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Tilt-shift lens

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kzrstf
Posts: 2778 - Karma: 695
while watching eye trip last night, i noticed that Level 1 used tilt-shift several times during the movie and i absolutely love the look it gives to the shot.
But since i really don't know shit about tilt-shift lenses, i thought i'd ask NS.

Canon's starts at 1300$ (which is kinda expensive), but i found this on ebay for about 300$
http://araxfoto.com/specials/tilt-shift-80/
Click for larger image
I know that you shouldn't cheap on lenses, but i would really like to try tilt-shift, and this lens looks pretty fun to start with.
Thoughts on this lens, and tilt-shift in general?
Sep 18 2010 12:03PM
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kzrstf
Posts: 2778 - Karma: 695
yeah, i use a t2i, and i do mostly video
Sep 18 2010 12:10PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
Try one out and see if it's something you like before you buy it. Tilt/shift would most likely be a pretty terrible option for filming because you'd be dealing with a focal plane that is both moving back and forth and tilting on an axis, so chances are you'll miss more than you want to. What those lenses are good for is architecture and landscapes so you can correct for distortion and get a greater depth of field than you can on any other lens. If you want the tacky selective focus effect, just do it in post and save yourself the trouble of trying to do it in-camera...although I'd imagine that look would get old pretty quickly.
Sep 18 2010 12:33PM
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Sklar
Posts: 8863 - Karma: 31,577
i don't remember the tilt-shift in eye trip, but i might have been too overwhelmed by the rest the movie as a whole to notice

i don't know a whole lot about the lenses, but it seemed like aenigma covered it pretty well

i know you can get the tilt-shift look in photoshop pretty easily, so i'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to do in ae
Sep 18 2010 12:47PM
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japollner
Posts: 1699 - Karma: 459
DIY!!

Make one for cheap.

Sep 18 2010 2:14PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9926 - Karma: 9,344
theres tilt shift shots in Refresh and the Eye Trip trailer too!
Sep 18 2010 3:13PM
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eheath
Posts: 61100 - Karma: 118,255
The tilt shift in refreshes trailer is the jump building timelapse right?
Sep 18 2010 3:45PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9926 - Karma: 9,344
1:24 and 1:31




0:47 and 2:28


there may be more but thats from a quick glance
Sep 18 2010 3:54PM
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eheath
Posts: 61100 - Karma: 118,255
Ahh okay i was thinking of the wrong effect.
Sep 18 2010 4:02PM
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h.yfoskett
Posts: 285 - Karma: 219
i had a chance to use a tilt shift lens for a week, im a photographer not a filmer but they are so fun, defaintley cant go cheap, buying a lens baby gives the same effect but their kind of shitty looking photos, i so want one of these
Sep 18 2010 5:41PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
If I were going to do in-camera creative focus/shot stuff, i would probably buy a lensbaby before a tilt-shift lens.

Tilt shift lenses are sick for what they are made for, but the selective focus thing can be real dumb - and if I were you, as recommended above, I would just do it in post for video. Spending a bunch of money on a lens that will be hard to use, for an effect you can get in post would be kinda silly.

I would be willing to bet that Level 1's shots are done in post.
Sep 18 2010 5:52PM
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Turner.
Posts: 1986 - Karma: 11,881





first video is a tutorial on how to make a tilt shift lens, but I'm not sure how many people want to glue any lenses to plungers...
also, the intro to Look on the Bright Side is all tilt shift if I'm not mistaken.
Sep 18 2010 6:28PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
read about it:


http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/movements.htm


the selective focus is just a function of the "tilt" of the lens. Nobody actually is using these lenses (I would bet). They are just doing it in post.
Sep 18 2010 6:51PM
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J-Evs
Posts: 6387 - Karma: 1,615
my favorite tilt shift piece

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Sep 18 2010 7:06PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
I should specify -

"Tilt" and "Shift" are two different things. The selective focus has nothing to do with "Shift".

looks like the video above might actually utilize a real lens, rather than post.
Sep 18 2010 7:15PM
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J-Evs
Posts: 6387 - Karma: 1,615
if that could ever be created in post to that extent
props!
Sep 18 2010 7:16PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9926 - Karma: 9,344
I know Level 1 uses a lens not post work for their stuff, I asked them on facebook when the Eye Trip trailer dropped
Sep 18 2010 7:18PM
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J-Evs
Posts: 6387 - Karma: 1,615
meant to say that mike clarke does a great job creating the tilt shift effect in post
for example

SCI BBQ and Jump Session from Michael Clarke on Vimeo.

Sep 18 2010 7:19PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 511
hahah mine too.
Landis posted it on FB...
But the Voleurz video is tilt shift in the beginning, but the videos above that aren't. They just have a different effect.

Sep 18 2010 7:23PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9926 - Karma: 9,344
if you mean the Level 1 trailers I posted, those are tilt shift, not a "different effect"
Sep 18 2010 7:56PM
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Sklar
Posts: 8863 - Karma: 31,577
get ready for a lot of this look in The Way I See it, MSP uses it A LOT
Sep 19 2010 2:14PM
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
soon to be a much worse fad than film burn.
Sep 19 2010 2:16PM
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
Im sure film burn looked cool when the first few people started using it too.
Sep 19 2010 2:34PM
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Shredability
Posts: 2756 - Karma: 501
I have used these, their nice. But personally i'm not ready to drop the cash on one

http://www.lensbaby.com/lenses.php
Sep 19 2010 6:01PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 511
Sam O'Hare actually does his effects in post.
And just some info on the sandpit:
He used over 3,500 still shots to make that video.
Sep 19 2010 6:29PM
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DavidHonda.
Posts: 662 - Karma: 711
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/28t3aa/digital-artist-toolbox.com/%253Fp%253D24


all fakes
Sep 19 2010 7:08PM
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DavidHonda.
Posts: 662 - Karma: 711
worky?
Sep 19 2010 7:11PM
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Shredability
Posts: 2756 - Karma: 501
so those are all models?
Sep 19 2010 8:01PM
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207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
so tilt shift makes everything super sharp but scales it down so it looks like a miniature model? correct? I'm sorry I'm just so confused I know what it does just not exactly...
Sep 19 2010 8:27PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
The scale effect only happens when you do a pretty extreme back tilt, which puts only a tiny part of the image in focus. If you want everything super sharp you do a front tilt, which puts your focal plane across the ground (or wherever you wish).

In a tiny, tiny nutshell.
Sep 19 2010 8:32PM
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207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
so basically it creates a toy model like effect, or a super sharp part of the image?
Sep 19 2010 8:34PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
"TILT" is when the lens tilts to make the depth of the focus smaller or larger.

"SHIFT" is when a part of the lens shifts to re-align the lens projection of your subject on the same plane.


None of this miniature stuff has anything to do with the Shift. It's all about the Tilt, and it's using the lens to create a tight selective plane of focus for the sake of a special effect. It's not what that function of the lens is intended for, but it can be cool.

please, everyone, read up:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/movements.htm
Sep 19 2010 8:36PM
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207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
thanks man, but chill out i read the wikipedia article and everything.
Sep 19 2010 8:38PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
Well, the model effect is really just the result of a painful misuse of an incredible tool. Here's a couple horrendous-looking quick and dirty scans of an example I did...both were shot at f/5.6, which would be about equivalent to f/1.7 on 35mm at the focal length I was using.

Front tilt:
Click for larger image

Back tilt:
Click for larger image
Sep 19 2010 8:40PM
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207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
^thanks man
Sep 19 2010 8:51PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
Haha, sorry, not trying to give the impression I was upset or something, I was just explaining it so others would see it, as people keep asking the same questions.
Sep 19 2010 9:12PM
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MADDECENT
Posts: 5579 - Karma: 951
wow tilt/shift looks incredible in some of those
Sep 19 2010 9:34PM
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MADDECENT
Posts: 5579 - Karma: 951
wow tilt/shift looks incredible in some of those
Sep 19 2010 9:34PM
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Mooserz
Posts: 2945 - Karma: 32
wow tilt/shift looks incredible in some of those
Sep 19 2010 10:59PM
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1337
Posts: 31038 - Karma: 29,003
ts photog is the tits
Sep 19 2010 11:10PM
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DavidHonda.
Posts: 662 - Karma: 711
no, all real but they were done in post (thats what i meant by fake my bad)
Sep 20 2010 11:32PM
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Mooserz
Posts: 2945 - Karma: 32
If you red the comments however, One person actually points out some good things on a few of the pictures on how they could be models
Sep 21 2010 4:38PM
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Tross
Posts: 951 - Karma: 117
I've found it most useful in post production. I just got the S95 "prosumer" point-and-shoot. While I'm really happy w/ the photo, you'll probably find yourself wishing you had just used an SLR w/ your images maxed out in RAW. Then bring them into Camera Raw and apply the effect post production. Do that for a while before you pull the trigger on a VERY specific and VERY pricey lens. It's like buying a $2,500 park ski! haha.

My thoughts on the subject anyhow.
Sep 24 2010 1:33PM
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Elife
Posts: 2829 - Karma: 44
Would love to get one to shoot streetscapes and adjust the perspective to eliminate converging lines on buildings... but I did just fuck around in photoshop and created this ugly bastard:

Click for larger image
Sep 24 2010 4:09PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
I agree. I've always wondered how much of that you could actually eliminate
Oct 22 2010 11:56PM
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1337
Posts: 31038 - Karma: 29,003
Click for larger image

soooooo sweet
Oct 23 2010 12:03AM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5675 - Karma: 4,268
You guys know it look miniature because the only time you're accustomed to seeing such thing depth of field is when you see a macro shot of something small right? You're used to it representing distances.

And yeah, there is a ton of ways for you to mimic that. If a t2i is crop, couldn't you get a lens for a non crop/35mm or for any larger format and go the homemade route? Although I'd bet something for 35mm would still not produce a large enough image circle, you'd need something for 6x6. I've seen somebody  make an attachment for a bronica lens so it fit onto a digital camera with the end of a plunger and body caps. The results were very good, but for photos.
Oct 23 2010 12:05AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
hahaha such a ghetto way to diy. but props for inventiveness.
Oct 23 2010 12:48AM
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Sklar
Posts: 8863 - Karma: 31,577
got bored and played with the ts look on photoshop, herre is what i got

Click for larger image
click, of course

my brother tried the plunger method and kind of got it to work i think, but not well
Oct 23 2010 10:08AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
easy ts look:

www.tiltshiftmaker.com

i really want a ts lens but they're so damn expensive. i love tilt shift photography but it's a pretty selective thing to pay so much for and most of it looks better from a somewhat aerial perspective
Oct 23 2010 10:26AM
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Shredability
Posts: 2756 - Karma: 501
There is also I way to do it in photoshop with the gaussian blur, just select the area you want to be in focus with the circle tool then ctrl+shift+I (invert selection) then apply the gausian blur
Oct 23 2010 12:39PM
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