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Stitching with hardware: 13 routes to mechanical shift movements for DSLRs |
Related articles: < Choosing medium format lenses < Parallax correction < The best 24mm shift lens < The best 28mm shift lens < The best 35mm shift lens < 35mm shift lens group test < Software / panned stitching < How wide is this medium format lens on my digital SLR? < Supplier list
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| 1. 35mm shift lenses with inbuilt movements | ||||
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Canon 24mm L f3.5 TS * |
Hartblei 35mm f2.8 Super Rotator * |
Hartblei 65mm f3.5 Super Rotator * |
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Best lens at each focal length emboldened. * Asterisk denotes lenses that also have focal plane control or tilt movements. |
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2. Medium format lenses Any Mamiya 645 or Pentacon 6 mount lens. 11mm movements with a range of MF lenses for only $90. Don't expect miracles in the build qualtiy department, but this route will yield Canon-besting images at a fraction of the price of a dedicated shift lens. A similar adaptor is often available from the same source offering tilt movements only. The Pentacon version is available for Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Leica mount cameras; the Mamiya 645 version is only for Canon / Nikon. Parallax correction required. |
3. Medium format lenses Any Hasselblad, Mamiya 645 or Pentacon 6 mount lens (via adapter) The $500 Mirex adaptor provides 15mm shift movements which, with a 35mm sensor, doesn't quite exploit the full potential of the best medium format glass, despite outperforming the similar Russian version. Suitable for Canon or Nikon digital cameras. Parallax correction required. |
4. Medium format lenses via Any Pentax 645 / 67 / Contax 645 / Mamiya 645 manual focus lens (or Pentacon 6 or Hasselblad lenses via adaptor). Up to 22mm movements starting from $600. The Pro Shift version only permits 'front standard' lens shifting and therefore requires parallax correction. The Panoramic (PSA) version has an inbuild tripod adaptor enabling parallax-free stitching equivalent to 'rear standard' movements. L bracket required for effective horizontal and vertical format capture flexibility. An additional adapter also enables enlarger lenses to be used for tilt and shift movements Parallax-free (with PSA). |
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5. Short-focus Nikon or enlarger lens on Nikon PB-4 bellows Nikon 105mm macro or any adapted enlarger lens with 39mm thread from 50mm-150mm. M39-Nikon adaptor required at front for enlarger lenses. 10mm shift and 25° swing movements of the front standard only. Primarily intended for macro use, but also useable for stitching with lenses longer than 85mm. Minimum compression of the bellows may prevent infinity focus with shorter lenses unless they have a recessed rear element. Discontinued new but commonly available for around $200. Parallax correction required Probably the fineset medium format wide angle ever. But is it good enough for the Canon 1Ds III? |
Pentax 645, Mamiya 645, Hasselblad, Rollei, Exakta, Pentacon 6 mount and enlarger lenses on Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Leica bodies 26mm front and rear standard movements, combined with 15° tilts at both ends give proper view camera functionality but infinity focus is only possible with 80mm+ lenses. Novoflex supplies Schneider Componon S lenses in propietary boards for use with this system, though other adaptors are available. On Canon EOS, electronic coupling is maintained with the body via an accesory. Prices from $850. Parallax-free |
7. Enlarger lenses via Novoflex Any enlarger lens / some medium format lenses. Not to be confused with Herr Zörkendorfer's product of the same name, Novoflex' ProShift is a bellows apparatus designed mainly for use with long-focus enlarger lenses. Because the assembly contains its own tripod mount and shifting rear mount, no parallax errors are induced while shifting. Wide compatibility with many camera bodies is complemented by several lens adaptors. The system starts at $350. Parallax-free. |
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Most large format lenses 20mm shift and up to 30° tilt movements of the front and rear standards are possible with this beautifully machined Rolls Royce-grade stitching system for Nikon, Canon and Fuji SLR bodies, priced at $4000. The system is best matched with the latest reduced image-circle digital LF lenses: some conventional large format wide angles will not allow infinity focus, and few resolve as well as the latest Apo digitar and Rodenstock HR options. Parallax-free |
Most large format lenses When used with a Canon or Nikon DSLR, 30mm shift and tilt front standard movements only are possible, but replace the DLSR with a medium format back and Silvestri's sliding back and true parallax-free 'rear standard' stitching is enabled, which makes this a useful system for those thinking of upgrading to medium format in the future. Prices begin at $2300. Parallax-free with MF back; parallax correction required with DSLR |
Large format lenses or Pentax 645 / 67 / Mamiya 645 / Hasselblad V ranges Suitable for Canon and Nikon digital bodies, the LD offers 30mm movements and tilts on all standards and the system provides accessories for painless upgrades to medium format digital backs or even 5x4 film. The shortest lens that can used with the LD is a 28mm like the Schneider Apo Digitar. Prices from $2300 plus lens boards. Parallax-free
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Rodenstock HR lenses from 90-150mm; Schneider Digitar lenses from 28-150mm, any Hasselblad, Mamiya RZ or Mamiya 645 optic. High quality geared front standard shift movements of up to 20mm, as well as full tilt and swing facility for Canon, Nikon and Fuji DSLR bodies, as well as the Mamiya ZD back. As with other systems of similar design only large format lenses with long flange distances are useable. The longer than average 150mm bellows extension permits longer than typical lenses to be used. Parallax correction required. |
12. Horseman View Camera Any large format or enlarger lens longer than 90mm Nicely built and compact system for achieving view camera movements in a conventional bellow format for around $2000. 30mm shift movements and up to 20° tilts are possible, but not with lenses shorter than 90mm. Unlike its slightly more expensive LD sibling, all movements are front standard only which limits its usefulness for stitching purposes. Parallax correction required. |
13. DLSR-compatible sliding mount adaptors for view cameras Any large format lens with a flange distance of more than 70mm. Few lenses shorter than 90mm focal length (aprart from the Schneider Apo Digitar 28mm) will give infinity focus. The cheapest way to achieve maximum flexibility: just replace a 5x4 view camera's ground glass with a metal plate containing a DLSR's lens mount. The plates can be purchased off-the-shelf from one eBay seller for less than $150, with or without rotaing, sliding mounts, for Canon and Nikon bodies, or you could even make your own, like Keith. Typically movements of up to 50mm will be possible, depending on the rear construction of the lens, but the shortest lens you can use will depend on how close you can rig the standards with a wide angle bellows. Professionally realised versions of this concept include the Mergin X sliding back system out of Hong Kong and Camera Fusions's new stitching adapters. The best known independent equivalent for medium format backs are made by Kapture Group. For the Sinar platform there is the FlexAdaptor. Parallax-free |
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14. StudioTool stm Once upon a time in the far, far away land of Finland there was developéd a system quite similar to the Cambo Ultima 35 but a lot cheaper and more innovative and yea! it was slain by mysterious and arcane forces of darkness and thus it was smote and lain low these many years hence. |
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