Mamiya 645 45mm f/2.8 for Architecture?

[Scott Hargis]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mamiya-645-Pro-TL-45mm-f2-8-N-Wide-Angle-Lens-/290609704084?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item43a9b02c94#ht_2019wt_1398

Any advice on this lens? I want to combine it with a Mirk Zork shift adaptor and mount it all on my Canon 5DmII. I'm reluctant to buy the Canon 45 TS since it's gotten mixed reviews for int/arch, and since it's likely to be replaced soon (at double the current cost, probably!).

Does anyone have experience with this lens? Is there another in a similar focal length I should be looking at? Is this just a totally harebrained scheme?

[Scott Hargis]

Bump.

No thoughts on any aspect of this?

[Schewe]

No thoughts on any aspect of this?

I've shot with the Phase One 45mm version of this lens with with good results on a Phase One 645FD camera. But, I can't really answer your question regarding how you are asking it to be used. The use is kinda weird...sorry, I really can't give a definitive answer.

[duane_bolland]

What is a "Mirk shift adaptor"?  Do you mean a Zork Panorama Shift Adapter?

[Scott Hargis]

Sorry, I meant Zork..

The first guy who described this to me called it a "Mirk" for some reason, and that name is now stuck in my brain. The idea is that the lens creates a large enough image circle to allow it to function as a shift lens on a 35mm dSLR. I don't think it's all that weird, lots of people mount different make lenses on different cameras with a variety of adaptors.

But the real question is whether the optical characteristics of this specific lens are suitable for architecture.....does it display barrel distortion, chromatic abberation, anamorphic distortion, etc. It'll cost me about $600 to find out, which is not really a barrier, but I thought I'd ask here first. Looks like I'll have to pioneer this one!

[mcbroomf]

He was probably mixing Mirex and Zork who are the 2 makers of MF to 35mm shift adapters.

I use a Mirex with P645 lenses and the only thing I'd say about a 45 is that it may not be wide enough.  Usually when I'm in Boston I take my 17mm T/S lens.