Forgive what is probably a stupid question - but I am still new to TSE lens's.

What is the benefit of sending the lens into Canon/Nikon to have the tilt/shift and rise/fall axis aligned?

I have purchased the Canon 24mm TSE and done some test shots with it tonight and got great results by using live view on the 1DS MKIII - effectivley getting clear sharp images from my feet to infinity [which is what I purchased the lens for].

So just unsure what this 'tweak' offers in the way of benefit?

Josh,
It changes the axis of Tilt and Shift from 90° (Tilt is perpendicular to Shift - in other words: if you shift vertically, then tilt will be horizontal) to 0° (Tilt is aligned with Shift: you shift vertically, then you can also tilt vertically).

Read Jack Flesher's article (here), you can do it yourself without any problem. Be sure to follow each step carefully.

Ahh. I see - thankyou.

So effectivley with the modification - one can have a rising or falling front with tilt - which is impossible with the lens standard configuration. This would be very handy in landscape I would imagine.

You could use shift to correct the framing that is slightly altered by tilting the lens to get extended depth of field - correct?

Wheres my screwdriver - its time for modification.

Josh,
If you do it yourself, get a good screwdriver!
Anyway, it took me 5 minutes. Canon told me that it would take 3 weeks at least.

Jack Flesher has a little tute on reorienting a TS at Outback PHoto clear at the bottom of this essay
http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_42/essay.html

Diane

It's the same that I linked above.

There must be some necessity to design them this way as the new Nikon has the same issue and comes from the factory off axis. Why not have a another rotation collar to change the axis? Having used them for some years the only drawback I have ever found to having the T/S on the same axis is when carrying the lens on camera, on a tripod on rough terrain, there is more of a tendency for the lens to loosen up and "sink". But that is a minor issue if you simply check the settings before the next shot.

[quote=Kirk Gittings,May 26 2008, 11:11 AM]
There must be some necessity to design them this way as the new Nikon has the same issue and comes from the factory off axis.



Does anyone know if it matters whether the rotation is done clockwise or counter-clockwise with the Nikon 24mm PC-E?

Thanks,
Phil

Precisely! Its such good service by Outback Photo that they have shown how to do this! It allowed me to experiment with both settings. Without such an example I would have had shipped it to Canon!
Thomas

Sorry, I missed that link.

Before buying the 45TS (and renting the 24 TS) I considered the 35mm Hartblei Super Rotator (can't find the link on my laptop so will add it when I'm on my main). There hasn't been much written about them for a good while---and I don't know about the optics vs. the Canon---altho' at one time there was a long thread about a comparison on dpreview. Michael wrote about the MF Hartblei Super Rotator here http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...artblei45.shtml but I've not found anything about the 35mm for a good while. With this you can orient in either direction and 'off' 45/90. I wonder if anyone here has any experience with them (Ukranian).

Diane

Before buying the full set of Canon t/s lenses, 24, 45, and 90 (plus an Olympus 35 PC), I looked at a comparative tests online and the Hartblei was weak in comparison to the Canons. Later I saw Michael's positive review and wished I had had the chance to try one first hand. I can no longer find the original link. This was like two years ago. I can say that the Canon 45 and 90 are very good lenses and don't suffer from any of the the corner vignetting and falloff at extreme shifts that the 24 t/s (though still very serviceable when you don't push it to extremes) does.

Did this modification tonight - it took all of 5 minutes with the right screwdriver to hand and was very simple. Definately a DIY process - no need to send to Canon.

I modified my 3 TS-E lenses myself, and it went fine, until the last screw on the last lens. The last screw was very tight, and as I applied a little force downwards, to get the screw to move, the tilt mechanism moved (despite being locked tightly), moving the screwdriver off-axis, and resulting in the screw stripping. I then had to send the lens away to have the stripped screw replaced (no big hassle, cost £20 + P&P).

Therefore my tip is: before attempting to loosen a screw for the first time, lock the tilt mechanism not at the central position (no tilt), but at the maximum tilt, such that any force you apply cannot make the tilt move further. You might not need it, but I sure wish I'd thought of it beforehand.

[quote=Philip Weber,May 26 2008, 10:27 AM]
[quote=Kirk Gittings,May 26 2008, 11:11 AM]
There must be some necessity to design them this way as the new Nikon has the same issue and comes from the factory off axis.
Does anyone know if it matters whether the rotation is done clockwise or counter-clockwise with the Nikon 24mm PC-E?

Thanks,
Phil

[/quote]


I am interested in doing the rotation of a 24mm PC-E myself... has anyone determined if it requires a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation? One way to find out, if nobody has tried it themselves, is to see a picture of one that has been factory-modified. If the control knobs are now both on the opposite sides of the lens, that would specify the rotation direction.
Anybody know?

Thanks!
John

With the "factory" set up, how are the results using "tilt" for DOF and "shift for left, center, right stitching?

Steve