lens info:
http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/en/photo-imaging/product-field/photo-lenses/products/dslr-lenses/tiltshift-lenses/The 90/4.5 Makro-Symmar definitely classifies as what can be called an odd lens, a specialized tool aimed at those who find the Canon and Nikon T/S & PC-E lenses either inadequate for the task at hand (as in not good enough image quality) or annoying given their handling characteristics. The lens has an interchangeable bayonet (replacement costs about 100 EUR + shipping from Schneider) and it is manufactured in Canon EOS, Nikon-F, Sony Alpha and Pentax-K mount. Made on order, I think only B&H Photo Video has them in stock every now and then.
I use the 90/4.5 Makro-Symmar for oevre photos ie. modern art (sculptures, paintings behind glass, medium-sized objects etc.) and for any and all product photos that require tilting the focal plane, as well as architecture (it can be shifted rotating 360°. As opposed to Nikon PC-E lens construction, this lens can be tilted AND shifted independently of axis, rotated with 30° steps. I think it's questionable to call it a "Makro" as it only goes down to 1:4 (min. focusing distance is 0.57m) but it is very useful in product photography that does not require reproduction magnification levels.
It is actually a medium format lens, with DSLR mount so it paints a very big area (about 35% larger) than full frame DSLR tilt/shift lenses. Thanks to this, image quality on a DSLR stays very high even at maximum tilt and/or shift settings. It has 12mm of shift and tilt 8° (360° rotateable) and an Arca-Swiss mount at its optical center point (therefore panoramic and shifting does not introduce parallax shift).
12mm of shift doubles the frame coverage ie the 36mpix D810 can produce 72mpix stitched images from shifted frames. As opposed to the traditionally Nikon choice of X & Y axis tilt/shift, the lens can be turned around its axis for 360° with 30° stops (while it is shifted and/or tilted). It's a fully mechanical lens, aperture control with 1/3 f-stop clicks. The lens construction is in my opionion mechanically ingenious. A total of 9 control rings change the aperture, focus, shift (and shift rotate) as well as tilt (and tilt rotate). Focus throw is as good as it can get, a whopping 330° turn (as opposed to the PC-E Nikkors with a very hasty 160°).
Strongly recommended for those who find their existing choice of tilt/shift lenses inadequate, I can't really find anything bad except the weight (1.1kg) to say about it. Resolving power is better than Makro-Planar 2/100 ZF.2 AND better than Milvus 2/100, the only non-supertele lenses that resolve more detail than this lens are the 85 and 55 Otus and APO-Summicron 2/50 (source: Lensscore)
What does it do? Product photography and architecture, normal or tilted focal plane, shifted or not shifted. For photos taken with this lens you can go to my client's website,
about 2/3 of all the oevre photos on this website I have taken with this lens: http://www.jirigeller.com/works.htmlFor some more images of the lens, and what it does, see these attachments.
