Thanks for the info guys. I just picked up a practically new used one for a good price. I'm headed up to Toroweap in 2 weeks and am anxious to see what it can do for me. Early practice tells me that I need a lot more practice and a whole new way of thinking to understand how to get the most out of it.
Thanks again,
Ted
Using these T/S lenses can take some getting used to, especially if you're not already used to using MF lenses. But even if you are, the T/S adds some extra steps to the process of shooting (assuming you want to actually use the tilt and shift, which I assume you do). Live-view is critical for getting accurate focus IMHO, especially if using tilts. You just can't tell what's really in focus through the viewfinder, even with DOF preview.
One thing to watch out for when getting the hang of this, don't over-do the tilts. It doesn't take as much as you might think unless you're really close to your subject. There is an article here at LuLa about using tilt/shift lenses that gives a good overview of this and also has some handy charts that give you an idea how much tilt you need for a given subject distance and focal length.
Here's my shooting 'workflow' when using a tilt/shift lens. Keep in mind I'm a Nikon shooter, so the interactions between the TS-E lenses and Canon DSLR's may be a little different.
1) Double-check that shift and tilt controls are in their centered/default orientation.
2) Level the camera, not only side-to-side, but also front-back. I try to start with the camera level and then decide if I want to use shifts to frame my composition, rather than angling the camera up or down. It really just depends on the perspective I want for the image.
3) Initial composition is through the viewfinder, which gives me a wide-open view through the lens. If I'm using shift as part of my composition, I'll do that as well.
4) Engage live-view, and open the lens aperture all the way (on D3/D3x. live-view is always stopped down to the aperture you set, so you have to open the aperture to get a wide-open view).
5) If I'm using tilt, I'll apply it now. Then I zoom in to 100% and focus manually on my subject.
6) Next I stop down the lens and check the focus throughout the frame (again at 100%) to make sure I have enough DOF and that the tilt had the desired effect.
7) Switch out of live-view to mirror-lockup mode and take the exposure.
It's a little tedious at first, but becomes second nature after a while.