A while back I saw a tutorial on modifying the tilt shift of the Nikkor 85mm PC lens.
I seem to remember that it was on Bjorn's site, but I can't remember, and I can't find it.

Does anyone know of these instructions?

(To make a small modification to put the tilt AND the shift that are normally at 90 degrees to one another, in the same planes)?

Thanks-

Mark

As delivered, the 85 PC has its shift and tilt movements orientated at right angles. This is incidentally the same way Canon TS lenses are set up. While this design possibly can be advantageous for tabletop and studio work, it is not optimal for nature and landscape photography. Fortunately, Nikon stated in their leaflet that the movements could be made to work in parallel. Not willing to wait for this modification to be carried out, and uncertain about the non-specified surcharge for doing this, I soldiered on to make the change myself. It took just 5 minutes using a small screwdriver and a pair of pliers. Thus I ended up with my 85 PC working literally in parallel to my other TS lenses. I have since modified a couple of other 85 PCs and noted that the modification may be a bit tricky on some of them. If in doubt, hand the lens over to the nearest authorised Nikon repair facility.(Bjorn on Naerfoto)

I looked but couldn't find the instruction complete with photos as I too remembered seeing.

bob

[quote=Mark Lindquist,Feb 6 2008, 09:23 PM]
A while back I saw a tutorial on modifying the tilt shift of the Nikkor 85mm PC lens.
I seem to remember that it was on Bjorn's site, but I can't remember, and I can't find it.

Here is an article on how to convert a Canon T/S lens which may be of some help:

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_42/essay.html

Thanks Bob-
Yeah I have the 85 PC and want to modify it but wanted to refer to the article. Hmmm, I wonder what he might have done with it, or why it was taken down...

You are right about actually sending it to Nikon, but I was hoping to do it myself or find someone who wouldn't charge as much as they would.

Appreciate your comments-

Mark

[quote=Mark F,Feb 6 2008, 04:52 PM]
[quote=Mark Lindquist,Feb 6 2008, 09:23 PM]
A while back I saw a tutorial on modifying the tilt shift of the Nikkor 85mm PC lens.
I seem to remember that it was on Bjorn's site, but I can't remember, and I can't find it.

Here is an article on how to convert a Canon T/S lens which may be of some help:

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_42/essay.html

[/quote]


Thanks Mark - that article is helpful. I'd sure like to find Bjorn's article...
It was specific to this lens and very thorough.

Thanks for the link-

Mark

I actually prefer the default configuration. I can see how the alternate configuration would make using tilt a bit more convenient, but 90% of my use of the 85 PC is for stitching, and with the default configuration it's possible to tilt while stitching if the situation requires it. If you swap the tilt orientation you cannot use tilt when stitching.

I emailed Bjørn and he told me he had not written the article, so I must have seen it somewhere else. He had good advice, which was to use a soldering iron to loosen the loctite holding the 4 small screws - very helpful.

Bjørn says he changes the configuration on site and in the field at will, depending on which configuration is preferred. I'm not quite that ready to mess with my lens out in the puckerbrush like that but I wouldn't mind doing the modification under optimal circumstances.


Mark

I am not sure I understand the "issue", in fact I am not sure I understand the significance of modification the OP was talking about.

I have this lens and have not used it much other than for table stop stuff.. I was going to use it for taking and then stitching multiple images together and found this thread because I am looking for a decent tutorial on where to start with this.

Anybody care to elaborate on the problem the OP is trying to solve and in your case Jeff why you can't use the lens for stitching if configuration is changed? Links to an explanation will work too.

Thx in advance..

It's not so much a problem per-se, as a matter of preference. As shipped, the Tilt control is on the opposite axis as the Shift control, ie if you're shifting left/right you can only tilt up/down, and vice versa. If you want to tilt and shift in the same direction, you need to make the modification that Mark was talking about.

As for my issue with stitching, you can still stitch after making the modification, you just can't use tilt while stitching. If you did, the plane of focus would not match up on the overlapping images when you tried to stitch them.

With the lens in its default configuration, I can use horizontal shift to create panoramic images while at the same time using tilt on the vertical axis to increase depth of field. That can be pretty handy since at 85mm you don't always have as much DOF as you would like.