Seeking views on tilt shift lens for my Nikon D750

[RyanKhoo]

Hi there,

I am looking at various alternatives of doing a miniature effect.

I read that one needs a specialised tilt shift lens to do that. Nikon has 3 tilt shift lens with focal length of 24mm, 45mm and 90mm.

But the price of $3739 for a 24mm F3.5 is a bit too expensive:
http://www.nikon.com.sg/en_SG/product/nikkor-lenses/fx-format/special-purpose/pc-pc-e/pc-e-nikkor-24mm-f-3-5d-ed

However, there is a Samyang 24mm F3.5 which cost only a third of that produced by Nikon.

Even then, I am not sure if 24mm is too wide for miniature effect ?

Bcos the main reason for the 24mm tilt shift lens is for architects to straighten the buildings which I have no interest in. So, am I correct to say the 45mm focal length is more suitable for miniature effect ? However, there is no 3rd party lens for a 45mm tilts shift lens ....

So, anyone can advice what is the best way to achieve a miniature timelapse ?

Thank you

 

[one eye jack]

I googled to find out what the heck this miniture stuff is about. Basically what a tilt-shift lens does is blur parts of the frame which give the effect of looking at things in minature. No big deal, you can do it in software like Photoshop but in this case time lapse in video software like Premier Pro and many others but then again it may be tedious. If you don't have the budget for TS lens even a 2nd. hand one then the next best alternative is a
Composer II Edge50 from Lensbaby. Like a TS lens, a lensbaby will have it's metering challenge. Be warned.

http://lensbaby.sg/sgp/composer-e50.php

http://nofilmschool.com/2015/10/lensbaby-composer-pro-ii-tilt-shift-lens-edge-50-optic

 

[catchlights]

photoshop, cheap and result guarantee.

 

[RyanKhoo]

Thanks one eye jack and catchlights.

I think I shall save some money by doing it in After Effects instead ....

Thanks

 

[vickee]

Hi,

To photoshop your pic to a tiltshift miniature effect,
you have got to have a big dof in the pic before you can blur off. I suggest you use your smartphone and apps to do it instead.

This is a suggestion to your qn about miniature effect.
(A ts lens is really a lot more than miniature and straightening)

Of course Everything can be done with photoshop
You can also layer your pic enough to let your kit lens give you a noct bokeh.
but do you really want that.

 

[vickee]

The 3 pics. bridge, stairs and the pavement are in f2.8.

 

[RyanKhoo]

thanks vickee, the photos you posted above were straight off your ts lens or was it done in photoshop ?

cheers

 

[vickee]

From 45mm f2.8 ts with some usual tonal edits in LR

45 and 85 are the more interesting ones because they are also macro lenses.

Can be used for food or product

 

[thoongeng]

I've seen videos of 'miniature' effects from 24mm or even 17mm tilt shift lenses.

Or you can DIY:
http://petapixel.com/2014/10/10/pho...non-50mm-f1-8-creates-27-diy-tilt-shift-lens/

Have fun!

 

[e69087]

Thanks for the sharing. I didnt quite understand how he diy it, or he did? Anyway, the effect is quite pleasing for the price.
Aliexpress do sell tilt shift adapter for the micro 4/3 n Sony mirrorless mount, allowing the use of Nikon n Canon lenses, save the trouble of diy.

 

[thoongeng]

Thanks for the sharing. I didnt quite understand how he diy it, or he did? Anyway, the effect is quite pleasing for the price.
Aliexpress do sell tilt shift adapter for the micro 4/3 n Sony mirrorless mount, allowing the use of Nikon n Canon lenses, save the trouble of diy.

Was this in reference to the link I shared? If you watch the video you can see that he did DIY it. You can google 'free lensing', as long as you understand the concept behind tilting the lens plane relative to the sensor plane you can use various ways to achieve it. A tilt-shift lens just makes it more controllable and reproducible.

You can also do the 'miniature' effect in post production, however depends on the how the image was shot and how you edited sometimes you can still tell the difference whether it was done with tilting the lens plane or in post-production

 

[RyanKhoo]

Aliexpress do sell tilt shift adapter for the micro 4/3 n Sony mirrorless mount, allowing the use of Nikon n Canon lenses, save the trouble of diy.

Nikon & Canon tilt shift lens are expensive ... hopefully in future Panny or Oly will produce a TS lens for M4/3 ...

 

[Kit]

Buying t/s lenses just for the miniature effects is quite frankly a waste, given the amount of options you have.

 

[catchlights]

Nikon & Canon tilt shift lens are expensive ... hopefully in future Panny or Oly will produce a TS lens for M4/3 ...

do you know in order to give the lens able to tilt and shift, the lens need to have a fairly large image circle, for an example, it is like using a medium format lens on a FX body, that explains why such lenses are so expensive.

so for M/43 camera, it will like be using a FX ultra wide angle prime lens to make tilt/shift lenses for 1 inch sensor camera, do you think M/43 camera manufactures willing to make such expensive lenses just for a tiny group of users?

 

[swifty]

Quite frankly I have to agree with Kit.
The simplest way to do the miniaturisation effect is with software but the depth cues are often wrong with close inspection so it depends on how perfect you want the results to be.
To buy new, the cheapest option is probably the Lensbaby composer as one eye jack suggests.
There are also second hand older PC (not the newer PC-E) Nikkors if you can find it on the used market. PC is Nikon speak for tilt-shift btw. Stands for Perspective control.
I thought there might have been a tilt-shift adapter for one of the mirrorless mounts but I can't remember which.

 

[Kit]

There are 4 PC Nikkors which can do tilt and shift. The PC-E 24, 45, 85 and the PC Micro 85(which was replaced by the PC-E 85). All earlier PC Nikkors can only do shift, no tilt i.e. can't produce miniature effects.

 

[swifty]

There are 4 PC Nikkors which can do tilt and shift. The PC-E 24, 45, 85 and the PC Micro 85(which was replaced by the PC-E 85). All earlier PC Nikkors can only do shift, no tilt i.e. can't produce miniature effects.

I was thinking of the PC Micro 85. Didn't realise the earlier ones are shift only. Thanks

 

[e69087]

There's another brand called Arax. Their widest angle is 35mm f2.8 for Nikon F mount.
Not too sure whether can buy it locally in Singapore.
Check their web site. USD 598 per pc.

 

[RyanKhoo]

There's another brand called Arax. Their widest angle is 35mm f2.8 for Nikon F mount.
Not too sure whether can buy it locally in Singapore.
Check their web site. USD 598 per pc.

Thanks bro ... :thumbsup: