Utilization of Tilt-shift (TS-E for Canon, PS-E for Nikon) - it IS more than a toy

[catspaw]

Plan: visiting home sweet home (Marin County, CA) with some fun trips planned in there as well as some San francisco bound photo geekery - erm, at least to the Crumpler Store.

Wine country, Russian River, Pt Reyes again, many divine meals, and really just about everything else that my love of this area lets me unleash over my 6 day visit.

RENTING! Nikkor 24mm PS-E lens. Why? why not? bored as hecks up here until spring invades the canyons and then you seize the mornings and go invade miles and miles of flowers. Until your sinus refuse to work anymore.


But? This CA trip? Variety in placed I'm heading and going to see + familiarity with the area and my gear that this one thing will be the 'treat' to play with + vistas close and far and ....

so renting the 24mm PC-E Nikkor for the trip. Maybe even a tad of fun here at home before I must mail it back.

my point? yes. that.

I've seen different techniques used on these lenses from the even focus to the 'miniaturizing' effect to others. But has anyone seen a primer (online, book, whatever) that'd help me utilize? no point getting something without preparation to 'play' as much as I can.

so. education? links? photos with 'how I did this..'..... :bow:bow:bow:bow:bow

[AaronNelson]

one of the better reads

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/focusing-ts.shtml

[ziggy53]

In addition to using tilt-shift (T/S) and perspective control lenses, you can use stacking techniques and software to achieve a similar effect (commonly called "focus stacking").

While common in the macro world, where DOF is normally limited and T/S lenses don't exist, the same techniques can be applied using general purpose photographic lenses and cameras.

Why would you want to do this?

First is convenience. You get to use your existing lenses and don't have to purchase or carry rather expensive specialty lenses.

Second is cost. In order to have some flexibility in focal length you need to purchase several different expensive T/S lenses. With focus stacking you can even use zoom lenses with the advantage of multiple perspectives from the same position. Software cost ranges from free, CombineZM a fairly popular freeware tool, to moderate, for something like PhotoAcute Studio which, even at the "Pro" version of around $120USD, is fairly reasonable and has a few more tricks besides just focus stacking.

Third is potentially more control. Using a T/S lens on a digital SLR can be a lesson in frustration because accurate manual focus can be difficult on typical viewfinder screens. Using the focus stacking technique you just increment the focus in as fine an increment as you need and shoot as many "steps" as you need to cover the mean and the extreme.

Focus stacking is not perfect and some subjects respond a lot better than others. It is also no good for shots which require a single instantaneous exposure.

[catspaw]

My photoshop skill(z) aren't up to that .. yet.

However, a few days rental of a TS/PC-E is definitely in the budget, but thanks Ziggie!

[catspaw]

one of the better reads

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/focusing-ts.shtml

Excellent read Aaron, thank you!