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I just got my first Tilt-Shift lens yesterday (Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L) and I'm really excited about getting out and taking some landscape shots with maximum depth of field. Hoping some users on here could help out with some tips to keep the trial and error period down to a minimum. Anyone?
Tip one...Live view is your friend. [;)]
Thank you. I have the 40D and when I was experimenting with it earlier I was using it that way. Having a hard time getting the tilt to work just right but maybe with more experimentation and practice I'll achieve the results I am looking for.
I use the 40D too. Shift is my most used function of the TS-E24L. Shift high DOF shots are fun to do though. I can't remember if the DOF preview button works with live view for sure, but think it does. Live view is great once the camera is on a tripod to get a precise manual focus.
I'd recommend manual mode exposures be made first with lens tilt/shift adjustments following. A hotshoe level is great for use when shooting buildings or other structures.
Canon released a three-page "white paper" when they announced their new TS lenses - check Bryan's News page (back in the timeframe when the new TS lenses were announced) for a link to it. I learned about the theory of tilt (big light bulb!!!) after reading that. Basically, the sensor, tilt plane, and focus plane/wedge all converge at a common point. If you draw a straight line through the things that you want in focus and extend that line back to the sensor plane, you'll have an intersection at which you'll want to aim the tilt plane.
Thanks Peety for the tip. I've read some about the Scheimpflug principle, which I think you are referring to, but I don't understand how to set the tilt to correct it. Hopefully, that "white paper" will turn that light bulb on for me.
You wouldn't happen to have a link to it would you?
Cut and paste from dpreview.com...
The author uses a combination of downward tilt and downward shift.
[url="http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_24_3p5_tse_c10/page5.asp]http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_24_3p5_tse_c10/page5.asp[/url]
<h3 class="H3-ruler"]Depth of field control using tilt movements</h3>
The
second major application for a perspective control lens is the use of
tilt to manipulate depth of field. When using a wideangle, this is most
widely used for extreme near-far compositions (common in landscape
photography) which require the depth of field to extend from a few
inches in front of the lens to the far distance. Use of downward tilt
can achieve such depth while still shooting at the lens's optimum
aperture.
The samples below illustrate this. On the left
is conventional shot with the lens set straight at F8 - the foreground
is in focus, but the background isn't. Apply downward tilt, and both
the foreground and background can be brought into sharp focus
simultaneously. In this particular shot, we've also used considerable
downwards shift to maintain the verticals of the church in the
background.
<table class="table-std6px" align="center" border="0" width="200"]
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>
<div style="font-weight: bold;" align="center"]No tilt</div>
</th>
<th>
<div style="font-weight: bold;" align="center"]Downward tilt</div>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<div align="center"][url="http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_24_3p5_tse_c10/Samples/applications/0T7H8233.jpg]http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...7H8233-001.jpg[/url]</div>
</td>
<td>
<div align="center"]http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...7H8238-001.jpg</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
I found the 3-page White Paper!!!
http://www.usa.canon.com/uploadedimages/FCK/Image/2009/Tilt%20Shift%20Whats%20New/Canon%20TiltShift%20Concepts.pdf
To help with leveling, I use a Canon grid pattern focus screen on my 1DMK11. This is my favorite screen. For your body, you would need the EF-D 2377B001 for $75 from Canon
Another option could be to get a 2 or 3 bubble Hot-shoe spirit level.
Be safe and happy shooting..
Chris...