[Derridale]

I have a couple of K20D bodies, and a biggish selection of lenses, all of which get used.

However, I am constantly frustrated by the tilting effect of trying to photograph tall buildings from reasonably close, and yes, I know I can correct that to a large extent in software afterwards, but can anyone suggest a tilt-shift lens (not a Lens-Baby) that will allow minimal toppling of tall buildings?

I have looked on Adorama, but the only tilt-shift lenses I could find there are Canons. Not even any Nikon ones - strange. Probably there, but my searches didn't turn them up.

And none in a Pentax fitting, either native Pentax or third-party, that I could find.

So, I bow to the more knowledgable experts in here to come up with some suggestions, if there is such a lens around, and where to find out about it?

Thanks in advance

[Aristophanes]

This might help:

Arax Photo | Specials | MC ARAX 2.8/35mm Tilt & Shift lens.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=179&IID=6264

And Nikon does make a PC-E Nikkor at 24mm.

This is Canon's roost, that's for sure. Pentax would have winner if they took the DA 35 and made a TS option.

[RawheaD]

Yup, pretty much, Arax/Photex is the only option you have, which limits the focal length to 35mm... 52mm equivalent FOV on APS-C, which makes it kind of not worth it for perspective correction.

You'd get much better bang for the buck if you used a DA15 or something and cropped. Unless you absolutely need the resolution and can live with a 50mm equivalent FOV.


Personally, I'd purchase a 5D and the older TS-E 24mm (going for $750 or so these days), if you wanna get serious about perspective controlled architectural photography. That'll still run you less than getting that PC Super-Angulon (which will only give you 40mm equivalent FOV)

[Aristophanes]

There's also this:

PTLens

[Nick Siebers]

For the tilted buildings you only need a shift lens, and Pentax did make one of those, 35mm I think.

[stevebrot]

There have been several threads regarding tilt, shift, and tilt-shift options in Pentax mount. Try a little searching...

The short answer is that they are hard to come by in focal lengths that work well with the smaller APS-C sensor. Solutions include:

• Hartblei ($$$$ for current models...quite a bit less for FSU versions)
• Schneider Super Angulon Shift (see comment above, also $$$$)
• Arax/Arsat lenses from Arsenal in the Ukraine
• Pentax-K 28mm shift
• Conversions from Olympus and other mounts
• Very pricey view camera-like adapters

I finally gave up and bought a 4x5 view camera.


Steve

[Derridale]

Thank you all for the rapid replies - much appreciated, and one of the reasons I love this forum And thanks also to Gordon for the PM contact.

It is all starting to look a bit on the difficult side, although I have found a couple more threads on the subject buried in these forums, and Gordon also gave me a couple of links. I'll do a bit more research, but my initial reaction is that I may be better to go with my DA15mm and just use the software correction in PP. The uses I would have for such a lens would be on a casual basis - I'm not an architectural photographer by profession.

I had thought that there may have been an easy-to-use lens that one simply put on the camera, shifted it around until things lined up, and took the shot...!

Silly moi...!

[gofour3]

I have a K28/3.5 Shift and it does a great job of correcting converging lines, which make buildings look like they are falling over. I’m not sure how it would work on a DSLR, but on a film camera it’s a joy to use.

It’s a bit pricy, but fairly easy to find one in good shape. Check out the lens review DB for more info and here is a link to the K28/2.5 Shift manual:

http://www.pentax.ca/pdf/o_manuals/om_28MMSHIFT_e.pdf

Phil.

[Dizono]

I have a K28/3.5 Shift and it does a great job of correcting converging lines, which make buildings look like they are falling over. I’m not sure how it would work on a DSLR, but on a film camera it’s a joy to use.

It’s a bit pricy, but fairly easy to find one in good shape. Check out the lens review DB for more info and here is a link to the K28/2.5 Shift manual:

http://www.pentax.ca/pdf/o_manuals/om_28MMSHIFT_e.pdf

Phil.

Agree with that. I do use it on a digital body, but not a pentax. A fullframe Canon is the one who's enjoying the view of this great lens.

Although 28mm isn't very wide on a crop camera, it is possible to make wideangle pictures. Just rotate and shift the lens to different positions and stich them together in photoshop. I did it with 10 pictures, 12,7 MP each and ended with a 56 megapixel image (and that was after cropping the image to loose the white corners!)



It will take some time, and maybe you need more pictures when using a cropbody but the result will be worth it!