43 Rumors

OMG !! That’s one heck of a concept !!!

The Four Thirds image circle is not very big. I wonder how much shift is actually usable before you start to get vignetting? I can see using an OM lens for shift, but 4/3? Don’t tilt/shift lenses usually have a larger image circle than standard lenses?

considering how important the lens alignment is for digital camera I’d say (FT0).

I doubt they’ve overcome the engineering obstacles to do this… However:

Since the T/S motions are rearward, the lens image-circle would remain the same. What would increase in size (to allow the shift from center) would be the sensor. So imagine an E5 with an FF sensor, operating on only 4/3-sized sections of the sensor at a time. I do think this would require a lens inside the camera to communicate these rays to the sensor.

I don’t think the biggest engineering issue would be rotating the sensor so much as creating a sensor that can respond to non-perpendicular rays with aplomb.

Then again, I’ve never really understood T/S lenses with detail, much less to the point of engineering one.

BTW this FF would allow all manner of crop size and shape for non-T/S photos–to the lens it basically appears as a round-sensor–extending in every direction beyond its edge.

Sounds unlikely to me. It would be cool to have a “tilt/shift back” that could make any lens into a tilt/shift lens, but I have my doubts about how well that could work in practice…for one thing, doing away with the mirror might give you the room to do tilts, but shifts? Where do you have the room to shift the sensor to? It would be very cool if it’s real, but I’m not exactly holding my breath waiting for it.

you can already get tilt with zoom lenses (or other lenses) on micro4/3 with a NikonF (or other mount) to micro4/3 tilt adapter. I use a Nikkor 45P on my tilt adapter… very compact.

@rufusrm44
the cameras are called 4×5 not 5×4….it is 5 x4 in UK & Europe and 4 x 5 in the US, and possibly other places. Just like timber, in the US it is 2 x 4 and in the UK it 4 x 2 (except we should call it 100 x 50 mm but no body does).

J

The tilt-shift lenses for Olympus that you can buy on eBay are awful. Arsat or some Russian-made brand like that, 35mm (not a very useful focal length on 4/3rds), and just aren’t that sharp from what I’ve read.

I use a 4×5 and an Olympus E3. The benefits of tilts and swings can be substantial depending on the subject (i.e., if your foreground is relatively planar). When the foreground is very three-dimensional, like a tree or a bush, tilts and swings will not help you if you want to get them in focus and the background; you’ll just need to stop down. Tilts and swings actually decrease angular depth of field close to the camera (look up the Scheimpflug principle), so you need to make sure you only use them when there isn’t something in the foreground that will be thrown out of focus in a weird way by that.

Of course, there are many situations where tilts and swings are beneficial (I myself rarely use shift). These movements can also be used to throw things out of focus, except for a small area you want in focus, as well.

I think that Olympus could benefit greatly from these kinds of things, but it could also benefit from some longer telephoto prime lenses. The 50-500 Sigma isn’t designed for Olympus, and produces good but not excellent sharpness at 500mm on the 4/3rds sensor. It would be nice to have a prime 500mm f/5.6 or f/6.5 lens. I have a 70-300, and Olympus really shines for on-the-go nature photography (the 70-300mm lens really isn’t designed for 4/3rds either, but is the same design as a Sigma lens that is also on APS-C sensors). However, oftentimes, even 300mm isn’t long enough to get what you want in focus.

And the 300mm f/2.8 really doesn’t help you get any closer, although you can pair it with an EC-20. Not to mention, the 300mm f/2.8 is enormous in both weight and price. (although you can rent, and for me, for the frequency of my use of nature photography where I’d need a lens that long, renting would be the best option). (and even to rent it for 4 days, insured, costs $320!).