Tilt and Shift

Perspective control lenses are quite amazing and useful in landscape and architectural photography. If you have ever wondered how the whole process works, here is your chance. Michael Reichmann has just published a report on the new Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E lens as well as an article by another author that explains much more about the subject. This second article is entitled Focusing the Tilt-Shift Lens.

While Canon users have had options in this area since the early nineties, Nikon, Pentax, and other camera makers have left consumers out of luck. This has changed for Nikon users with the recent announcement of 24mm, 45mm, and 85mm perspective control lenses. Unfortunately, the rest of us are still essentially left out. Pentax did make a 28mm f/3.5 Shift lens that was produced from about 1975 through 2004 but, as with other offerings, does not work well with most digital SLRs because of the reduced size of the sensor in most cameras as compared to the 36mm by 24mm traditional film plane.

I hope that Pentax continues to bring out innovative and fantastic products. I would like to add a wide angle perspective control lens to that wish list along with the biggest one on the list as of now: modern teleconverters. Hopefully Pentax will surprise us before too long.