Mamiya RZ67+Tilt-Shift Adapter lens vs 4x5 field camera

[StoneNYC]

I want too get into doing some tilt shift-ing.

I want to shoot landscapes but with some perspective control where for example I have something in focus in the foreground as well as the background in focus. I don't have any experience with TS but I've been shooting landscapes for a long time.

So my question for anyone that has used a Mamiya RZ67 is, first do you need both the TS lens and the TS adapter? Or does the TS adapter just let any normal lens be a TS lens?

I already own an RZ67 so to just buy the lens or adapter will be significantly cheaper than going all out on 4x5 upgrade, but what movements am I losing out on? Are they necessary for my landscape goals?

Thanks!


~Stone

The Important Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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[polyglot]

Infinity focus is achievable only on the short-barrel ("-SB") lenses, which are available in 75mm and 180mm. Other lenses will focus only extremely closely with the adapter, though I expect they should still work. And if you want to use the SB lenses without the shift adapter, you need a special extension tube which I don't think is the same length as a normal extension tube.

I think you can also get a 75mm shift lens which has shifting built-in but maybe not tilt. Not sure.

In terms of "missing out" on stuff, you won't get rear movements. And the 75mm isn't real wide and doesn't have a lot of spare coverage.

 

[StoneNYC]

I see, hmm ok can you elaborate a bit, I know that I could go and study and read a book on this, but in short, what does the rear movement do exactly? I mean I know it moves the plane if the film so that would bring closer objects into focus right or wrong? So then what does the tilt of the front lens do?

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more beneficial for Mamiya to have made a special back with screw corners that could be tilted? Or is that less beneficial than the tilting lens, and why?

Thanks


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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[Photo Engineer]

I have the adapter, lens and extension tube. They came as a kit when the TS equipment was bought. They are primarily used for closeups or for architectural photography to normalize the convergence of lines in buildings. For landscapes, it would be easier to just stop down to get the depth of field you need, and this goes with any camera.

There is a nice pamphlet put out by Mamiya on the TS "kit". You may want to look it up to see some examples of how it is used.

PE

 

[erikg]

View camera movements can get complicated, but basically the rear movements affect the shape of objects in the image, parallel lines in a building for example. Front movements affect the way the plane of focus intersects with objects. They do of course interact.

 

[StoneNYC]

Thanks guys.

I guess I'm asking is it worth purchasing this for my Mamiya? Landscapes can include railroad tracks so is the TS ability on the Mamiya ENOUGH? I know that's a relative perspective but humor me haha


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EdSawyer]

The rz with ts adapter and 75mm lens offers 10 deg. Of tilt, which is more than enough to get near-far style landscapes with everything in focus. The 75mm lens can handle about 20mm of shift in any direction. The ts adapter offers 10deg of tilt AND 10mm of shift. The 75 mm shift lens offers 20mm of shift but no tilt. There's a ground glass back available which is helpful for composing.

I have all of the above, and it's nicely made gear. However it is a bit unwieldy, and probably as heavy as a 4x5 field camera rig.

Ed

 

[polyglot]

and probably as heavy as a 4x5 field camera rig.

My Toyo with 2 lenses is lighter than my RZ with just one wide lens, let alone TS adapters.

Don't forget you can use rollfilm backs on a 4x5 camera if you don't want to pay for sheet film.

 

[StoneNYC]

Thanks to both of you, that's very helpful info, I do realize about the graflok roll film backs. But the point of going LF for me is the detail so sounds like to me that for now it might be worth getting the lens and adapter, too bad it doesn't come up on eBay very often and the adapter is super expensive used.


~Stone

The Important Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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