The much anticipated tilt shift gets reviewed
“So in the end we have a unique lens, which has capabilities beyond anything else currently on the market (Nikon’s PC-E 24mm F3.5D ED comes close, but has the tilt axis fixed with respect to shift). It’s certainly an improvement on its predecessor, with better optics (especially in terms of chromatic aberration), improved build, and of course more flexible movements. Against this is the high price, which is almost twice that of the older lens; but to be fair, it’s only about 10% higher than the Nikon equivalent, and certain to drop once stocks of the older lens have sold out. But for Canon users who need the capabilities of a tilt and shift lens, and understand how to make the most of them, this lens will almost certainly not disappoint.”
There you have it. A glowing review.
I can’t wait to get my hands on this lens!
Full Review: DPReview
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Wish I had 2200 lying around. If I did, though, I’d save another 400 and buy a 5DMKII first.
In this we are much more waiting for a new upgrade of the Canon 5dm2, remember?
24/25 fps.???!!!
:-)
just wanted to remember we are clients and just should demand this application of Canon.
LOUDLY!!!
this lens will have it very hard at this time of crises.
wich client will ask for this lens???
Well??
Just a lens for the rich not the hard working photographers today.
With respect.
Anybody seen an actualy Canadian copy yet? I have had one on order since May….checking every day but the Canon Canada site does not even know it exists.
dB
actually a lot of architectural interior and exterior and landscape shooters use these lenses extensively, and compared to a digital back on a view camera this is dirt cheap.
just by the way,
special application does not equal useless
TSE lens are very useful indeed. I used it extensively for landscape. But I’m more interested in the 17mm one.
so how do you “make most out of it”? any good sources on using tilt and shift lenses?
You’ve got to hand it to Canon, their lenses rock.
The lenses are sold out well in advance to those who plan to use them in their work. If the lens will not pay for itself, you don’t need it.
When Canon gets it right, they do it much better than anyone else in the market, e.g., 17mm TSE, 24 mm TSE, 70-200 f/4 IS/USM, 17-55 f/2.8 IS/USM etc etc.
Sounds like sour grapes to me.
which ones did they do wrong?
he said that when canon hit it, they hit it really hard, he just wroted that in a strange way, but if you can read between the lines, you can figure it out
I sincerely doubt that taking any member of the team who has been working on this lens and shifting them to work on the 5D Mark II framerate issue would have done any good. That is a firmware/software concern that has nothing to do with their lens line.
Would you also like to take issue with any of the new copiers that have come out while we’ve been waiting for a firmware upgrade? Because I’m willing to bet they’ve sold a lot more copiers than 5D Mark IIs.
The old 18-55 NON-IS kit lens.
Order two, one for me and thank you for paying for too.
paying L prices for non L bodies, ie 17-55, 10-22. Just so they keep PROs far away from crop bodies.
Actually doesn’t the 17-55mm cost the same as the L lens?
exactly
@SleepingDude, this is the best basic primer I’ve seen on the subject (from my Firefox bookmarks):
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2826
A Canon rep came to do a dog-and-pony-show on the 5dMk2 and had a video (recorded from a 5dMk2 with the new 24 TS-E) explaining how to use the tilt/shift lenses effectively. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it on the Canon website yet.
This is another good primer. All the demos you see are always architectural shots, but the example toward the bottom with the sled and the fence shows what you can with an angled focus plane using one of these lenses:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/newsLetter/Tilt-Shift-Lenses.jsp
I’m with Justin, I wish I had $2200 laying around just because I think one of these lenses would be a blast to play with…
Good answer!
Now they need to hit a new 50mm 1.2, 17-40mm, 70-200 2.8 IS and a new 24-70.
A bid you are right. :-)
I just wanted to remember everybody ones again of the 5dm2 story which is so unfullfilling! towards the frame rate differentiation.
I think on a massive scale Canon doesn’t listen to its clients, is still arogant, makes a product which is not complete and still so important for modern photographers who grab the new possibilities to servive as a professional.
Making use of filming as new and extra possibilities, not less use filming for photography stills. New kind of photographing I tell you for sure.
If you are not very specialised this is a lens you perhaps want but I don’t see a extra paying client for it if you have lots of good L lenses like fish eye 16-35 m2 etc.
I also see by the way the beauty off this lens, want to have it yess but… in this time off economical crises?
Perhaps this is the case for more photographers who lives of photography than only me.
So yes soor grapes. :-)
no, they need to make a perfect 50 f1.4L, and stop manifacturing f1.2, cause those AF are pretty horrible (because of the shallow DOF, what is actually i think is totally pointless (i mean the difference between f1.2 and f1.4 is not too big) and its just too heavy, a perfect f1.4L with a price between the current f1.4 and f1.2 would be perfect!
14mm MK II springs to mind.
Surely a 1.2 doesn’t have to be used at its widest aperture though? If the DOF is too shallow reduce the aperture. The difference between the 1.2 and the 1.4 is that it will get ‘sharper’ at wider apertures, given that no lens is sharpest at its widest they all benefit from being stopped down.
Not sure what “those AF are pretty horrible” means in this context though. “AF (autofocus) at those apertures is pretty horrible”, possibly?
A fast-aperture lens is usually less sharp than a slower-aperture lens at the same f-stop.
ie. At f/1.4, Canon’s 50mm f/1.4 should be sharper at f/1.4 than the 50 f/1.2 lens. That is, if Canon is designing lens carefully… ;o)
Check this site, you’ll find useful information about optics and lens design :
http://www.imx.nl/photo/index.html
its okay, but how many times you use f1.4? i think its still too shallow, i use maximum f1.8, but mostly from f2.2, i think that is the proper value for the AF accuracy of the 50mm f1.4
and i dont think there is noticeable difference between 50mm f1.2L at f1.4 and 50mm f1.4 at f1.4 in sharpness, maybe in vignetting and contrast (in contrast the L version is slightly better) thats why i think a 50mm f1.4L will be lovely, smaller, ligter, and more contrast than the 50mm f1.4 (and way less CA whit the new coatings (and less less less flare, i think it is the biggest problem of the lens and the ring type usm)
Awesome, thanks!
The coatings have nothing to do with CA
The purple fringing and that sort of CA that it has a lot of near wide open well that needs a full APO design to get rid of which would mean they would have to do away with the very simple, inexpensive design and raise the price a bit (granted a $650 1.4L would be a lot nice for most people than the 1.2L monster, I think)
Anyway it needs a new AF system badly, the clutch-type micro-USM is a disaster in all respects, not precise at all and 1.4 NEEDS precision and very prone to breakdown (I’ve seen copies with a bad clutch straight out the box, new, even). Even the same design but just with a proper ring USM for just a few bucks more would be awfully welcome! But I guess they rather try to push the L on everyone (not that most 1.4 users go for it though….)
Anyway a 50mm 1.4 with ring USM, a new 17-40, new 24-70 IS (both f/2.8 and f/4 versions) would be nice.
It is nice to see this new TS-E though
uhh… the coatings have a lot to do with CA. they are what makes glass have a lower dispersal of visible spectrum light while maintaining its refractive index.
yep
its only useless without the direst print button
The 5D2 frame rate works great. 60p for sports would be nice though.
Agreed. The new nanocoatings from Nikon and Canon also help reduce (NOT eliminate) flares. This permits designers to go amok with their lens designs. :)
Ummm no.
The coatings help cut down on flare/increase transmission etc.
Changing dispersion of the spectrum is controlled by doping regular glass with various elements or using non-glass elements altogether such as fluorite based ones.
At best, perhaps the coatings cut down on enough flare and loss to allow them to do something different with the design in general but that would be a pretty indirect method.
If they went and coated the 50mm 1.4 with the new coating it wouldn’t suddenly alter the dispersion characteristics of the lens elements.
the 50 Æ’2.5 macro is an under estimated lens just because “macro” but sharpness, ca, and flatness of image is superb.
Mike V- I agree!
went from 4X5 to fuji 6×680 to all canon 35mm digital and the tilt shift lenses are all good tools to get various jobs done.
architectural, product, even specific portraiture… the TSE lenses are fabulous, yes the original 24TSE had its problems but I used it because no other tool dose what it dose and the new 24 TSE II is “ALL THAT” !!! it even replaced my 14mm for panoramas. shot shift L & R +11mm it covers the 14s width..
Great going Canon!
Dude,
check out view camera books and tutorials, the mechanics of the tilt, shift, rise, fall swing movements are all from the view camera. although limited to movements, the 35mm TS lenses are derived from there… its all bout focus plane and image correction or distortion, and knowing the limitation of each lenses image circle.