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Tilt-Shift Adapters for Manual Portraits
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PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2021 2:16 pm    Post subject: Tilt-Shift Adapters for Manual Portraits Reply with quote
Hi Everyone:

I saw someone use a FotodioX Pro TLT ROKR Tilt-Shift Adapter for a Canon to Sony mount, with a Biotar 75mm at f1.8. I have this lens and also the Helios 85mm. One of the problems is that both these lenses, which have the same design, have a very limited circle of sharp focus, basically square in the middle, taking up about 15% of the image area. But this fellow was able to get sharp focus about 2/3 up the image, and he told me it was because of the tilt-shift adapter. I would imagine that he simply sifted the point of focus somewhat. So is this a good solution if I want to move the point of focus in my portraits, particularly since in many of my portraits the face is 2/3 way up?

I also heard that one could narrow or expand the point of focus with a shift-tilt adapter. I am more interested in expanding since I shoot close to wide open, and I would like to get greater depth of field while not compromising on the bokeh. Is this really possible? Can someone please comment on this?

Thanks,

-Charles


PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2021 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
In case you don't already know Smile
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses1.htm
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses2.htm


PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2021 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
In case you don't already know Smile
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses1.htm
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses2.htm


Yes, I know the basics, but applying it to the kind of portrait photography that i do was new to me.


PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2021 6:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Tilt-Shift Adapters for Manual Portraits Reply with quote
charley5 wrote:
Hi Everyone:

I saw someone use a FotodioX Pro TLT ROKR Tilt-Shift Adapter for a Canon to Sony mount, with a Biotar 75mm at f1.8. I have this lens and also the Helios 85mm. One of the problems is that both these lenses, which have the same design, have a very limited circle of sharp focus, basically square in the middle, taking up about 15% of the image area. But this fellow was able to get sharp focus about 2/3 up the image, and he told me it was because of the tilt-shift adapter. I would imagine that he simply sifted the point of focus somewhat. So is this a good solution if I want to move the point of focus in my portraits, particularly since in many of my portraits the face is 2/3 way up?

I also heard that one could narrow or expand the point of focus with a shift-tilt adapter. I am more interested in expanding since I shoot close to wide open, and I would like to get greater depth of field while not compromising on the bokeh. Is this really possible? Can someone please comment on this?

Thanks,

-Charles

There is no 'point of focus' it's a 'plane of focus' (the plane is not quite flat in many real lenses). Tilting the lens tilts the plane of focus this can put more of the sample in the plane of focus (or if tilting the other way less of the subject). Getting the tilt right to get focus as you want it can be quite challenging, especially if the lens concerned adds significant field curvature.

I assume you want to shoot wide open to keep the bokeh circular, but this is limiting you DOF excessively. For normal portraits I'm not convinced tiling the lens will help much as a standing subject is normally close to parallel to the sensor (things can be quite different if the subject is reclining). Using a circular bokeh mask to reduce the aperture should be able to give you more DOF without changing the nature of your bokeh.

Tilting to reduce DOF is much easier Smile


PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2021 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is a guide I found for tilt use:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/using-lens-tilt-on-your-digital-slr/

I have a TLT ROKR on the way.


PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 5:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Tilt-Shift Adapters for Manual Portraits Reply with quote
DConvert wrote:
charley5 wrote:
Hi Everyone:

I saw someone use a FotodioX Pro TLT ROKR Tilt-Shift Adapter for a Canon to Sony mount, with a Biotar 75mm at f1.8. I have this lens and also the Helios 85mm. One of the problems is that both these lenses, which have the same design, have a very limited circle of sharp focus, basically square in the middle, taking up about 15% of the image area. But this fellow was able to get sharp focus about 2/3 up the image, and he told me it was because of the tilt-shift adapter. I would imagine that he simply sifted the point of focus somewhat. So is this a good solution if I want to move the point of focus in my portraits, particularly since in many of my portraits the face is 2/3 way up?

I also heard that one could narrow or expand the point of focus with a shift-tilt adapter. I am more interested in expanding since I shoot close to wide open, and I would like to get greater depth of field while not compromising on the bokeh. Is this really possible? Can someone please comment on this?

Thanks,

-Charles

There is no 'point of focus' it's a 'plane of focus' (the plane is not quite flat in many real lenses). Tilting the lens tilts the plane of focus this can put more of the sample in the plane of focus (or if tilting the other way less of the subject). Getting the tilt right to get focus as you want it can be quite challenging, especially if the lens concerned adds significant field curvature.

I assume you want to shoot wide open to keep the bokeh circular, but this is limiting you DOF excessively. For normal portraits I'm not convinced tiling the lens will help much as a standing subject is normally close to parallel to the sensor (things can be quite different if the subject is reclining). Using a circular bokeh mask to reduce the aperture should be able to give you more DOF without changing the nature of your bokeh.

Tilting to reduce DOF is much easier Smile


Thanks. I researched "circular bokeh mask" but only found information related to changing the shape of bokeh balls, such as heart-shaped. Can you point to more information on the subject of bokeh masks?


PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Slalom wrote:
This is a guide I found for tilt use:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/using-lens-tilt-on-your-digital-slr/

I have a TLT ROKR on the way.


thanks, very interesting, but lost me half way through with the technical parts!


PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 5:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Tilt-Shift Adapters for Manual Portraits Reply with quote
Thanks. I researched "circular bokeh mask" but only found information related to changing the shape of bokeh balls, such as heart-shaped. Can you point to more information on the subject of bokeh masks?[/quote]

as your investigations showed, Bokeh masks are simple shapes cut from an opaque material to give rise to an aperture of the shape desired. They are often used with elaborate shapes, but also work with circular cut outs, where they would be similar to waterhouse stops just fitted in front of the lens. as long as the shape is less than the size of the iris as seen from the front of the lens & the mask is tight up against the front element, it should work reasonably. I've used this approach when adapting projector lenses due to their lack of an aperture. I was thinking you could use this technique instead of the lenses iris if the aperture forms a shape not to your liking.
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