NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: abergon on November 13, 2016, 20:51:31

Title: tilt-shift adapters for medium-format lenses
Post by: abergon on November 13, 2016, 20:51:31

I just found out about tilt-shift adapters from Hasselbad to Nikon bodies such ashttps://www.amazon.com/Kipon-Shift-Lens-Mount-Adapter/dp/B00ZZ4BI48 (https://www.amazon.com/Kipon-Shift-Lens-Mount-Adapter/dp/B00ZZ4BI48), turning medium-format Hasselblad glass into tilt-shift lenses.

Does it make sense, at least in theory? Has anyone tried it?

Title: Re: tilt-shift adapters for medium-format lenses
Post by: Netr on November 13, 2016, 21:58:33

An eastern European firm called Hartblei invented a clever tilt-shift mechanism  (Hartblei Super-Rotator). They initially used Kiev-made lenses (originally made for the Russian medium format cameras Kiev 60 and Kiev 88) with 35mm mounts.  They then went seriously upmarket by using vastly better quality (and much more expensive) Hasselblad lenses with their tilt-shift mechanism, getting a product that professionals could use.

Also, there seems to be a cottage industry in Ukraine and Russia making mounts and adaptors for tilting, shifting or both using medium format lenses on smaller format bodies, such as the one you mention.  Arax is a good brand.  Because the lens mount to film/sensor plane distance for medium format cameras is usually much greater than for 35mm/FX cameras there is plenty of room to put a tilt-shift mechanism between the medium format lens and the FX camera.

Beware of tolerance issues, as the adaptors may not  hold the lens correctly to the film plane.sensor, leading to a side or top/bottom having less good sharpness than the rest. There will be no electronic communication from lens to camera.