TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift for product photography?

[pdirestajr]

Hey all,

So I do a lot of small product photography, mostly with a 100mm f/2.8 macro on a 7D and a 5D mkII.

My goal is always to get the largest image in the frame, with the MOST depth of field- I know, this is probably the first thread where someone actually wants more DOF! Lots of bokeh junkies here. Me too

Anyways, I've been looking into the 90mm TS-E. Anyone here have any experience with it and product photography? I've never used a tilt-shift lens. I know (from research) it actually doesn't give more DOF but you can control it as a "wedge" of focus that is a different angle from the sensor plane. So will it help in getting more of the product in focus? Sometimes even at small apertures, up close, I can't get all of the product in focus.

Sometimes I need to photograph flat items (like a board game), but on an angle. I don't want to focus stack and combine in post- don't have time for that anymore.

Thoughts?

[neuroanatomist]

The TS-E 90mm is the lens for small product photography.

See the coin examples here: http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/ts-e90_tilt-shift.html which align with what you're trying to do.

[Don Haines]

Having used a 4x5 camera back in the days of film, I thought that the true advantage of large format was how you could tilt/angle the film plane and the lens plane to play with perspective and plane of focus. I briefly played with a 90 t/s lens and it brought back memories of such.... If I were doing product photography it would be the first lens I would get.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The 90mm TS-E is great for product photography.  It is not Macro, but focus closely.  However, I sold mine because I really did not need the tilt for my type of products, and seldom used it.
For photographing a Automobile where you are lookiinng from the front or rear, and want it all in focus, its very useful.  I'm not do sure about small products.  A macro like the 100L has a shallow depth of field because you get very close to the subject, but you do not get as close with the 90mm TS-E.
Another good technique to get more depth of field is to use focus stacking.  There is some good software that adjusts the focus in small increments, and other software that combines the resulting images into one that is totally in sharp focus.

[docholliday]

The 90mm TS-E is great for product photography.  It is not Macro, but focus closely.  However, I sold mine because I really did not need the tilt for my type of products, and seldom used it.
For photographing a Automobile where you are lookiinng from the front or rear, and want it all in focus, its very useful.  I'm not do sure about small products.  A macro like the 100L has a shallow depth of field because you get very close to the subject, but you do not get as close with the 90mm TS-E.
Another good technique to get more depth of field is to use focus stacking.  There is some good software that adjusts the focus in small increments, and other software that combines the resulting images into one that is totally in sharp focus.

I just slap a tube or two on and it becomes macro enough to show details in the small products I shoot with it!

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I just slap a tube or two on and it becomes macro enough to show details in the small products I shoot with it!

On a TS-E??  You can do that, but tilting it may be a issue.  Focus stacking with your 100L will be far better and there is free software.

[pdirestajr]

Well I don't use the 100mm macro at 1:1, just as close as possible to get the largest image I can. So I'd be looking to use the TS-E at around the same distance- it focuses pretty closely. I was just wondering if it would help with squeezing more DOF into a shot when shooting a product on a 3/4 angle. I have done focus stacking before, but when I'm shooting 30-50 toys at a time, well, it becomes a chore.

Thanks for the feedback all! If anyone has any small product shots with it I'd love to see. I think I should just rent it one day to see if is worth it.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Renting is a good idea, one day might not be enough time to figure it out.  Be sure to read up on its use first.
The TS-E lenses are great, be very careful that you losen the lock screw before tilting, it is the number one cause of damage to this type of lens.  The lock screw does not need to be very tight, don't over tighten it.
My product shots with the TS-E 90 are mostly gone, or Lightroom cannot find them.  The exif reporting for it is weird, it depends on the camera body. I have a folder of test images, but lightroom cannot read the exif.
Here is a shot of a camera lens, not very small, but you get the idea
  I do not recall if or how much tilt was used, there is no tilt information saved in the metadata.
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[pwp]

I shoot products with the 90mm TS-E. It's just perfect for the sort of work you have described. It's a staggeringly sharp lens, even stopped right down. For macro work I just pop on a tube. Works like a charm. Or if I want a longer focal length, there is always the x1.4 extender. I've had mine for about 1000 years. Lucky for you the price is now around half what I paid for mine.

-PW

[pdirestajr]

What's the deal with the "mod" people do on the lens so the tilt and shift are on the same axis? Did I get that right?
Is that necessary for product photography? Is that needed if say I shot a cosmetics tube on an angle above and I wanted to get rid of distortion?

Again, I just have been doing a ton of research and haven't touched one yet, so if I have any info wrong my bad.

[brad goda]

The 90TSE is a great lens that will help with your depth of field wowes... but it might also open another can of worms...
the actuation of tilt will change your focus plane to give you better control of focus DOF but as the lens angles it does move its projected sweet spot center away and now you are using light closer to the lens edge of image circle.. depending on degree of tilt (vert) or swing (horizontal) you use.

the second movement of the TSE is its shift feature.
this feature will keep your subjects vertical lines straight... so like rather than tilting your camera down or up to fit in image field ( which creates distortion ) you shift down or up... making the lens project the image on to the sensor at an angle but keeping the camera plumb.  again the can of worms to this is shifting image circles sweet center away to do this may loose some sharpness, add some vignetting and some CA.
the image shift is a great optical tool but it will at times create an odd sense of pulled distortion on highly corrected objects... more prevalent with the 45... 24.. and 17.

the MOD!
the original line up of lenses 90 45 and 24 had their tilt and shift functions stuck together.
kind of in an odd orientation ... you could only shift up/down and swing left right... or re orient by rotating actuator and get shift L/R and now tilt up/down....  ok there are its uses but I also bought
the lenses especially the 45 and 90 for product and set work.
So I also noticed the MOD back in the 90s and did it myself...
used a very good philips screwdriver WITH a plier to torque driver and use other hand to push down on screw driver... 4 of the screws removed you notice the ribbon is made folded back on its self just for this intended mod....
if this makes you uneasy take to canon they can do it for you.
with the new 24 and 17 this is not necessary,, they now have all movements running independent for better image control.

ok wait for it.... I did read a post and hope they are planning to redo the 90 to a series II
possibly larger image circle and with independent controlls
I CANT WAIT!!!

all in all you are looking into good photography... yes now you can do lots in post production but this is the part of making the initial shot count.

[brad goda]

yes! JIS what he said!

[RMC33]

Somewhat related, Would a 24 TS-E work for larger products/food? I had posted previously about using a TS-E for real estate and had great success with it during the rental period.

[RMC33]

Somewhat related, Would a 24 TS-E work for larger products/food? I had posted previously about using a TS-E for real estate and had great success with it during the rental period.

You could, but it wouldn't be ideal. Great for a table layout type shot but much more practical when used with the 2x TC, which still gives better IQ than the 45 TS-E and adjustable movement orientation. But inherently we tend to put a 24mm lens too close and we start to get unnatural size variations, things like the bottle on a table would appear too small because it is behind the place setting, stuff like that.

Makes sense. A friend wants me to do a few shots (paid) of his menu and while I am greatly under-charging him it is way out of my area of expertise which makes me want to prepare for it. It wont be for a few months and I was considering buying a 24 TS-E for Architectural shots anyway.

THanks~

[RMC33]

I notice in another thread you are thinking about getting either the 24 or 17 TS-E for real estate. I can't say this strongly enough, for real estate get the 17, for interiors and tight exteriors it is the only way to go, add in the 1.4 and 2 TC's and you have a complete real estate lens kit. I have done posters with 17mm + 2xTC exterior 34mm images, even with the 2x the 17 has better IQ than the MkI 24 TS-E.

The 24 does have some advantages, ultimate IQ, filter thread etc, but for real estate you want the fov only the 17 can give you.

I have done a fair bit of food photography with the 50 f1.4, both with and without an extension tube, and the 100 macro.

Guess Ill rent both and try em side by side. I used the 24 for my last gig and it did just fine but I should try both.

I had not thought about a 100 Macro or a 50. Guess Ill play around with a few things and see what I like best. Thanks for all the advice=)!