As a quick side comment, the process of focussing with tilted lenses on a view camera is a lot simpler with cameras - like the Ebony - that have a so called assymetric tilt capability.

The assymetric tilt is based on the rotation axis of the film plane being located lower than the middle of the film.

Thanks to this there is no need to iterate in order to set the focus.

Just focus the location of the tilt axis at infinity and then tilt the film plane until the foregounrd comes into focus... voila...

There is a need to iterate several times with most cameras like the Linhof to get the same result and even if pre-computed angles help they just don't cut it when critical sharpness is required.

Cheers,
Bernard

This was Sinar's big edge back in the 80's when they held a patent on this.

Michael

Correct indeed, but surprisingly Sinar and Ebony are still the only 2 brands I am aware of doing this as we speak, and Ebony is the only one doing it with view cameras designed for field use.

Regards,
Bernard

I am confused by the title of this thread. I made my living for 30 years with View Cameras and I have never seen a View Camera tilt/shift lens. View cameras do not use tilt/shift lenses. The tilts and shifts are part of the camera body. View Camera lenses have fixed mounts but have excess coverage to accommodate the lens moving off axis because of the use of tilts and shifts of the camera body.

Good Point Kirk :-) and correct it is.

and I am pretty sure the OP just got carried away in the title :-)

cheers

Henrik

I think if Bernard had titled it "Focussing with (Tilt-shift) lenses on view cameras" he would have achieved his goal of attracting readers of the TS lens tutorial to the benefits of some view cameras with the asymmetric tilt - most view cameras make all lenses attached to the cmaera into lenses with tilt shift capability. But Kirk, he did not intend to mean any other kind of lens than the "usual" kind for view cameras.

Correct, sorry for the inacurate wording.

Cheers,
Bernard

Correct.

Cheers,
Bernard