[Leica] Tilt-Shift Miniatures

[rgacpa at yahoo.com (Bob Adler)]

With tilt, the plane of focus will be the same as the plane of the lens 
"board". 
Depth of field above and below this plane is controlled by f-stop. I frame 
my 
shots first, with the back and front planes of the camera parallel. Then I 
tilt 
the film plane of the camera ever so slightly back (more so with macro) 
until I 
see the "far mountain peaks" and the "near flowers at my feet" come into 
focus. 
Drawing a line from the flower to the mountain peak is my plane of focus. 
Stopping down increases the depth of filed above and below this plane.

Shift only changes the framing of the image. 

Another way to think of it is if you don't have tilt your plane of focus is 
the 
lens board because the lens and film plane are parallel. Stopping down 
increase 
the depth of field in front of and behind your focal point. Pretty much the 
same 
is happening with tilt; stopping down increases the DOF above and below the 
focal plane once the top far and bottom near points are in focus from 
tilting.

For the mathematically inclined, check out schiempflug (affectionately know 
as 
slimeyfudge).

But don't get too mathematical; a little tilt goes a long way. And having 
stopped down live view on a digital camera with the ability to?zoom in?on 
the 
elements of your image is the only way to?really see if you've got it (I use 
a 
Hoodman too; like a loupe). In a studio, you can probably view it on a 
computer 
and adjust accordingly. With ground glass it's even easier!

All this probably doesn't help one bit....
?Bob Adler
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.rgaphoto.com 




________________________________
From: Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>
To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Tue, August 10, 2010 2:12:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Tilt-Shift Miniatures

The DOF depth of field stays the same but the plane it lays on changes.
You have the plane of field skim over the tops of things.

--------------------
Mark William Rabiner
Photography
mark at rabinergroup.com


> From: Tim Gray <tgray at 125px.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:52:58 -0400
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Tilt-Shift Miniatures
> 
> On Aug 10, 2010 at 02:55 PM -0400, Tina Manley wrote:
>> What is it about a tilt shift lens that gives the visual impression of
>> miniaturization?
> 
> Depth of field (DOF) is very small at close focus distances.? To get a big
> picture of miniatures, you traditionally have to be close in.? Tilt-shift
> lenses obviously let you futz with the DOF in non-traditional ways,
> shrinking it to a small layer if you desire.? So it looks like a photo of a
> miniature.
> 
> Isn't that all there is too it?? Or to word it another way: Does tilt-shift
> give the impression of looking at miniatures, or does it give the 
> impression
> of looking at a picture of miniatures?
> 
> (Though the eye does have DOF.)
> 
> _______________________________________________
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