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Do you remember those two patent applications here and here that we talked about Canon looking at doing motorized tilt and shift with the possibility of fine AF control as well?
Well, those patent applications were based on a different kind of tilt-shift lens, which involved moving elements instead of shifting and swinging the entire lens. Finally we see a patent application (Japan 2023-162714) detailing one of these tilt-shift lenses.
In this patent application, we have a full spread of TS-R lenses. Enough to even make Craig happy. They all seem to be in the telephoto range, so I wouldn't be surprised to see another patent application detailing the wider angle TS-R lenses.
What I find interesting is that since the lens isn't shifting position, the image circle can be the standard full-frame 21.64mm. I would think this would lead to comparatively smaller and lighter tilt-shift lenses as they don't have to project a much bigger image circle. However, the element design shows that these aren't your normal slow primes in terms of complexity.
Canon TS-R 180mm F3.5
Focal length 179.88
F number 3.60
Angle of view 6.86
Image height 21.64
Lens total length 1 98.10
BF 27.03Canon TS-R 200mm F2.8
Focal length 193.86
F number 2.88
Angle of view 6.37
Image height 21.64
Lens total length 182.73
BF 26.48Canon TS-R 100mm F2.8
Focal length 97.23
F number 2.88
Angle of view 12.54
Image height 21.64
Lens total length 176.52
BF 14.71Canon TS-R 90mm F3.5
Focal length 89.85
F number 3.50
Angle of view 13.54
Image height 21.64
Lens total length 184.06
BF 28.19Of course, with all patent applications, this is simply a patent application – it may or may not end up being an actual product. But it's always interesting to see what Canon is researching.
Source: Japan Patent Office 2023-162714
Or maybe I just am not understanding something. I have a 24mm T/S from Rokinon that I have used a few times, shifted but not tilted, to get perspective right on buildings or trees and stuff where I didn't want converging lines. Not sure how that is accomplished in this new design where the front element has to stay centered. Some kind of prism element that moves inside the lens?
_Brian
The text below the lens diagrams is “It's an optical system that has a short back focal length and is intended for a tilt lens for mirrorless cameras. It seems that they are trying to solve the problem of the composition shifting during tilt shooting by providing multiple lens sections that move perpendicular to the optical axis direction.”
My interpretation is that the patent application is about correcting the composition shift when a lens is tilted, rather than a type of tilt shift lens that works without shifting lens elements to correct converging lines.
In this case, "Freudian shit!"
Richard, it is correct that should this patent be chosen for a marketed product, the design not need to be only using the principle that is described?
A past stage event my one option not blocked by the audience was a perch above and to the left of the stage, with light low enough I wanted to shoot at F2.8 so my DOF was narrow. I could get my main subject in focus, but not across the stage.
Lets say we've got a future camera with smart phone features taking advantage of full time live view, and a lens that shifts under camera control similar to how IS works. Phone apps can let you draw across a room with the camera and it'll measure the room in 3D, which it's able to do via understanding the 3D space. With a limited version of that, you could draw a line on the stage through the viewfinder that you want the plain of focus to be on. Then the auto-tilt handles it, optionally making it vertical as well. You could get results close(er) to being centered on the stage with no crowd in the way.
I don't know if there is a market for it, but that's how I'd use it. I'm really wondering if they've got a design that can combine IS and tilt automation in one group. (i.e. could you do both with one cleverly designed group or do they need to be separate to have both)