Head Turning Canon Tilt-Shift Optical Designs

[Canon Rumors]

Since the launch of the RF mount in 2018, there has been multiple times we have seen a flurry of new Canon tilt-shift patents that showed both optical designs and never before seen technology. Canon has shown off autofocus tilt-shift designs as well as in camera control of tilt and shift movement. As we all […]

See full article...

 

[Far]

Can't wait for new shift lenses in the 15-24mm range. I don't mind that their operation remains manual (and not motorised), but I think it is time for lighter modern designs for mirrorless.

 

[blackcoffee17]

Canon also has a 135mm tilt shift.

 

[Canon Rumors]

Canon also has a 135mm tilt shift.

It has been discontinued.

 

[David - Sydney]

What would be a use case for a 200+ mm tilt shift?

 

[JustGunner]

T&S in zooms is wild. The longer focal lengths are just there to cover the patent in case if someone becomes 'more innovative' than Canon. A T&S Marco zoom would be nice?

 

[Gode Nehler]

@Canonrumors: Is there a wrong image at the Canon TS-R 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L? It seams to be identical to the Canon TS-R 17-24mm f/4L drawing and general like a wilde angel lens.

 

[Canon Rumors]

@Canonrumors: Is there a wrong image at the Canon TS-R 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L? It seams to be identical to the Canon TS-R 17-24mm f/4L drawing and general like a wilde angel lens.

Whoops.. fixed, thanks.

 

[Del Paso]

TSE zoom 17-24? Make it real, quick!
Too good to be true?
This would soon become my standard UWA. (No more need for an additional TS )

 

[TinTin]

Surely, an autofocus Tilt-Shift lens will get a "TS-RF" designation? The earlier lenses were "TS-E" (with no F) because they used manual focus.

 

[Hector1970]

I love tilt shift lens. I’ve the Canon 17,24,50 and 90mm. I’ve not had much use for tilt. The miniature effect went out of fashion. It’s not graduated enough to finely control. I just use shift. I’d love a RF 15mm TS-E for skyscrapers. Autofocus not required. The 24mm TS-E II is still an excellent lens. 17mm is fine but not as good. At least nowadays I can put a filter behind it.

 

[Bob Howland]

I love tilt shift lens. I’ve the Canon 17,24,50 and 90mm. I’ve not had much use for tilt. The miniature effect went out of fashion. It’s not graduated enough to finely control. I just use shift. I’d love a RF 15mm TS-E for skyscrapers. Autofocus not required. The 24mm TS-E II is still an excellent lens. 17mm is fine but not as good. At least nowadays I can put a filter behind it.

I have the 17, 24 Gen 2 and 45 and 90 gen 1. I bought the 24, 45 and 90 after 20 years of looking for an excuse to buy them. The 45 and 90 are extremely useful for tabletop product photography using tilt more than shift. The 24 has taken lots of waterfall photographs using shift more than tilt. I haven't used the 17 at all, mostly because I haven't done any photography of tall buildings on narrow, crowded streets. I'm kind of embarrassed that I bought it. I agree that autofocusing is not necessary for any of them.

 

[Del Paso]

I have the 17, 24 Gen 2 and 45 and 90 gen 1. I bought the 24, 45 and 90 after 20 years of looking for an excuse to buy them. The 45 and 90 are extremely useful for tabletop product photography using tilt more than shift. The 24 has taken lots of waterfall photographs using shift more than tilt. I haven't used the 17 at all, mostly because I haven't done any photography of tall buildings on narrow, crowded streets. I'm kind of embarrassed that I bought it. I agree that autofocusing is not necessary for any of them.

I often found 24mm to be a bit too long for many cascades, cathedrals, even in some forests.
The 24mm TS is very much at ease in cities (not in New York), so the ideal would indeed be a TS zoom from 24 to 17 mm.
24 to 14mm could be optically far too challenging to design in high quality.

 

[gdanmitchell]

“We also have some zoom tilt-shift lens designs. I think this would be a great direction for Canon to go with their future RF tilt-shift lenses. I imagine having a zoom function in various situations on a tripod would be a welcomed feature.”

I don’t have to imagine this!

I’ve been putting a Pentax MF zoom lens on Mirex Tilt/Shift Adapter in my 5DsR. It works great — aside from the loss of any automation of focus or aperture.

 

[Nemorino]

Laowa offers a 12-24mm shift zoom for APS-C cameras:

https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-12-24mm-f-5-6-zoom-shift-cf/

 

[scottburgess]

I'm thinking the 24mm TS-R may not be out until 2027. I don't expect a 180mm-ish macro until late 2026 at the earliest. Canon's strategy seems to have shifted slightly. The smaller photography market has made them more respectful of retailers' lens stocks. The automated manufacturing ramp-up seems to take longer too, as they aren't just designing the lens but also the machine to select matched lens components and build that lens. So even though the 180 macro lens is long gone, we still haven't seen a new R-series lens to replace it. The stock of 50mm and 90mm TS-E lenses is not low enough imho to permit release of their replacements yet; maybe late 2028 or into 2029?

With all the bulk in the schematics, perhaps they'll *finally* build TS-R lenses with a collar so they can be used the way that gawd/Scheimpflug/Carpentier intended? Perhaps they'll take drop-in filters? And record the tilt and shift settings in EXIF data? There may be another year or two of revisions on some before all the final designs are done. I'm guessing the 24mm will show up first because the stock is quite low and it's the most popular focal length TS-E.