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Hi, I really want to get into taking photos using tilt shift lens. I cant afford a real tilt lens or even a lensbaby, but I have found a tutorial on how to build one:
http://www.creativepro.com/story/howto/25432.html?cprose=daily
I have a Canon EOS 350D digital SLR. I dont know anything about the hardware as I havnt been taking photos for long. My question is: WHat lens do you suggest that I buy to use with this tutorial? The tutorial says "Oversized lens". What does that mean? A lens that is literally bigger than my camera? If so, could anyone suggest a lens?
Any tips/advice would be great. Many thanks.
Sorry, Ive just read this on the same page - "To build your own tilt-shift lens, you start with a spare lens that's built for a film format larger than that of the camera you'll use the lens on."
That answer smy question about the oversize lens! Anyway, any advice on this subject would be great. Has anyone else tried building one of these?
This is 'LensBaby' type of lens, not a 'Tilt' or more correctly named Perspective Control lens.
The author quotes a Pentacon 6 lens which is a very old medium-format, 6x6cm camera. This is what he means by 'oversized' i.e. use a MF lens if you're going to shoot 35mm film of dSLR.
EDIT:
You 'clocked' it... 
I built a T/S lens some years ago. You need a lens which offers a greater area of coverage than normal. And in order to accommodate the T/S mechanism you really need a lens which focuses further back than a typical lens for a 35mm camera.
An enlarger lens designed for printing from medium format film is what I used as it meets both criteria. Such lenses are normally available in a standard screw thread fit, which means that you should be able to use a cheap adaptor to fit it to your T/S mechanism. I made the bellows using black card (it's easier than it looks once you get your head round it).
The whole thing was a bit cumbersome and I only ever took one series of pics with it. However, if you enjoy DIY then I'm sure you will get some fun and satisfaction from such a project.
Why do you want a T & S lens anyway these days? All the correction facilities you need are in Photoshop.
**** M.
I am fortunate enough to own a PC Nikkor, which I bought donkey's years ago. The results from it, even when used with a digital camera, are far superior to anything 'straightened up' using software. Have a look at this taken WITH the PC lens, and this taken with a Sigma 10-20, and then corrected in Photoshop. I hope you can clearly see the benefits, and I wish you luck with your project. Do bear in mind that all your exposures will be 'manual' so it can be a bit hit and miss, but that's part of the fun.
Dave
Quote: Why do you want a T & S lens anyway these days? All the correction facilities you need are in Photoshop.
No, they'e not.
KRs
Chris
Hey guys, thanks for your comments. This is my first post on this forum. Ive been taking photos for a full 2 weeks now! Im like a kid with a new toy, everywhere I go I look to see if theres a photo there. Ive downloaded some of the excenllent tutorials off this site, but I really want to get into the whole tilt/shift thing.
thanks.
You've been taking photos for 2 weeks and want to build a tilt/shift lens??!! That's some learning curve...
Take a look at this. Not exactly peanuts, but cheaper than a Canon. I'm thinking of getting one myself, because as a Nikon user there are no other tilt and shift lenses I know of, unless I want to start chopping up plungers...
Steve
Just get the basic Lens baby, at the end of the day you will not be saving a great deal 
hi Mike Otley,
what do you mean "This is 'LensBaby' type of lens, not a 'Tilt' "? Like the last poster said, for a few extra bucks, I may aswell get a lensbaby. But do you think they are inferior? If so how? I dont want to buy a lensbaby, then regret it. I want to take the sort of photos that make the scene seem like a little 'model' of a real scene.
Dan, mike is correct. The lensbaby is a bit of a specialist lens and has been building a bit of a cult following, no way is it inferior just different.
Quote: I want to take the sort of photos that make the scene seem like a little 'model' of a real scene
The LB will do this and a lot more. check this out
Quote: All the correction facilities you need are in Photoshop.
*sigh*
Steve, The hartblei was reviewd in AP the other week, and came out quite well. It's worth noting that they're more flexible than the Canons as the TS-E mechanism can only work with a fixed relationship of tilt to shift. BTW, while there probaly aren'y many lens options, you could ger a Novoflex bellows system that allows a full range of movements.
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