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Tilt and Shift lenses on Alpha

dhsimmonds

New member
An interesting article in "Photoworld" magazine describes a shift adaptor from ARAX in the Ukraine that will fit Apha cameras. It will use Pentacon 6 (Zeiss) or Kiev88 or similar lenses to assist with the very narrow depth of field of full frame 24mpx sensors. Some example before and after images illustrate the article........it looks very useful to me! The adaptors cost £130 including postage and the Excellent Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena Flectogon can be picked up quite cheaply these days.
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
I realise a proper tilt/shift for the Alpha mount would be expensive (just look at the Hartblei/Zeiss prices...) but I'd pay good money for a wide angle Sony/Zeiss tilt AND shift (not just shift) if it was made. It is needed.
 

LCT

Member
Otherwise there is the well known Schneider PC Super-Angulon 28/2.8 shift lens which can be acquired with a Sony mount AFAIK. Both should cost about $2K though.
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Quentin

The attached link will get you directly to the adaptor manufacturer in Ukraine.
I suggest you go for the Minolta A mount (Sony Alpha). Shop around for the best 50mm Flectagon or whatever else lens you can find, probably around £100 will get you a good one if you are in the UK, perhaps less elsewhere?

http://araxfoto.com/accessories/tilt/

Photoworld is the dedicated magazine of the Sony Apha and Minolta Club in the UK and is a glossy well printed, written and produced magazine imho!

www.photoclubalpha.com
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Quentin

The attached link will get you directly to the adaptor manufacturer in Ukraine.
I suggest you go for the Minolta A mount (Sony Alpha). Shop around for the best 50mm Flectagon or whatever else lens you can find, probably around £100 will get you a good one if you are in the UK, perhaps less elsewhere?

http://araxfoto.com/accessories/tilt/

Photoworld is the dedicated magazine of the Sony Apha and Minolta Club in the UK and is a glossy well printed, written and produced magazine imho!

www.photoclubalpha.com
Very interesting, Dave, thanks for the link. I have a Hartblei super rotator for my Mamiya ZD, so I am happy to try items from the East!

I notice that araxfoto do tilt and shift adapters, but not one that does both tilt AND shift in the same adapter so far as I can see, which admittedly is a bit more complex. Tilt is more important; you can digitally correct perspective but getting front to back sharpness is dependent on tilt (I know there are software solutions now but still, getting it right in camera is better)

I have no idea about the available lenses, however. Ideally something around 28mm would be good.

cheers

Quentin
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Quentin

The article has 'with' and 'without' photographs illustrating the tilt characteristics of the adaptor and the massive improvement of DOF possible at close range. The definition with the MF 50mm Zeiss lens is also impressive.

I suspect that the Arax Foto people are an off shoot of the old Kiev camera company which may explain the Pentacon 6 and Kiev 88 MF lens compatibility. The old Kiev's were designed around the Pentacon lens range and the Kiev lenses were copies of the Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses. One or two of the Kiev lenses were (are!) excellent, equally as good as the Zeiss originals but most weren't due to poor quality control.
 
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