Tilt and Shift #1 - View cameras

Large format view cameras (see pic), those which look like there should be operated by a man underneath a blanket in a bow tie, are damn good at allowing you to control every aspect of your image. The fact that the lens and film planes move independently gives you better control of depth of field, focus and perspective. In addition course the larger film offers a huge resolution in comparison to any 35mm camera or digital equivalent. A couple of effects are relevant to the next post. By misaligning the lens position in relation to the film so that isn’t not on axis or parallel produces many favourable effects.

Shifting (moving the lens left or right to the film centre axis) and rising (up down) has the effect the convergence of parallel lines. Rising is important in architectural photography to eliminate the optical illusion that tall buildings are leaning backwards. It thus corrects

In normal cameras the distances between which everything is in sharp focus, known as the plane of sharp focus, is parallel to the film or digital sensor. Anything outside of the plane becomes increasingly out of focus as it gets further from the plane. The depth of field is a way to increase the size of the focal plane from a few inches to near infinity. Tilting (or swinging in the horizontal plane) adjusts the angle of the lens in comparison to the film, which by using the Scheimpflug principle, shifts the plane of sharp focus. This creates an asymmetric depth of field, which allows optimisation of the depth of field.

Part 2... DIY tilt and shift...