Nikkon tilt shift for wedding

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Greg
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Hi all

Toying with the idea of getting a TS (nikkon) to experiment at a few weddings. Just wondering if you use one already and if so what focal length do you find most appropriate..

Any recommendations on a particular one?


RGds
 
What effect are you trying to achieve? A tilt shift lens has the same field of view as a conventional lens with the same focal length, pretty much. Your choice of Nikon tilt shifts is 24mm, 45mm or 85mm, so it should be quite straightforward to work out which one of them will frame the scene the way you want to.

Incidentally I've hired out equipment for literally thousands of weddings, and the number of photographers who have hired tilt shifts is... not very many at all. I could certainly count them without taking my shoes and socks off, and even that may be an over estimate. I don't know why that is.
 
I'd hire one for a non-wedding test first. They aren't cheap lenses.

If you are looking to a lens to keep that isn't very expensive, have a look at the lensbaby. Probably not a true t & s but pretty good and creative. With the Edge 80 on its niiiiice :)
I have pictures I've taken with it in the siggy (lensbaby). When its on striaght, with edge 80 its a normal 80mm, the 50mm I bought the composer with has some interesting blurry effects, but the aperture is totally manual (as in you need to remove a disc and replace with another). But this also means you can make your own shapes for the aperture too...
 
Its something I've thought about a few times, but as mentioned above, especially from a business point of view the cost is prohibitive considering what it will add to the average wedding set, everything in my bag has to earn its keep! If they were a few hundred quid or I did lots of architecture work then I'd have one in the bag for sure, I bet they are great pieces of kit and fun to use.
 
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Not the fastest lenses to use, so if it's for getting big groups in focus front to back rows, you might find that people lose patience and drift away (unless you have a good guest dog!)
 
The Samyang 24 sometimes goes for a song on EBay
 
When I read the question my thoughts were the same as Ken. I'd have thought you had enough to do arguing with the M-I-L without messing about with TS? ;)
 
I think tilt shift can be a fantastic creative tool at weddings, if used properly. I'd love to try it with diagonal group portrait arrangements and suchlike. Here's an example of tilt shift used to great effect, i.e. for diagonal plane of focus to get two subjects at different distances both in focus: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carpeicthus/15470307803

What I personally cannot understand is people using an exotic and expensive lens for that cheap, everything-is-blurred-except-one-line-across-the-image effect that people can readily duplicate with their iPhone, and of course can easily be achieved in seconds in post with LR or PS.
 
harryduns said:
I think tilt shift can be a fantastic creative tool at weddings, if used properly. I'd love to try it with diagonal group portrait arrangements and suchlike. Here's an example of tilt shift used to great effect, i.e. for diagonal plane of focus to get two subjects at different distances both in focus: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carpeicthus/15470307803

What I personally cannot understand is people using an exotic and expensive lens for that cheap, everything-is-blurred-except-one-line-across-the-image effect that people can readily duplicate with their iPhone, and of course can easily be achieved in seconds in post with LR or PS.
Click to expand...
Love that shot!
 
Phil V said:
Love that shot!
Click to expand...
I find it eye confusing! It's not what you expect from a pic.
I suppose, at one time, view cameras were used, so you could expect two or three pics from a wedding...

Just had a look at his photostream- wow!
 
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You really don't need it for most shots of large groups, with some elevation, a wide angle lens and the right focal point I've never had an issue getting everyone in the group in focus.
 
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