Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: Kaypee on December 24, 2015, 07:45:08 am

Title: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on December 24, 2015, 07:45:08 am
The reviews of the 45ts-e seem pretty poor and there seems no sign of an upgrade. I can live with the 24mm with the 1.4 converter but that leaves a large gap up to the 90mm tse.

Can anyone recommend a solution between 40 & 50mm? It's for shooting architecture and interiors on a 5Diii.

Thanks
KP
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on December 24, 2015, 10:24:31 am
Hasselblad/Zeiss 50/4 FLE + t/s adapter (MiREX)
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: DCW on December 24, 2015, 10:26:25 am
Been looking for same solution - tried the Pentax FA 45 with Kipon adapter. Poor corner performance and nowhere as good as the 24+ 1.4 at 33mm. From some posts here the Hassleblad 50 FLE w shift adapter looks better but haven't seen any samples to confirm. There's always the Schneider 50 PC for $2400 or so used to bide time till Canon upgrades the 45TS E. I think Rainier (who posts here) currently has the newer Pentax 55 FA in use with the Sony- not sure about manually setting aperture as its all auto. Let us know if you find any undiscovered gems.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Borealis on December 24, 2015, 01:31:10 pm
I think you can get an adapter to mount Nikon Glass. I'm very happy with my Nikon PC-e 45 mm. I did not like the 24 PC-e, my sample was not sharp enough across the frame not anywhere near as good as the 45 is.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: ErikKaffehr on December 24, 2015, 02:10:28 pm
Hi,

I am using the HCam Master TSII with Hasselblad lenses. I have the 40/4 CF FLE, 60/3.5 CF, 100/3.5 CF, 120/4 CFi and 180/4 CFi. So far only tested the lenses with tilt. With shifts, I a pretty sure the 40/4 CF FLE has limitations, but the 60/3.5 CF shows great promise. I did have the 50/4 CF/FLE and I would think it would work well, too.

I am considering a Pentax 645 45-85 zoom.

Best regards
Erik

Hasselblad/Zeiss 50/4 FLE + t/s adapter (MiREX)
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: rainer_v on December 24, 2015, 03:28:42 pm
I have the pentax 55fa with a kipom shift adapter. Aperture can be set manually, the lense is good corrected and very sharp. I also have a newer hassy 50mm, very good too but i usually take the pentax.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on December 24, 2015, 04:15:55 pm
I have the pentax 55fa with a kipom shift adapter. Aperture can be set manually, the lense is good corrected and very sharp. I also have a newer hassy 50mm, very good too but i usually take the pentax.

I think the Pentax plus adapter probably comes in at the same price as the 45 tse. Rainer have you ever tried the 45mm? I would be interested to hear if there is any significant difference. I'm hovering on buying the 45mm but I'm reluctant to spend £1000 on a lens with a questionable IV.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: David Eichler on December 24, 2015, 09:22:16 pm
I have the pentax 55fa with a kipom shift adapter. Aperture can be set manually, the lense is good corrected and very sharp. I also have a newer hassy 50mm, very good too but i usually take the pentax.

I can see no aperture ring in photos of the Pentax 55mm FA lens. Also, not seeing any Kipon Pentax MF or Hasselblad to Sony E mt shift adapters online. Are you using adapters to get to a Canon mount and then using an additional adapter to get to Sony Nex mount?
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: rainer_v on December 25, 2015, 02:05:10 am
Sorry, you are right! I dont have the fa version, i use the older manual 55mm. Than a kipon shift 645-eos adapter and this on a mirex shift eos-e adapter. So i have two shift layers. one vertical, one horizontal. I use the 75mm pentax as well, this is the fe version.
I had some time the 45fe too, but this was less sharp with more ca, but still much better than the canon 45 tse, which i rate as unusable.
I have a contax 35mm pce lense, and for me the 55mm is a good next length, followed by 75 and 120 ( hasselblad ).
Best
rainer
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on December 25, 2015, 06:01:58 am
Sorry, you are right! I dont have the fa version, i use the older manual 55mm. Than a kipon shift 645-eos adapter and this on a mirex shift eos-e adapter. So i have two shift layers. one vertical, one horizontal. I use the 75mm pentax as well, this is the fe version.
I had some time the 45fe too, but this was less sharp with more ca, but still much better than the canon 45 tse, which i rate as unusable.
I have a contax 35mm pce lense, and for me the 55mm is a good next length, followed by 75 and 120 ( hasselblad ).
Best
rainer

Could you tell me the model name of the manual focus Pentax?
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: RobSuch on December 25, 2015, 06:25:06 am
Is the Nikon 45mm pce lens distortion easily correctible?
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Bart_van_der_Wolf on December 25, 2015, 06:34:34 am
Sorry, you are right! I dont have the fa version, i use the older manual 55mm. Than a kipon shift 645-eos adapter and this on a mirex shift eos-e adapter. So i have two shift layers. one vertical, one horizontal.

Hi Rainer,

I understand what you are doing, but I'm not clear on the adapters. From the description it sounds like two P645 to EOS converting adapters, used in a stack, but I don't see how that would work. Once converted from P645 to EOS you already have an EOS mount.

So could you spell it out for me:
1. Lens is e.g. Pentax 55mm f/ ??
2. Pentax 645 lens to EOS shift adapter is a Kipon ??? model
3. This is mounted on the body mounted Mirex Tilt and Shift adapter, for Pentax 645 lenses to EOS mount.

Two adapters will also create too much extension, so no infinity focus any more. There is obviously something I am misinterpreting ...

Cheers,
Bart

P.S. Have you ever tried the PC-TS SUPER-ANGULON 2.8/50 HM ? It gets an excellent (unshifted) score at LenScore.org (http://www.lenscore.org/lenses/schneider_pc-ts_super-angulon_28_50.htm), but I remember some negative comments as well (not only price).
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: ErikKaffehr on December 25, 2015, 09:00:27 am
Hi Bart,

One way to do this is to use a HCam Master TS on a Sony A7xxx, this gives the Sony a Canon EF mount that can be shifted/tilted 15mm/11 deg. Another adapter Mirex or Kipon can added to the HCam.

Best regards
Erik


Hi Rainer,

I understand what you are doing, but I'm not clear on the adapters. From the description it sounds like two P645 to EOS converting adapters, used in a stack, but I don't see how that would work. Once converted from P645 to EOS you already have an EOS mount.

So could you spell it out for me:
1. Lens is e.g. Pentax 55mm f/ ??
2. Pentax 645 lens to EOS shift adapter is a Kipon ??? model
3. This is mounted on the body mounted Mirex Tilt and Shift adapter, for Pentax 645 lenses to EOS mount.

Two adapters will also create too much extension, so no infinity focus any more. There is obviously something I am misinterpreting ...

Cheers,
Bart
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Theodoros on December 25, 2015, 09:10:36 am
The reviews of the 45ts-e seem pretty poor and there seems no sign of an upgrade. I can live with the 24mm with the 1.4 converter but that leaves a large gap up to the 90mm tse.

Can anyone recommend a solution between 40 & 50mm? It's for shooting architecture and interiors on a 5Diii.

Thanks
KP
I would suggest the Hartblei 45mm f3.5 super rotator MF lens with an adapter as to use it on Canon (it's availiable in Contax 645 & Mamiya M645/P1 mounts), never tested one, but it has a reputation for being excellent across the frame and the image circle is even wider...
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Bart_van_der_Wolf on December 25, 2015, 09:48:48 am
One way to do this is to use a HCam Master TS on a Sony A7xxx, this gives the Sony a Canon EF mount that can be shifted/tilted 15mm/11 deg. Another adapter Mirex or Kipon can added to the HCam.

Hi Erik,

Yes, I'm aware of it, but the whole construction doesn't look too compact, and is not really cheap. It also seems to be not Arca Swiss rail oriented but rather based on the Novoflex Rail system. I'm not looking for yet another rail system. I'm very happy with my RSS based modular mounting system.

But thanks for mentioning it, it may help others.

Cheers,
Bart
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: ErikKaffehr on December 25, 2015, 11:09:12 am
Hi Bart,

The Novoflex part is an option. You can buy the HCam without a rail system. There is a tripod foot on the HCam that is also a Novoflex plate, and that plate doesn't fit any RRS QR-adapters that I have tried.

But, the tripod foot is just a base plate, I use it with QR-plate from Hejnar, that is RRS compatible:

(http://www.getdpi.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=114244&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1447706678)

Personally, I have bought a lot of stuff from Hejnarphoto, mostly because they ship with US Postal Services, which saves me handling costs, customs and sales tax (Mehwertsteuer).

Originally, I used it with a Photodiox adapter, but found that it was quite crappy, so I bought a quite expensive Novoflex adapter, from Canon to Hasselblad V-mount.

Here are my postings about it: http://www.getdpi.com/forum/sony/56810-hcam-master-tsii-sony-a7rii.html

Here is a Q&D picture of it in my bag, the two lenses alongside are the Canon 24/3.5TSE LII and the Sony 70-400/4-5.6G

Best regards
Erik

Hi Erik,

Yes, I'm aware of it, but the whole construction doesn't look too compact, and is not really cheap. It also seems to be not Arca Swiss rail oriented but rather based on the Novoflex Rail system. I'm not looking for yet another rail system. I'm very happy with my RSS based modular mounting system.

But thanks for mentioning it, it may help others.

Cheers,
Bart
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on December 25, 2015, 04:15:02 pm
I would suggest the Hartblei 45mm f3.5 super rotator MF lens with an adapter as to use it on Canon (it's availiable in Contax 645 & Mamiya M645/P1 mounts), never tested one, but it has a reputation for being excellent across the frame and the image circle is even wider...

Just had a look for one of these and can't seem to find it on the Hartblei site. Are they easy to pick up? There seem a few on eBay.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Dave (Isle of Skye) on December 25, 2015, 05:23:37 pm
Would it not be easier and not that much more expensive, to buy the A7rII and use your 24mm TS-E with a Metabones adapter, then crop into the file at 1.5x to get an approximately similar output resolution to what you would get with the 5D MkIII and the TS-E 45? It would probably be much sharper than the TS-E 45 as well, as you will be mostly retaining only the pixels shot through the central sweet spot of the 24's front element.

You could also use your 1.4x with the above set up at a 1.5x crop factor, to get a file equivalent to a 66mm TS-E lens on the 5D MkIII.

Dave

UPDATE: I meant 2x for cropping, not 1.5x - oops..!
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Theodoros on December 25, 2015, 06:46:59 pm
Just had a look for one of these and can't seem to find it on the Hartblei site. Are they easy to pick up? There seem a few on eBay.

Yes, it seems that Hartblei moved to Germany but the lenses stayed back in Ukraine... I would pick one out of E-bay if I was in your position... All reviews I ever read for it seem to praise the lens highly (there is one here at Lula too http://luminous-landscape.com/hartblei-superrotator/ )... I also think that one can rotate the shift and the tilt independently to each other, so one should be able to have the mechanisms working at the same axis or at 90 degs depending on the scene requirement... Mind you that other than lens praised for its quality, its image circle is originally made for 6x6 film, so using it on a 35mm DSLR should be completely trouble free as one would never "see" the edges and corners... (no vignetting at all, no serious drop in resolution)
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on December 26, 2015, 04:11:51 am
Would it not be easier and not that much more expensive, to buy the A7rII and use your 24mm TS-E with a Metabones adapter, then crop into the file at 1.5x to get an approximately similar output resolution to what you would get with the 5D MkIII and the TS-E 45? It would probably be much sharper than the TS-E 45 as well, as you will be mostly retaining only the pixels shot through the central sweet spot of the 24's front element.

You could also use your 1.4x with the above set up at a 1.5x crop factor, to get a file equivalent to a 66mm TS-E lens on the 5D MkIII.

Dave
Interesting way of looking at it Dave but wouldn't the compression be different as on the Sony you're still using 24mm although cropping in.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Dave (Isle of Skye) on December 26, 2015, 05:44:57 am
Interesting way of looking at it Dave but wouldn't the compression be different as on the Sony you're still using 24mm although cropping in.

Sorry, I meant 2x for the crop not 1.5x..

Yes there would be a slight compressional difference I suppose, but at these relatively wide angles it would be negligible in the final cropped image and you can of course zoom in or out with your feet to compensate if need be.

I just thought this idea would give you what you want relatively easily and quickly and by utilising the 24mm TS-E lens you already have, which is about as good a TS-E lens as you can ever hope to own and by cropping into the frame, it will be as sharp as it is possible to get with any lens that has ever been made. And of course you also then have a high quality back up system that is equivalent to medium format in quality, that can also be used to easily convert your 24mm to a 43mm and a 66mm with little effort and as a bonus, you can double the length of all your other lenses by cropping if you so wish.

Dave
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: CptZar on January 02, 2016, 02:27:20 am
Yes, it seems that Hartblei moved to Germany but the lenses stayed back in Ukraine... I would pick one out of E-bay if I was in your position... All reviews I ever read for it seem to praise the lens highly (there is one here at Lula too http://luminous-landscape.com/hartblei-superrotator/ )... I also think that one can rotate the shift and the tilt independently to each other, so one should be able to have the mechanisms working at the same axis or at 90 degs depending on the scene requirement... Mind you that other than lens praised for its quality, its image circle is originally made for 6x6 film, so using it on a 35mm DSLR should be completely trouble free as one would never "see" the edges and corners... (no vignetting at all, no serious drop in resolution)

A common misunderstanding.

There is Hartblei from the Ukraine with some critical reviews and there is Hartblei-Zeiss which is probably the best 40 mm TS lens around. Check http://hartblei.de or hcam.de

Cheers


Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: CptZar on January 03, 2016, 10:24:58 am
Would it not be easier and not that much more expensive, to buy the A7rII and use your 24mm TS-E with a Metabones adapter, then crop into the file at 1.5x to get an approximately similar output resolution to what you would get with the 5D MkIII and the TS-E 45? It would probably be much sharper than the TS-E 45 as well, as you will be mostly retaining only the pixels shot through the central sweet spot of the 24's front element.

You could also use your 1.4x with the above set up at a 1.5x crop factor, to get a file equivalent to a 66mm TS-E lens on the 5D MkIII.

Dave

UPDATE: I meant 2x for cropping, not 1.5x - oops..!

Correct. So you all you need is a 24mm and 80mm TS lens and a 1.4 extender which is optically much better than the 2.0.

This will give you with APS-C (x1.6) 38mm and 128mm.

Using the Extender you will get 53mm or 179mm. And the quality will excellent.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/janzander/23120623379/in/datetaken/

This image was taken with a Canon 17mm TS and a Sony A7IIr in APS-C Crop mode. It has been tilted and shifted. It has not been cropped in post production.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: rainer_v on January 04, 2016, 03:17:16 am
... some time ago i compared the canon extender 1.4 version 2 against the version 3. Meanwhile there was a noticable difference in favourvof the v3 with longer lenses, with the 24 and 17tse the older v2 design was better. Sharper and less CA. It shows some barrel distortion, but in a very simple form and because the extender distortion doesnt move in the frame because it doesnt shift, easy to correct.
But: A good nominal shift lense is still better. 35 pc contax and 120mm hartblei zeiss e.g. ...
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on January 04, 2016, 01:51:50 pm
Correct. So you all you need is a 24mm and 80mm TS lens and a 1.4 extender which is optically much better than the 2.0.

This will give you with APS-C (x1.6) 38mm and 128mm.

Using the Extender you will get 53mm or 179mm. And the quality will excellent.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/janzander/23120623379/in/datetaken/

This image was taken with a Canon 17mm TS and a Sony A7IIr in APS-C Crop mode. It has been tilted and shifted. It has not been cropped in post production.

Nice shot. Can I ask what sharpening you did in post?
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: CptZar on January 05, 2016, 04:08:28 am
... some time ago i compared the canon extender 1.4 version 2 against the version 3. Meanwhile there was a noticable difference in favourvof the v3 with longer lenses, with the 24 and 17tse the older v2 design was better. Sharper and less CA. It shows some barrel distortion, but in a very simple form and because the extender distortion doesnt move in the frame because it doesnt shift, easy to correct.
But: A good nominal shift lense is still better. 35 pc contax and 120mm hartblei zeiss e.g. ...

Hi Rainer,


Absolutely right. But.. with the A7rII you don't need the extender in most cases any more. The APS-C mode lets you frame precisely the image and image size is still around 24Mp, even with enough headroom for a crop. What I mean is trading of a neglectable quality loss vs weight. You know the TS lenses are very heavy. Using APS-C mode, and if really necessary a 1.4 extender, it reduces the carry on weight drastically. 2 TS lenses with extender and the whole world of TS photography opens to you.
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: CptZar on January 05, 2016, 04:20:56 am
Nice shot. Can I ask what sharpening you did in post?

Thank you!

The wood in front has an Radial Filter overlay with Clarity 11 and sharpening 13. Same goes for the lighted cliff in the back. Other than that there is no sharpening. I only use local adjustments. They give much better control by only adjusting what is absolutely necessary.

Cheers
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Theodoros on January 05, 2016, 06:41:19 am
A common misunderstanding.

There is Hartblei from the Ukraine with some critical reviews and there is Hartblei-Zeiss which is probably the best 40 mm TS lens around. Check http://hartblei.de or hcam.de

Cheers

Thanks for clearing the misunderstanding out! My recommendation is obviously for the Ukrainian lens (for which the very positive reviews apply), which I suspect should be quite quite cheaper to the 40mm Harblei-Zeiss lens...

As for using an extender with T-S lenses, my experience is quite positive with this... I use a Kenko DGX 1.4x with my Nikkor 85mm PC lens quite often (in fact I use it more with the extender attached than not) and it seems a great combination if combined with movements...
Title: Re: 45mm Ts-e alternative
Post by: Kaypee on January 06, 2016, 07:23:42 am
Thank you!

The wood in front has an Radial Filter overlay with Clarity 11 and sharpening 13. Same goes for the lighted cliff in the back. Other than that there is no sharpening. I only use local adjustments. They give much better control by only adjusting what is absolutely necessary.

Cheers

Thanks. Are you using Lightroom for those?