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Canon TS-E 17mm on X-T4


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Has anyone tried to adapt a Canon TS-E lens to any Fuji body? I'm specifically thinking about getting the 17mm for my X-T4, however I'm still weighing up the cost against the diminishing returns.

In general, how viable is adapting full-frame tilt-shift onto APS-C bodies? As far as I understand, on top of the focal length being increased by the crop factor, the shift range is also reduced by the same factor. So in the case of the 17mm, I would technically only have a maximum shift of 7-8mm. Is this correct? If so, is that still enough for a moderate amount of in-camera correction? I'm not expecting to capture a skyscraper from the across the street, but something that will cover the majority of cases.

Finally, are there any alternative solutions I should consider?

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You get more shift range, not less, as shift is controlled by the difference between the illumination circle and the sensor size, and that ratio grows when using a shift lens intended for FF on APS-C.

That said, I'd honestly suggest pairing a shift adapter or T/S adapter and a FF UWA over going to a lens as insanely expensive as the 17 TS-E if you aren't going to get the benefit of the full wideness of the lens.

I've got the Laowa 15mm f4 Macro, which includes native shift in 1 axis, and it does pretty well. As it's a FF UWA with shift available only on APS-C, you are limited to ~7mm of shift, but it's $500 and can be used with a 3rd party shift adapter to get other shift directions (it's a DSLR lens in F, EF or K mount)

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I never would have considered a macro lens for architecture, but I suppose it works all the same when the subject isn't close. Any idea why they would add shift capabilities to a lens like that rather than just a normal wide angle?

Regardless, it does look like a compelling option. How would it compare if I got something like the Laowa 12mm ZD and a Fotodiox Pro shift adapter (EF to X)? I don't suppose I could just use that adapter coupled with a reverse adapter to use my Fujifilm lenses, I imagine the extra space in front of the sensor would impact the image.

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The Laowa 15mm f4 is kind of a bucket of everything lens. Laowa specializes in producing lenses with unusual close-focus properties (their regular macro lenses all go to 2:1 magnification for example). I have no idea why they added the shift feature, as it's APS-C only, but they did and it's useful. Macro focusing on a UWA allows for some truly unusual compositions and is an absolute ton of fun if you can live with a MFD that is less than 1cm from the front element.

You certainly could use the Laowa 12mm in EF mount and an EF mount shift adapter, that would actually be a better choice than the 15 as a replacement for the 17 TS-E (I mention the 15 solely because I own it and have experience with it, I bought it for my FF Nikon DSLR).

You can't stack adapters to do this with your Fuji lenses though. They don't have enough image circle to make a shift adapter worthwhile anyways, you really need a lens with FF coverage to make this viable (no EF-S lenses for example, only EF)

Edited by mawz
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  • 3 months later...

I'm not sure it's worth it. I've tried some Nikon PC lenses and the results aren't acceptable besides for novelty value. And I'm not sure shifting adaptor would be much chop, I've got the Samyang 12mm about the same fov as the 17mm ts-e and the results aren't good enough for architecture (without an adaptor) I recently hired the Canon 17 ts-e and put it on an old 5d mk2 and the results are just immediately top. My conclusion, if you need the results such a lens can provide, then an older Canon is a better idea (i'm talking really about shifting for architecture but I suspect the same would go for product photography. Effect portraits etc are probably a different story) unless you go for a view camera option like the Cambo then is say the Canon is the only viable option 

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@Lindsay Webb Yeah, I ended up going with a Laowa 12 mm EF lens plus a Fotodiox Pro shift adapter. It’s not the most ergonomic setup in the world, but it gets the job done with an 18 mm FF equivalence. In fact, it would have been silly to use a full frame TS lens on a crop sensor because the image circle would be far too big; the ratio of a TS lens to a FF sensor is the same as a FF lens to an APS-C sensor.

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  • 11 months later...

@robgillman hi! As I am currently looking into similar solutions (trying to avoid having to sell all fuji gear to go sony just to get Shift for architecture), how is the fotodiox+laowa12 working out for you now that it’s been a while ? 
Are you happy with the result ? Is for instance sharpness across the frame allright ? How about chromatic aberrations ?

thanks :) 

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  • 2 months later...

I’ll answer my own question if it’s any use to anyone in the future. 
 

I have tested

- GFX50r with canon tse 24 and fancy smart adaptor (outstanding, but vignettes when pushed)

- xt1 with canon tse24 and cheap adaptor (not good, it may be a bad adaptor) 

-xt1 with laowa 15 4 macro shift and cheap adaptor (okish to try shift out but not good enough for proper results)

-xt1 xt4 with fotodiox shift adaptor and laowa 12 2.8 zero D (not as good as gfx24tse, but I highly doubt any client will ever complain about IQ with that setup)

The GFX is in another league, you can crop for ever. But pricey, not as fun to shoot as the X line in general, and big. 

Of the shift options I tested on the x-t line, only the last is good enough. And it is good. And as wide as using the 24 on gfx with no vignetting. 
 

One thing I notice is with the GFX I love zooming in 100% on my shots and be amazed at how much detail is captured. Clients (architects) don’t do that : they look at the picture as a whole and that’s it. 
 

One thing I really miss is turning knob like on the tse. 
One thing I appreciate is how compact it is. 

Edited by _Mz_
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  • 1 year later...

I actually have this lens, since prior to getting the X-T5, I was using a 5D mkIII.  I still have that camera, but now it’s only duty is/was to be paired with the TS-E 17mm f/4 for the times I use or need it.  
 

I’ve been mulling over getting the Fringer pro II to just try it out and see what limitations I’d be running up against, and if it’s good enough where I can get rid of the Canon body.   The added resolution with the X-T5 is nice, but obviously I’ll be losing with the crop factor.   I typically use it to create stitched images more than parallax correction, so it may work out.   

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Let’s see how this goes tomorrow…. So far it’s fairly painless.  Fringer aperture ring works, and even though it’s manual focus, focus peaking seems to also highlight contrast edges.  I’ll take images tomorrow weather permitting and see what 40mp gives me with this setup.

 

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  • 7 months later...

Hi,
did you consider the Voigtländer Heliar 15mm? coupled with a Shift adaptor ring?

The 17mm TS_E is a great lens, but heavy and bulky. I've used it for a decade professionally for interiors and architecture, along with the 24 TS_E II (not quite on a par, quality wise) on Sony a7r bodies. 
The Heliar would be a dream solution in therms of weight and handling. 
I've tilted the two Canons very seldomly with not very enthusiastic results, nothing that couldn't be pulled into focus with accurate DOF application.

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