Update on TCs for 85 mm tilt/shift lens.

[Arne Hvaring]

I have reread Bjørns review of this lens (the first version with the plunger, which is the one I have) and it seemed that all available Teleconverters at the time would fit. I have the 1,7x II and it can't be mounted although there seems to be plenty of clearance. Does anyone know which, if any, of the present TCs that works with the 85 mm T/S ?
Tia.

[Erik Lund]

You need to modify the TC front mount, there is a small tap that needs to be removed


https://nikonrumors.com/2014/10/29/diy-shaving-a-nikon-teleconverter.aspx/

[Arne Hvaring]

Excellent tutorial on removing the annoying tab. Seems like a simple enough procedure. Many thanks Erik for the link!
Cheers
Arne

[Macro_Cosmos]

Please post your results with the 85pc+tc combo. I have an 85mm pc-e and sometimes use it on a d7100 for 1:1, really decent results I must say. Only thing I dislike about this lens is that incredibly short focus throw, only 1 out of 5 are in focus for me, really hard to use handheld.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

---. I have an 85mm pc-e and sometimes use it on a d7100 for 1:1, really decent results I must say ---

The lens only focuses to 1:2, no matter what camera format it is used on.

[golunvolo]

Meaning the d7100 renders a crop of a 1:2 reproduction of the subject?

[Birna Rørslett]

That is a correct description, yes.

[Arne Hvaring]

Please post your results with the 85pc+tc combo. I have an 85mm pc-e and sometimes use it on a d7100 for 1:1, really decent results I must say. Only thing I dislike about this lens is that incredibly short focus throw, only 1 out of 5 are in focus for me, really hard to use handheld.

The modification went like a breeze. No vignetting even at max tilt/shift. I have only made a quick comparison at near infinity (with all settings zeroed) with the 70-200 zoom set to same FL, about 145 mm. The zoom beats the 85+17TC handily at all stops. Unsurprisingly perhaps. It remains to be seen how the combo performs tilted at shorter distances. Maybe the TC14 would be a better match.

[Macro_Cosmos]

The modification went like a breeze. No vignetting even at max tilt/shift. I have only made a quick comparison at near infinity (with all settings zeroed) with the 70-200 zoom set to same FL, about 145 mm. The zoom beats the 85+17TC handily at all stops. Unsurprisingly perhaps. It remains to be seen how the combo performs tilted at shorter distances. Maybe the TC14 would be a better match.

Thanks for the information! 
My 85mm pc-e performs better than my 70-200mm at 85mm, the AF zoom however imo gives a better MF experience... don't know why. For some reason the 3 pc-e lenses have a short focus throw, not sure about the newer 19mm.

[Matthew Currie]

That is a correct description, yes.

But unless my math is seriously askew (which is quite possible) it's still just a hair shy of 1:1 if you use the camera's crop mode.

It is a hard lens to use hand held.  I don't think it's so much the focus throw as the size and weight.  I've not had that much difficulty just moving a non-focusing lens, but this one is hard to hold steady.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

But unless my math is seriously askew (which is quite possible) it's still just a hair shy of 1:1 if you use the camera's crop mode.

Magnification (reproduction ratio) is independent of camera format. Nor is it influenced by cropping.

[Matthew Currie]

Magnification (reproduction ratio) is independent of camera format. Nor is it influenced by cropping.

Yes, of course, but in terms of "fills the frame as if it were 1:1 in FX" it looks as if it comes pretty close in 1.2 crop mode on top of DX, but still misses by a hair.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

No, it is not "yes of course": DX vs FX won't give more real magnification. Equalising on angle of view adds no new information and only increases the danger of empty magnification (always a potential issue with smaller formats).

[Roland Vink]

The 85 PC lens will focus to 0.5x (1:2) magnification. On FX format that covers 48 x 72mm. On DX format that covers 32 x 48mm.

Adding the TC17E increases magnification to 0.85x (1:1.18). On FX that covers 28 x 42mm. On DX format it covers approx 19 x 28mm.

The different formats only change the framing (cropping), the magnification stays the same.

I suspect the 85PC will have better image quality with TC14E, at the expense of slightly less magnification.

[Jack Dahlgren]

The 85 PC lens will focus to 0.5x (1:2) magnification. On FX format that covers 48 x 72mm. On DX format that covers 32 x 48mm.

Adding the TC17E increases magnification to 0.85x (1:1.18). On FX that covers 28 x 42mm. On DX format it covers approx 19 x 28mm.

The different formats only change the framing (cropping), the magnification stays the same.

I suspect the 85PC will have better image quality with TC14E, at the expense of slightly less magnification.

What am I missing? Increasing magnification increases coverage no? Why would it get smaller?