The shift of a tilt-shift lens explained

Monday 8 March 2021, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 6,795 views | 16 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

We have all heard of a tilt-shift lens. These lenses have the special ability to shift or tilt the lenses relative to the camera. In this article, I explain how the shift function of a tilt-shift works and what it is useful for.

A tilt-shift lens looks impressive, with all its buttons and wheels. It looks even more impressive when you see how such a lens can be tilted and shifted.

The possibilities of a tilt-shift are clearly visible in this photo. Tilting and shifting give the view something strange
These expensive lenses give you two options, each producing very different results. The first is a tilt function, which changes the angle of the lens relative to the camera. This allows you to tilt the plane of focus, so you can create some very unusual effects.

The second is the shift function, which this article is about. This allows you to shift the lens relative to the camera upwards or downwards, or to the left or right. The question is, why would you want to use this?

Would you like to know more about the tilt function? Then read the follow-up article The tilt of a tilt-shift lens explained.

A solution, but what for exactly?

The shift function shifts the lens relative to the camera. Or rather, relative to the sensor. But what problem is this actually the solution to?

To answer that, we need to look at photographing large subjects, such as buildings. You know the situation, you are standing in front of a building and photographing upwards with a wide-angle lens to get it all in the frame.

The straight lines of the building suddenly run towards a vanishing point. These are called converging lines, a perspective distortion that is sometimes unwanted. If you want to keep the lines straight, there are essentially three possible solutions.

These are converging lines. Because I have to photograph upwards, there is perspective distortion. The lines run towards a vanishing point.
The first solution is to position the camera exactly halfway up the height of your building, so that you can keep the camera perfectly horizontal. The vertical lines will then run neatly vertically. The problem is that this is often impossible, especially with tall buildings.

The second solution is to stand further away and use a longer focal length. This also removes the perspective distortion, provided you can stand far enough away from your building. The problem is that this is often impractical or even impossible. There often is not enough space to move backwards.

The third solution is to use an even more extreme wide-angle lens, so that you can keep the camera exactly horizontal, but then you get an unnecessary amount of ground in the frame. You will then have to crop it out.

Did I say there are three solutions to the problem? No, there is a fourth, and that is the shift function of a tilt-shift lens.

How the shift function works

You may know that a lens has an image circle. This image circle is large enough to cover the surface of the sensor. A tilt-shift lens has a much larger image circle.

On the left is the image circle of a normal lens, and on the right that of a tilt-shift lens. The red rectangle is the size of the camera's sensor.
Because you have a much larger image circle, you can shift the area recorded by the sensor. More accurately, you can move the image circle by moving the tilt-shift lens relative to the sensor.

Normally, the part captured by the sensor is the middle section of the image circle. A tilt-shift lens allows you to shift the part that is captured using the shift function. In this case, upwards.

Keep your camera level

When you keep the camera exactly horizontal, you prevent converging lines. The problem is that you then get a lot of foreground in the frame and miss the top of the building. The large image circle of the tilt-shift does capture the top of the building.

By shifting the lens, you make sure that you use exactly the part of the image circle that you want to capture. The rest stays outside the frame. The photo below is the result, with neat, straight lines.

The result of using the shift function of the tilt-shift lens. Because I keep the camera perfectly horizontal, I prevent converging lines and still have the top of the building in the frame.
It is important to keep your camera perfectly horizontal. This is the only way to prevent those converging lines caused by perspective distortion.

Straightening with photo editing

Of course, these days it is very easy to straighten a photo in photo-editing software. This also works with the wide-angle perspective distortion that occurs when you point the camera upwards. You can easily correct the converging lines this way.

You can straighten these lines in photo-editing software. The downside is that you lose quality and part of the image.
The consequence of this correction is, first of all, loss of image, particularly in the top left and right corners. That part of the photo has to be 'stretched' to make the vertical lines truly vertical in the photo.

Straightening slanted lines comes at the cost of part of the image. You can see how much image you lose through this correction if you want to keep a 2:3 ratio. You also had to pull the pixels apart to do this.
Stretching a photo is bad for the quality. Because you pull the pixels apart, the photo-editing software has to invent additional pixels. However good it has become at doing this, it cannot bring back any detail.

Incidentally, the stretching upwards was done to get the correct proportions of the building. Stretching only to the left and right makes the building look squashed.

Whether or not to get a tilt-shift

Of course, you can reduce a photo enough that the missing details caused by straightening it with software are no longer visible. In other words, there are always workable solutions you can come up with to end up with a good photo.

If you only need to make these corrections occasionally, buying a tilt-shift lens is of course not immediately necessary. Although, you can use one to photograph other things too. I will probably write another article about that at some point.

Two Canon tilt-shift lenses: the TS-E17mm f/4L and the TS-E 24mm f/3,5L II
However, if you photograph a lot of architecture, interiors or perhaps even property, a lens with a shift function can be very useful. It means you do not have to use software tricks to straighten slanted vertical lines. And your workflow is simply much easier.

Do you often photograph buildings and structures? Do you also struggle with converging lines, or do you accept them? Would you consider getting a tilt-shift, or do you already have one? Share your experiences in a comment below this post.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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16 comments

Dick wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 10:36 | reply
There is a 4th option, namely DxO ViewPoint: https://www.dxo.com/dxo-viewpoint/ for if you find a tilt-shift lens a bit too expensive after all.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 10:57 | reply
@Dick:
it doesn't matter what software you use to correct perspective. The effect you get remains the same: loss of image area and a certain deterioration in image quality due to the editing.
But as I say in the article: for that one time, it's not so bad. But if you need this kind of editing every time, it might be worth considering a tilt-shift after all. There are also cheaper ones available than the original.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 10:58 | reply
A great article. The other function, which was not directly covered, also produces remarkable results.
The downside of these lenses is the price. The ones from Canon (a choice of 3 lenses) all cost between €2000 and €2500.
Samyang's TS lens is more than €1000 cheaper. That makes me wonder what causes the enormous price difference. It can't just be the quality.

Nando, I hope you will also pay attention to the other function of the lens.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 11:29 | reply
@Donald:
Canon has more than 3 tilt-shift lenses. A 17mm, a 24mm, a 50mm, a 90mm and a 135mm. Then there are the older 45mm and 90mm versions.
Samyang is cheaper with all its lenses, so it is not so surprising that this also applies to the tilt-shift lenses.
I will cover the tilt function in my next article.
Translated from Dutch.

Martinus wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 11:52 | reply
The distortion can also be removed quickly with Skylum Luminar AI.
Translated from Dutch.

Alex Leys wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 12:16 | reply
Simply explained, great article! As for the difference between an "expensive" Canon and a "cheap" Samyang, I would still like to add the following; when I wanted to start working with tilt-shift, I bought the Samyang because of the price. However, the quality (e.g. edge sharpness, chromatic aberration...) could not convince me. I rented the Canon 17mm for a weekend and was immediately sold, the difference is definitely worth the extra cost when you regularly do architecture and/or real estate photography!
Translated from Dutch.

André Kremer wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 12:18 | reply
Used to use a Linhof technical camera for architectural photography. But also used it for portraits where, with a half-profile, the plane of focus can be placed on both eyes at a wide aperture; gives a distinct effect. Unfortunately I no longer have the Linhof available, I am curious whether anyone has experience with this with current tilt-shift lenses.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 13:01 | reply
@André Kremer, photographer Tony Vingerhoets is a specialist in the field of TS lenses. Look him up on Google.
Translated from Dutch.

Martin wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 17:10 | reply
I have the Nikon 24 mm shift-tilt lens. A nice lens with which I can photograph buildings much better than with my other lenses. Unfortunately, it doesn't have autofocus and it turns out to be difficult to take photos that are 'tack sharp'. Maybe I should have the lens calibrated sometime or take the Focusing for Advanced Users course...
Translated from Dutch.

Bernard wrote on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 21:52 | reply
@Martin. My Canon "L" series TS24mm also has no autofocus. Enlarge the image on the display and then focus. The quality is excellent. Nando, thanks for your article, I’m curious about the "tilt" story.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 09:47 | reply
@Martin;
@Bernard already said it: use your Live View and magnify the image to focus perfectly.
For real estate, I always use f/8 or f/11. Then the depth of field is large enough to get almost everything in focus. I also use the depth-of-field scale on the lens (with Canon). I don't know if Nikon has that too, but it's a useful guide.
Just keep in mind that the scale isn't always equally accurate.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 10:24 | reply
@Martin,
@Nando as an addition: a number of cameras have a depth of field preview button. Canon in any case (on the body close to the lens mount). The Nikon may also have such a button
Translated from Dutch.

Martin wrote on Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 14:54 | reply
@ Donald
@ Nando
There's also such a button on my Nikon D750, but when you press it, the image often becomes so dark that it's difficult to assess the depth of field. By the way: is it an idea to devote a course to tilt-shift lenses?
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Thursday 11 March 2021 at 10:39 | reply
@Martin:
A course for tilt-shift lenses is certainly interesting. However, I can't promise that this will happen in the short term, but I will add it to the wish list
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Thursday 11 March 2021 at 11:47 | reply
@Nando, I can also see you giving a tilt/shift course at Photofacts Academy at some point. That way you'll already have a better idea before moving on to such a relatively expensive purchase.
Maybe you'd also be interested in writing a review of the cheaper alternative: the Samyang TS lens.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Thursday 11 March 2021 at 15:21 | reply
@Donald;
I'll talk about it sometime
Translated from Dutch.

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