OVERVIEW:
Once you experience using a perspective control (shift) lens, you probably won't be able to shoot architecture without one. However, those of us who aren't terribly rich probably gave up on the dream of tilt/shift lens ownership long ago, because of the pricing. (A good Nikon or Canon version is around $1,500.) There are a couple of options from Samyang/Rokinon, but for Micro Four Thirds users, there may be a better option: There's an inexpensive ($123 US) tilt/shift adapter #ad that can turn almost any (Nikon F mount) lens into a tilt/shift lens! Keep in mind this only works with specific Micro Four Thirds cameras but it's still pretty amazing for the price. So, let's talk about how to do this.
ABOVE: There's a number of tricks you can do with Micro Four Thirds that you can't with full frame cameras, including buying an inexpensive TILT/SHIFT adapter to turn almost any (Nikon F mount) lens into a perspective control lens.
WHY IS THIS SO AMAZING?
Well, not only does this mean you can turn almost any (Nikon F mount) lens into a TILT/SHIFT lens, but it ALSO means you can do this with variable focal length lenses (zoom lenses). The reason this is so important, is that having a zoom lens with TILT/SHIFT capability means you have a ton of compositional control over the image. Not only can you zoom in or out a little bit to change composition, but you can SHIFT up or down to frame the shot as well. This is something that you have to experience to understand (at least I did) but we'll go into exactly how to do this in a little bit. As I side note, this isn’t something that's possible with full frame (1x) format yet can sort of be done with APS-C/Super 35 (1.6/1.5x crop) sensors, though not as well. Let me quickly explain why this can't be done (as well) with a full frame sensor.
DOES THIS ONLY WORK ON M43?
No, it works on 1.5/1.6x crop sensors too, but not as well. The biggest reason why the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor works better with TILT/SHIFT adapters than on the 1.5/1.6x sensors, is because of the principle of these adapters: they use a lens from a larger sensor format to create a larger image circle, and then they move ("shift") within that larger image circle. So, on M43 (MIcro Four Thirds) you can do this with either full frame or DX/cropped sensor lens, but If you use a DX/cropped sensor lens on a cropped sensor camera, there's nowhere to go (the image circle is used up). The reason is that the “image circle” of the lens has to be larger than your sensor. That's why if you try doing this with a full frame camera, you’d have to adapt a MEDIUM FORMAT LENS to make it work. There are full frame TILT/SHIFT adapters available (for medium format lenses) but the problem is it's difficult to find a lens that's WIDE enough from the medium format lineup (because what's considered a wide on medium format is not the same on full frame). So, on an APS-C/Super 35 sensor (such as the Sony A6500, etc.) the problem is much less of an issue, but you still can only use full frame lenses and that makes it harder to get a good wide lens (for a low price).
ABOVE: An example of an image taken with a wide-angle lens, WITHOUT a perspective control adapter. The camera had to be angled upward toward the building, which causes distortion. (Taken with the overly sharp Sigma 18-35 1.8.)
ABOVE: This image was taken WITH a shift adapter (this time using a cheap Nikon 18-55 v1). The camera is level, and the lens was "shifted" up.
How To Use TILT/SHIFT (on Micro Four Thirds):
STEP 1 BUY A (COMPATIBLE) M43 CAMERA
I need to quickly point out that not all Micro Four Thirds cameras work with TILT/SHIFT adapters. The reason is silly, and it's not because of any differences between Micro Four Thirds sensors (they're all the same size, I would guess). Rather, it's the design of the exterior of the camera that matters. The rangefinder-style cameras work, but some of the smaller SLR-style cameras usually don't (see the M43 compatibility list below). The actual reason is that the part of the camera that is just above the lens mount CANNOT BE OBSTRUCTED (for the lens to "shift" up). The non-rangefinder style cameras often have either a pop-up flash or just an un-necessarily large awning that extends over the lens mount. I jokingly call it an "awning" but the bad news is that it renders a lot of otherwise great M43 cameras useless for using with TILT/SHIFT adapters. So, below is the compatibility list (as far as I know at time of writing):
(M43) CAMERAS THAT WORK*:
Panasonic GH3 (?)
Panasonic GH5 (?)
(M43) CAMERAS THAT DON'T*
Panasonic G7
Panasonic G85
Panasonic G95
*I'm working on testing this TILT/SHIFT adapter #ad on as many camera bodies as I can, so I'm sure I'm missing some. if you know of any that don't work, leave a comment below. The main reason certain cameras won't work (with TILT/SHIFT adapters) is they have sort of an "awning" that obstructs the upward "shift" movement of the adapter.
STEP 2 BUY A TILT/SHIFT ADAPTER
As I mentioned, the Panasonic GX85 #ad is probably my favorite camera for using a TILT/SHIFT adapter, because of the "rangefinder" design of the body. I shoot all of my WIDE shots with this camera and the TILT/SHIFT adapter #ad I use is only $125 US on Ebay! I just can't imagine not shooting without one now (it adds so much realism to each shot). I have used a few of these adapters, but this one is the best I've found (the others have problems such as being loose, only taking Nikon F, not G lenses, or having a metallic, blue coating THAT COMES OFF, AND COULD GET ON THE SENSOR). The only thing about the one I like is it is only available on Ebay (not on Amazon).
STEP 3 BUY A NIKON F-MOUNT LENS
Let's talk about buying a lens to use with a SHIFT or TILT/SHIFT adapter. My main point is to get a Nikon F-mount lens, but the reason isn't that the adapters aren't available in other lens mounts (they are) but that most of the LENSES I like are either made by Nikon or are available (cheaper) in the Nikon mount, for some reason. Here's a short list of lenses I've tested on the TILT/SHIFT adapters I've had. Most of the time people use SHIFT or TILT/SHIFT with WIDE lenses, so that's what this list is, but you could pretty much use any Nikon F or Nikon G mount lens on this adapter (I even use telephoto lenses on it once in a while, LOL).
MY FAVORITE LENSES (FOR TILT/SHIFT):
*The Sigma 18-35 1.8 is a bit too heavy for most of the TILT/SHIFT adapters I have.
ABOVE: Another example of using a TILT/SHIFT adapter #ad with the Panasonic GX85. This might be my favorite camera EVER, as it can use a TILT/SHIFT adapter due to the rangefinder-style design and 2x crop sensor (the GX9 works too but has more crop in 4K).
STEP 4 PRACTICE USING SHIFT (NO TILT)
Let me first take a shot at simplifying the definition of "shift". I think by telling you how the shift function works in practice (which is super simple) you'll feel less worried about whether or not you can do this. To use a shift lens, all you have to do is make sure the camera is level (I use a bubble level on the hot shoe) and then shift up or down to compose the image. That's it. Yes, you can rotate the shift mechanism to allow for left and right shift (for use as panoramic tool) but we're focused on using this for video, so we're not going to go there. We'll keep it simple, and just repeat that using a shift lens is as easy as keeping the camera level and then composing your shot by shifting up or down (instead of pointing the camera up or down, which would introduce linear distortion in architectural lines).
ABOVE: Using a SHIFT lens (or adapter) is a lot easier than you might think. All you have to do is level the camera, then compose the shot using the shift movement (seriously)!
STEP 5 PRACTICE USING TILT (NO SHIFT)
Describing lens "tilt" in a practical way, is a bit more difficult than describing "shift" but let's give it a try. TILT refers to the ability to control the focus plane, by changing the angle of the lens to the film (or sensor) plane. Most often, you'll see people using the tilt function to create a "miniature effect" but it can also be used in the opposite way (to increase how much is in focus). This can really help for macro purposes, and also helps when you want to shoot wide open (usually in low light) and need more of the foreground in focus.
ABOVE: Using a TILT lens (or an adapter with TILT) is all about changing the angle of the focus plane. The benefit is that you'll be able to get more in focus with a shallower depth of field, meaning you can keep more of the foreground in focus, but still blur the background.
CONCLUSION:
I can't help being excited about this topic, because TILT/SHIFT adapters for Micro Four Thirds made my dream of owning a tilt/shift lens a reality. I mean it when I say I can hardly use a "normal" lens for WIDE shots anymore, because I just can't ignore the angular distortion (in architecture) that happens when you have to angle upward (on a non-shift lens) to compose the shot. If you're worried about the added complexity, I will tell you that using it's a lot easier than you might think, and all you're giving up (compared to a native lens) is autofocus and electronic aperture control, which to me is totally worth it, in most cases.
Shameless plug: Remember to use my lens-sensor specific SETTINGS for your lenses (helps make the images look more "REAL").
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