| Author: | | New Member Registered: October, 2022 Posts: 1 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2020 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: November 9, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $399.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very sharp, Excellent Contrast | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 6x7
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I use this as a general wide angle. Some people have trashed it for having "2" diaphragm scales, but this is how "preset" lenses work. I just set the desired aperture, but leave the "preset" ring wide so I can focus, then right before I hit the shutter, gently "flick" the preset ring and down it stops. It is very smooth and requires very little effort. I rarely use the shift function, with the hypothesis that with the huge image circle of this lens, I will carve out the best pic from using the central part of the image (without shift). This last part is why I chose it over the automatic diaphragm model 75/4.5. Other than the 45 or 55, its my most-used lens. If I need to photograph something that requires a shift (or tilt) then I get out the 4x Linhof!
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272 | | Review Date: February 11, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness | | Cons: | Hard to use at first | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: 6x7
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I bought this lens as a replacement for my 75 Takumar. I wanted the f/32 ability and the shift, as the old Takumar was limited in DOF and perspective control. It seems to be just as sharp as the 75 Takumar when unshifted and doesn't degrade much when shifted.
The lens design is a 9 element type with thick central elements that has Biogon heritage. Its cross section has similarities to the second version 55mm. The number of elements was increased to 9 (vs the 5 in the Takumar) primarily due to this lens being used off axis when shifting. Off axis aberrations become huge when any lens is used off axis, so more elements are needed to compensate. I have not seen any lateral color with this lens, as it is color corrected very well.
This lens does not have an AUTO/Man switch, as it has a manual diaphragm and therefore does not have wide open metering. But the use of 2 diaphragm rings only confuses matters. They should have used just one, like the other manual lenses to keep things consistent. I turn them both at the same time, treating them as one. Update-- After using this lens for several more years now, the second aperture ring does have value. It makes for an easy and quick opening/closing of the diaphragm. This lens will meter in the shifted mode when using the TTL prism. There is light loss when shifting because off axis light is spread thinner than on axis light. This is similar to winter light on Earth striking at a low angle and not warming the planet as much.
Most people will use the shift in the vertical mode for trees, buildings, tall cactus etc. It will however shift in many different orientations though. I use it unshifted as much as I do shifted. It is an excellent landscape lens, especially with its f/32 DOF. The DOF scale will become slightly off when shifting, so I recommend setting it a bit more conservative than when shooting unshifted. One way to do this is to set the DOF scale to f/16 but shoot at f/22. I would have preferred this lens be a bit wider, like 65mm since there are no 65mm fixed lenses. I use the 65mm setting on my zoom and find it to be a great focal length.
This is an outstanding lens that I couldn't afford many years ago but am now glad I tried one out.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2015 Location: Bielefeld, Germany Posts: 1 | | Review Date: August 7, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fine, sharp Lens, good features, not too heavy. | | Cons: | Hard to adjust, relatively expensive. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: 6x7 MU
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This lens is a fine lens. It won´t provide an extreme wide angle which some would prefer because it would be more dramatic. This is a modest lens. Handling can sometimes be tricky. It is not easy to pull or push down the shift. Color rendering and sharpness are very nice. You must use a tripod and then you will get tremendous results.
 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,089
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 12, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $475.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Shift function, excellent optics. Minimum aperture of F/32. | | Cons: | Not wide enough, difficult to use. | | Camera Used: 67, 67 and 67II
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The 75mm Shift lens is a late addition to the Pentax 6x7 system and the first version (6x7 75/4.5 Shift) was released in 1979. I have the second and last 1989 version (67 75/4.5 Shift) and it has the same optics as its predecessor.
Usage:
The 67 75/4.5 Shift features a direction control ring that rotates a full 360 degrees, with stops at 30 degree intervals. This gives you twelve horizontal/vertical/diagonal shifting directions. Within each direction you have 20 points on the shift scale, which control the amount of shift in millimetres. The shifting function of the lens is truly brilliant; however the handling of the 75mm shift is difficult and a bit frustrating:
- The biggest issue I have with this lens is that it’s not wide enough. For landscape shifting the 75mm focal length is fine, however it’s not for architectural work. Even using the camera in the vertical position won’t let you fit in taller buildings. The lens would be way more useful if it were a 55mm Shift.
- In certain shifting directions the distance scale on the lens will be rotated upside down and facing the ground. This is a real pain if you are using the lens on a tripod, as you have to crawl under the lens to check it. The two aperture rings are duplicated on the lens, so setting the aperture is not an issue in any position.
- It’s difficult to find specific shift directions on this lens with twelve to choose from and they are not marked. It usually takes me about four tries before I find the direction I want, so you waste a lot of time rotating the lens around. I guess if you used this lens every day you would remember them, but as a casual user of this lens I find it frustrating.
- It’s not surprising a shift lens has a manual diaphragm, but the 75mm shift uses an aperture preset ring as well as the regular aperture ring. The “Preset” is one extra ring that is not needed and the lens would be easier to use just with regular stop-down metering.
- If you place the 67 75/4.5 Shift next to the regular 67 75/4.5 lens you can see they have the same DNA. As a result the Shift lens is big (106.5mm), heavy (950g), slow (f/4.5), uses 82mm filters and has the same less than ideal minimum focusing distance (0.7m). However these issues are less annoying with the 75/4.5 Shift, as it’s a specialty lens that you will mostly use on a tripod. The 75mm Shift does inherit some of the sharpness of the regular 75/4.5, though the regular 75mm is better. The 75/4.5 Shift does have a better minimum aperture of F/32 than the regular 75/4.5's F/22, so it has lots of DOF for landscape shooting.
SHIFTING NOTES: Pentax recommends you slow down the shutter one stop to compensate for light loss, if you shift to near the 20mm maximum.
When shifting the centre of the film plane won’t match the optical axis of the lens. If you use the lens wide open the exposure will be uneven on both ends of the image. Stopping down to f/8 - f/11 is recommended to minimize the issue.
Focusing accuracy is reduced if using an aperture F/16 or smaller, due to diffraction of the incoming light.
A grid focusing screen also helps if you are doing architectural shifting. I use the Pentax 67II BG-60 and it works perfectly. If you use a screen with a split-image or micro-prism centre, these areas will be darkened. The BG-60 screen only has a circle, so it does not have this problem.
Also when doing architectural work a tripod is highly recommended, straightening a building handheld with this heavy lens is not fun! For landscape work hand-holding the lens is fine.
LENS ACCESSORIES: You can use the Auto Extension Tubes with the 75mm Shift, but not any Rear Converters. The 75mm Shift does not use a hood as it will interfere with the shifted image. However if you are using this lens as a regular 75mm wide angle and not shifting the lens, then you can use the PH-SA82 hood designed for the regular 75/4.5 lens.
FILTER: The 67 75/4.5 Shift uses 82mm screw in filters, or Pentax 6x7 82mm bayonet filters. The lens also accepts rear mount gelatin filters.
CASE: The 67 75/4.5 Shift comes with the S120-150 soft case.
HOOD: N/A
Summary:
Since the 75mm Shift is more of a specialty lens, I find I don’t use it much. It's also not wide enough and is difficult to use. However a Shift lens can be very useful, as long as you don’t mind the extra work fidgeting with the lens.
Price: I found my 67 75/4.5 Shift in a UK Camera store and it cost 299.00GBP. It was EXC+ condition and came with the lens case.
Sample shots taken with the 67 75/4.5 Shift. Photos are medium resolution Lab scans from original slides or negatives.
Camera: 67II Film: Kodak E100G ISO: 100
Camera: 6x7 Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 ISO: 400
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2010 Posts: 20
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Perspective Control | | Cons: | Takes some getting used to | |
If you don't need shifts, the standard 75mm is a better choice. If you do, this is the only Pentax 67 lens that incorporates shifts. The lens has generous shift, and you can rotate the barrel 360 degrees, with stops every 30 degrees. The lens has manual aperture up front.
You need to think about what you're doing with this lens. Lock in a manual exposure before you shift the lens, then stop down manually and take the shot.
A tripod is strongly advised because the lens is heavy, over 2 pounds. With this type of lens, photographers also want straight lines to line up with the frame, and this alignment is difficult to do without a steady platform for the camera.
This type of lens is good for architecture (front rise), but can also be used creatively with any linear subject. It's a very good tool for photographing trees (rise), for shifting your reflection (right or left shift) out of a store window or mirror, for photographing from a vista (fall) and selective framing of interiors, or other subjects. Since the viewpoint remains the same, you can shift up/down or right/left to create panoramas in successive shots.
The shift lens has excellent image quality, and does replace the conventional 75mm f/4.5 when no shift is applied--but it's still a manual aperture, and requires stop-down metering. Like the fisheye, this lens is big, heavy and not all that easy to use. Like the fisheye, it is also a specialized optic, and no other lens does the same job.
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