Nikon PC-E 45/2.8 for outdoor portrait

[deepdiver]

I just bought this lens couples days ago.
I really have no experience of using Tilt and Shift lens at all. If u guys remember, about 3-4 months ago, I was asking about Nikon 85/2.8 PC-E for taking pic of models.
I got different answers
Now, I have the tilt and shift lens (for the first time)
and yes, u guys are right, this lens is NOT easy to use, need to practice a lot to master it :lecture:

Here are some pics from D700 + 45/2.8 PC-E ^.^

With CLS (SB 800 and SB 900)

last one...

I really Enjoyed it.
this lens is so fun much to play with


Andree

 

[Lars]

Hi Andree,
Looks like it's worth the extra effort, that image selection just oozes with quality.

If you are coming from large format then T/S shouldn't be a problem, otherwise it takes some getting used to. It doesn't hurt to read up a little on the Scheimpflug principle, if you haven't yet.

One thing to keep in mind when using tilt for selective focus is where you want to place the back and front bokeh. Your lens seems to produce pleasant bokeh front as well as back, but there is still a difference which might make itself noticed in specular highlights.

 

[etrigan63]

Nice work Andree!. I haven't used my Hartblei 45mm for anything other than architecture. I may give this a whirl if I can corral my favorite model (my daughter) to a while.

 

[Oxide Blu]

I guess this makes me the bearer of bad news. My opinion only, but I do not see anything going on with any of those pixs that justifies the disk space to keep them. None of them work for me. If anything, the lens PC ruins the images. I think you could achieve much better results and have more control over where you are taking those images, by PP in a lightroom.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Andree,
Your photos here look a bit "chaotic" to me. I should be careful with what I say, since I haven't used a tilt/shift lens for this purpose, but I have a feeling that it may work better closer to the model, like in situations where you want both her hands and her face in focus, even though they would have been on different focal planes with a conventional lens.

As it looks now, I suspect a non-photographer would ask you what's wrong with your camera since you can only get parts of the photos in focus.

 

[deepdiver]

Hi guys, thx for all the input
I got different responses from my friends too.
Some of them like it, the other don't like it.
Sometime it's fun to experiment with the OOF area/bokeh. I want to use this lens again for my next model shooting (Of course with the combo of A900 + Zeiss glass, for Normal shooting style)

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Andree try getting closer with it. It may make it more natural looking

 

[deepdiver]

Ok guy! I will do it next time
it's really not easy to use this lens

 

[Guy Mancuso]

No it is actually a very difficult lens to use especially doing what you are trying this will take a few outings for sure but start closer and you will get a better feel for it and also how far you go or not go. Also try less shift and tilt and stay more wide open so the transition between the DOF by aperture and by the tilt blends better. What happens is the sharp transitions that upset the eye, so maybe works toward softening that. By opening up some that will help.

Sorry this is the instructor coming out in me. I always hope folks take my advice in the spirit it is given. I just love to help folks get better at photography and my main reason doing wrokshops.