[newarts]

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A tilt lens can be used to increase the effective DOF for a macro so perspective can be used. This trick might be useful for product photos for example.

Here's the results of a test I made to demonstrate the effect:


The lens is a 65mm F3.5 MIR medium format lens with a tilt adapter on a bellows; f-stop was the same for the two exposures.

As the lens tilts, what actually happens is the in-focus subject plane also tilts; for example, when shooting at a downward angle to a tabletop, the whole tabletop can be brought into focus by tilting the lens - the in-focus distance above the tabletop is still small, but a large area of the top can be in focus.

This might be helpful for shooting a bracelet or ring on a tabletop for example because perspective can be shown; ie the photo can be taken at an angle to the subject's plane.

Dave

See: Scheimpflug principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Last edited by newarts; 10-10-2010 at 12:23 PM.

[brecklundin]

isn't this one of the reasons for the tilt-shift lense? I ask because, really I don't know because while I do like product shooting, even when shooting Canon I could never afford their TS lenses.

If this is the reason thanks so much for making it simple for me to understand!!

[newarts]

isn't this one of the reasons for the tilt-shift lense? I ask because, really I don't know because while I do like product shooting, even when shooting Canon I could never afford their TS lenses.

If this is the reason thanks so much for making it simple for me to understand!!

Tilt lenses are mostly used for architectural work and for dramatic miniaturization and subject isolation effects effect by decreasing DOF.

A similar set-up is not too expensive:
A Russian M42-pentacon-six tilt adapter -$125 Hartblei Tilt Adapter for Pentacon Six Lens - Pentax - eBay (item 170548600701 end time Nov-02-10 22:14:31 PDT)
A Russian pentacon-six mount 45mm lens -$75 MIR-26 B 45mm f3.5 lens Kiev-6,60 Pentacon-six - eBay (item 180571079441 end time Oct-13-10 11:41:54 PDT)

Dave