Just wondered people's experience of using the Alpa Max 'back to front'? That is: putting the lens and back on opposite sides to normal, to gain 25+18 cross shift, instead of 18+18, and accepting the maximum front rise will now be 18mm rather than 25mm.
It means loosing lens locked stitching, important for closer work, but less so for distant architecture, etc. In return, you gain about 7mm of cross movement, and a slightly longer frame ratio (which I like). A stitch goes from 90mm to 97mm effective sensor width (with an IQ180/160 series back). The loss of 7mm from front rise is only a problem for very high buildings and low vantage points. I would mostly do a 4-way stitch with the lens side at -5mm, and then at +18mm.
The bubble levels seem harder to read this way around, that's about all I can say negatively, beside the loss of lens locking. Am I missing anything else?
It means loosing lens locked stitching, important for closer work, but less so for distant architecture, etc. In return, you gain about 7mm of cross movement, and a slightly longer frame ratio (which I like). A stitch goes from 90mm to 97mm effective sensor width (with an IQ180/160 series back). The loss of 7mm from front rise is only a problem for very high buildings and low vantage points. I would mostly do a 4-way stitch with the lens side at -5mm, and then at +18mm.
The bubble levels seem harder to read this way around, that's about all I can say negatively, beside the loss of lens locking. Am I missing anything else?
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