Canon TS35mm f/2.8 Lens

The TS35mm f/2.8 ability to increase apparent DoF has always interested me. I've seen a couple of collector-grade examples on the bay

recently ranging from $800 to $1K. If I eat grilled cheese for a year I might be able to swing one (Still in the fantasizing stage at present).

To fuel my CAS, what personal experiences with this lens can anyone share? Does the touted increase in DoF really happen and can it be

easily seen? Are the effects too subtle to be noticeable? I know the lens corrects some distortion from low-angled shots but I'm most

interested in the DoF changes. I gather the tripod adaptor (spacer) is essential to using the lens on a tripod to prevent interference with the

lens movements. True? I see in the Canon Museum entries for the FD-BL SSC version vice the nFD version the price went down from

147K yen to 106K yen (old-to-new) but lens specs and weight stayed the same. Anyone have an opinion why the decrease in cost? I

have read all the literature, just looking for personal knowledge/experiences of forum members.

Don B in Hampton Roads

Shift of +/- 11 mm and tilt of +/- 8 deg are limited but clearly usable. Helps a lot aready in architecture, landscape and with extender 2x B in product photography. One more advantage is that TS, although made for tripod work, can easily also be used handheld. I have had mine for 15 years and used it a lot. Works well also with extender & short extension tube.

800 - 1 000 USD sounds like ok for a usable one in good condition? Check http://home.comcast.net/~starka/CanonFD_ebay2.htm for prices.

Kerkko K.

$800 to 1000 is high for this lens. I got mine a year or so ago for $400, in pretty close to unused condition (with case, with tripod block). I haven't used it a whole lot, because when I want to tilt or shift I am usually using a medium format camera.

If you don't know what tilt and shift will do, research this before you make a big cash outlay. Camera movements may be useful to you, and they equally may not. Tilting the lens does not increase the depth of field, but it allows you to control the orientation of the plane of focus. This means you can have a flat landscape in focus, from your toes to infinity, at f/2.8.

If you have a reason to use camera movements, a press or view camera might be worth considering. The cost (camera + lens + rollfilm back) would be in the same ballpark.

WOW prices have sure gone up since I was shopping. had no idea.

I've not used mine enough to answer most of your Questions Don but I bet a number here will.

Thanks for all the responses. Hopefully I'll get more.

Dave, I know I have no technical background to grasp the difference between 'increase DoF' and 'control the orientation

of the plane of focus'. But is my understanding correct that when the effect is viewed on the picture it looks like an

increase in DoF? In other words, it's an apparent increase in DoF. Do you really mean if I use this lens on a Canon FD

Body (not a view camera) to shoot a flat landscape that I'm standing on, the tilted lens will render everything from my

feet to infinity in focus with the lens wide open. Do I understand that correctly? It seems extreme. As far as the price

is concerned, remember I've used the most extreme example, a yet-to-be-confirmed, never-used, LNIB with all

accessories and papers.

Kerkko, You say a tilt of +/- 8 deg is limited. What does that mean? For example, If I shoot a close-up of a flower

(perhaps with an extension tube) will the tilt give a visible increase in that part of the flower in sharp focus? My

understanding is the shift function corrects the distorted perspective of a camera tilted up to get all a building in the

picture. Using the shift function means the building will not appear to lean backwards. Correct?

Keep'em coming folks.

Don B in Hampton Roads.

Don, if you're shooting with an ordinary lens, the plane of focus is perpendicular to the axis of the lens. In other words, stuff in front of the focus distance, and stuff behind the focus distance are both out of focus.

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If you hold the camera with the 35 T/S at eye level, and tilt the lens forward a little more than one degree, the plane of focus falls flat on the ground, and everything from your toes to the horizon can be sharp at f/2.8. However, everything above the ground will be out of focus, like shrubs, trees, buildings, or any landforms that aren't flat. There is no free lunch.

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In this particular example, you still have depth of field, but it's up and down, instead of fore and aft. You've just changed the orientation of the plane of sharpest focus. You can see this through the viewfinder, or if you remember your high school trigonometry, you can estimate it using something called the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheimpflug_principle">Scheimpflug principle</

a>.

I have the second to last version of the 35/2.8 PC Nikkor. With the proper adapter I have used it on a Canon F-1. The Nikkor has shift but no tilt. The two main uses of PC lenses are architecture and macro photography. Nikon made an 85/2.8 PC Micro Nikkor Nikkor which now sells for a very high price used. People who use the Canon EOS system have pressed the 90 TS lens into macro service too. From my perspective the shift feature is somewhat more useful for architectural photography but both tilt and shift can be useful for macro work. For architectural work you would typically want a wide lens while for macro work the working distance of a longer lens is handy.

For macro work where some movements are needed I use a Minolta X-700 with the Auto Bellows III. The Auto Bellows III has movements which are similar to those of the Nikon PB-4. If I know I will be using the movements with the Auto Bellows III I will shoot with a medium format enlarging lens like a 150 Rodagon or a 105 EL Nikkor so I have adequate coverage. As far as I know Canon never made a bellows unit with movements. If you can find an adapter for using Nikon lenses on a Canon camera then a PB-4 would work nicely. To avoid disappointment you should know what to expect when shooting with PC type lens. Let's say you are shooting a 40 story building from ground level. Even with a view camera with full swings and tilts you are still at ground level. The look of the building will never be the same as what you would get by shooting head on at the 20th story with a normal or near normal lens.

I haven't used the TS lens but I can say that my 35/2.8 PC Nikkor is a good general purpose lens if you are not shooting in a hurry. I was able to get my PC Nikkor in near new condition for very little. If I had to spend $1,000 for a lens like the TS I think I would be tempted to get a 4X5 camera with a 6X9 or 6X7 roll film back and a moderately wide lens. I would then be able to take advantage of all swings and tilts and have medium format image quality too.

Mark,

800 USD makes about 500 €, that is not bad at all price for a nice condition TS lense in Europe. Maybe they are still cheaper in US?

Don,

Everey tilt or tilt & shift lens has limited amount of tilt & shift if compared with larger cameras with real tilt & shift adjustments. But still and although these PC & TS (ets.) lenses have their own reasons for existing. In many cases they are just enough and practical.

Kerkko K.

here are some pictures to see the effects of a TS lens, it is an EF 24TS, but it should help get a feeling.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/tilt_and_shift_ts-e.html

Check out this page from the Luminous Landscape website; fourth picture down:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/galleries/southwest/the1.shtml