The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

shift/rise/fall vs. tilt/swing

danlindberg

Well-known member
I do not know if this is a stupid question, but I read in many places about the different "issues" when applying shift/rise/fall. However I do not find any comments on any problems when applying tilt or swing. Does this mean that tilt/swing is a non-issue and can be played to its full potential without bumping into nasty colourcasts or other artifacts? Does imagecircle also play a role on how much tilt/swing that can be applied?
Thanks for clearing up this :eek:
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
There are only a few tech cameras that allow for lens tilt, and even fewer users using them, probably why you don't hear much about it. A pure lens tilt -- one whose axis is on the optical center-plane of the lens -- will not directly alter the angle of the light path as it strikes the sensor, so theoretically if a centered and zeroed lens did not require an LCC, neither should the tilted lens. However... First off, very few of the existing tech cameras that tilt will offer a pure tilt, so will likely impart some amount of shift and their own brand of color cast associated with it. Second, many lenses impart a color cast even when zeroed and centered (especially short focals), it just isn't always prominent enough to be noticed in a typical image -- but shoot the LCC for that frame and you can often read several points of color cast across the frame.

So my bottom line reco is this: If you shoot a tech cam and want the ultimate in image integrity, ALWAYS shoot the LCC even when you're totally zeroed. If you shoot a tech cam that is always centered and zeroed, a-la the Alpa TC, then at least shoot a set of standard LCC's for each lens aperture you regularly use so you can measure and see they'll be needed.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
A lens tilt does not affect the sensor in regards to color cast, but will start putting less desirable areas of the image circle in the image.

A sensor tilt will cause a color cast as it increases the angle light strikes the sensor, although it can remain in the lenses sweet spot.

But both are a matter of degree rather than tilting is simply bad. Most things can be corrected.

The image circle of the lens just defines how much room there is for movement.

BTW, I always do an LCC with my Phase backs regardless of the camera movements.
 
Last edited:
Top