with tilt-shift technology recently. What do you think of it's potential to make the salient parts of a picture stand out and tell a story?
understanding the tilt adapter
It’s not immediately obvious which bit is out of focus for being too close and which bit for being too distant with a tilt-shift adapter.
horizontally at a fixed distance
As the lens and adapter are quite heavy it's better ballanced to fix the lens tp the tripod. The camera can then be rotated thru 360°, but the lens tilt is always the same direction in the scene. I haven't yet experimented with mounting the camera on the tripod and then rotating the lens and adapter. Thus in it’s upright position the lens is mounted above the tripod and tilt makes the focal plane recede higher up in the scene, regardless which orientation you choose for the camera.
so distance focus is on the left
Flipping the tripod head over to the left side (standing behind the camera like a traditional photographer rather than in front of it, like a selfieist), the tilt now slants the focal plane away to the left in the scene. So here the upper right corner is too far away, while the lower left is too close making a diagonal line of focus where the focal plane intersects the ground.
Now flip the camera over to the right of the tripod, once again tilt makes the focal plane recede as it goes away from the tripod. This time that means to the right in the scene. The image of course was upside down as forgot to rotate the camera thru 180, but that's easy enough to fix right here in post processing.
By tilting the tripd mount you can get the focal plane to slope away at different angles. I find it easiest to visualise relative to the tripod and then use the camera rotation to keep my picture in landscape or portrait.