Dear klane,
it should not be a guess work, to find the right plane of sharpness. IMO, it will not help you a lot to read formulas and trying to apply them: it applies you starting measure the distances between your camera (lens and film planes) and your subject, the bellows extension, the angles of view, etc ...., which might be difficult or sometimes a real guess work not leading to an accurate tilt or swing angle.
I would rather suggest to practice with your camera. The most easy way to set a sharpness plane is to use a Sinar p/p2/p3, with its 2-point asymmetrical setting of the plane (focus and tilt/swing).
But everybody does not own a Sinar p/p2/p3, and I am not saying that you have to buy one to get it done.
It is possible practically with any camera, provided you practice and know what you are doing. The "secret" (if there is one) of the right plane of sharpness lies IMO in our capability to imagine the sharpness plane in our 3-dimensional subject. You will have to get used to "see" your DESIRED plane of sharpness in 3 dimensions on your ground-glass. Decide where you want it in your subject, then look at it through your ground-glass and localize it with some points (at the least 3 points = define a plane) of your subject included in this desired sharpness plane. From there tilt (or swing) and re-focus each time, until those 3 (or more) points are absolutely sharp on your ground-glass: of course this MUST be done with full open aperture (you will set the wished DOF later by stopping down). This way you will slowly but certainly get your tilt or swing precisely and correctly adjusted.
It becomes a bit more complicated when you wish to tilt AND swing at the same time. This means that your desired sharpness plane is both moved around 2 axis, the H and the V, thus giving a plane in the subject which is defined by 2 directions, first around the H axis (tilt) and then around the V axis (swing): this needs a better capability to "see" this 2-way moved plane in the 3 dimensions of your subject. But a little bit of practice will get you there as well.
And always remember, the Scheimpflug rule follows a simple principle: the 3 planes, the film plane, the lens plane and the (desired) sharpness plane always intersect in ONE COMMON line. This gives you at least the direction in which you have to tilt or swing your standard.
And don't forget: there are optical (the lens with its image circle) AND mechanical (camera) limits.
Again, practice is here and IMO the secret.
Best regards,
Thierry
Certainly helped my tilt technique and estimating, I still feel like swings are guess work to get it nailed right.
Can the formula for swings be used the same way as tilts? I think it should be able to...
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