Difference between Fotodiox Pro and Pro SHIFT Lens Mount Adapters

ted_smith · Aug 27, 2018

Hi

I am venturing into the possibility of occasionally mounting my Hasselblad V-System lenses to my Nikon F5 for times when I might want to benefit from the rapid auto-wind of the Nikon. I've read about the Fotodiox lens mount adapters, but I am confused as there seems to be two types and I don't see what the difference is.

There is the 'Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter' (short link : http://amzn.eu/d/7yg3vZO )
Sells here in the UK (from places like Amazon) for about £37.

and there is the

Fotodiox Pro Shift Lens Mount Adapter (short link : http://amzn.eu/d/9cf2DSC)
Sells here in the UK (from places like Amazon) for about £142.

So whats the difference? What does the extra £105 get you?

Thanks for any insight.

faberryman · Aug 27, 2018

As indicated in the name, and quoting from the Amazon ad to which you linked, the more expensive adapter "allows the lens to shift 15mm in each direction and rotate 360 degrees".

ted_smith · Aug 28, 2018

faberryman said:
"allows the lens to shift 15mm in each direction and rotate 360 degrees".

But what does that mean in the practical sense? Why does it need to rotate and what does the 15mm shift allow?

Marco Gilardetti · Aug 28, 2018

To correct perspective, or - more frequently - to avoid "falling vertical lines". You need to read any basics about Large Format Photography; here is the first page that popped up with a search - go to "Rise & Fall" chapter:

https://www.raylarose.com/words/large-format-view-camera-movements

As the coverage of the Hasselblad lens will overflow the frame of the Nikon, you will be allowed to use some shift as it is common practice in Large Format Photography. If you shoot any architecture, you may be tempted to buy the adapter that allows shifting, even though architecture is usually photographed with wide angles so I wonder if an adapter that allows shifting would be of much use in this case (I suppose you have in mind the Hasselblad lenses to play the role of tele-lenses).

MattKing · Aug 28, 2018

Shift lenses help you avoid getting your own reflection in shots of reflective materials .
"Rise" and "Fall" are two components of shift that are most useful - particularly in architectural work.
As for the 360 degree rotation, the only advantage I can see for that is that it would add a little convenience to those who always like to have the aperture and shutter speed settings facing in a particular direction, irrespective of how the camera body is oriented.
If you already have the Hasselblad lenses, the adapter is probably cheaper than a Nikon Tilt/Shift lens, but it lacks a Tilt capability, so it won't be as useful as a Tilt/Shift lens.

abruzzi · Aug 28, 2018

I suspect the rotation is about allowing the shift in any direction.

ted_smith · Aug 28, 2018

Ok. Thanks all for the help.

So I think that when it comes to photographing people, pets and landscapes, as long as I remember that the hassy lens will cover more than the rectangular view of the Nikon f5, I could just use the standard one. In other words ensure I don’t crop too tight and ensure the object of interest is within the rectangular area. That way I can get all the wonder of those lenses when I use my Nikon instead of investing in further lenses for the Nikon. That’s my thinking. Obviously most will say “just use them on your hasselblad” but there are some occasions when it’s kist too big and bulky and Nikon is easier to carry around.

MattKing · Aug 28, 2018

ted_smith said:
Ok. Thanks all for the help.

So I think that when it comes to photographing people, pets and landscapes, as long as I remember that the hassy lens will cover more than the rectangular view of the Nikon f5, I could just use the standard one. In other words ensure I don’t crop too tight and ensure the object of interest is within the rectangular area. That way I can get all the wonder of those lenses when I use my Nikon instead of investing in further lenses for the Nikon. That’s my thinking. Obviously most will say “just use them on your hasselblad” but there are some occasions when it’s kist too big and bulky and Nikon is easier to carry around.

You are over-thinking this.
Your photograph will include whatever you see in your Nikon's viewfinder. The lens is capable of giving you more, but that excess will fall outside where the film is.
You will have to work with stop down metering rather than open aperture metering - the image in the viewfinder will get dimmer as you stop down to the taking exposure.
And your lenses will perform at their designated focal length - thus the standard 80mm lens will perform like a short 80mm "telephoto" on your Nikon rather than like an 80mm standard lens.
You may or may not see a reduction in resolution compared to your Nikon lenses. At least some of that Hasselblad lens "wonder" comes not from the lens but rather from the lens plus the larger film area.

Difference between Fotodiox Pro and Pro SHIFT Lens Mount Adapters

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