Lens material LAINA TS-E Mount II specially for Radozhiva prepared Rodion Eshmakov.
Laina TS-E Mount II adapter included in the box. increase.
A tilt-shift adapter is a special adapter that allows you to use lenses with a long working distance on cameras with a short working distance, using tilt of the optical axis and its shift. Optical axis shift is a simple movement of the lens in a plane parallel to the image plane, used to correct perspective distortions in architectural photography and to increase the physical size of the image when shooting shift panoramas - “shifters”. But tilting the optical axis is a more complex movement: in this case, the lens moves along an arc with the center of curvature lying on the optical axis somewhere in the direction of the camera matrix. In this case, the inclination of the focal plane of the lens relative to the camera matrix changes, or, which is equivalent, the inclination of the area of sharply imaged space (DOF), which allows you to keep extended objects entirely in focus when the depth of the sharply imaged space is insufficient, for example, in macro photography. Moreover, tilting the optical axis is often used to create artistic effects in portrait photography and when photographing architecture - many lenses have been created for this purpose primitive и not really constructions.
The advantage of a tilt-shift adapter is the ability to turn any suitable lens into a tilt-shift lens. Such adapters have long been known for using optics from medium format SLR cameras on small format SLR cameras - ARAX and Hartblei adapters, for example, made it possible to work with inexpensive and common lenses with the Pentacon Six mount. With the spread of mirrorless cameras with a short flange length of 16-20 mm, it has become possible to create tilt-shift adapters for lenses from small-format SLR cameras with a flange length of 44-46.5 mm.
This article introduces the Chinese tilt shift adapter LAINA TS-E Mount II, adapted for use with mirrorless cameras. Yes, that's right: an adapted adapter.
Fact is that LAINA TS-E Mount II It was not originally intended to work with full-frame cameras, as the manufacturer warns, and therefore for use with a full-frame matrix an additional modification of the adapter was required.
Specifications:
Lens mount – Canon EF;
Camera mount - Sony E;
Optical axis shift value (Shift) – ±9 mm, 19 discrete positions;
The amount of inclination of the optical axis (according to the manufacturer) is 12°, smooth adjustment with manual fixation;
Selection of shift/tilt direction – 360°, 16 discrete positions.
Design features. Modification for full frame cameras
Adapter Laina TS-E Mount II is much more complex than a conventional EOS-NEX type adapter, and its cost is much higher and amounts to approximately 160$ at the time of writing this article.
Of course, the curious thing is that such an expensive adapter does not allow use with full-frame cameras - this limitation is purely artificial: for some unclear reasons, the manufacturer added a frame frame to the moving part of the adapter, which introduces a strong vignette on full-frame cameras. U shift adapter from Fotodiox There is no such design nuance.
Photo of the Laina TS-E Mount II adapter from the store page.
Apart from the frame, nothing else stands in the way of the light beam, so this frame must be removed. The problem is that it is not a separate part, that is, you cannot unscrew any screws and remove it. The only way is to completely disassemble the adapter and use brute force in the form of an engraver and grinding attachments. That is, as a result, this frame was simply cut out and the light diameter of the part was expanded to the required one (equal to the diameter of the fixed part of the adapter). After this vivisection, the exposed metal was covered with black paint and matted with soot. Thanks to the described modification, the adapter works without problems with a full-frame camera.
Hole dimensions in Laina TS-E Mount II adapters (after modification) and Fotodiox Shift EOS-NEX.
It should be noted that this adapter does not have electronics to provide communication between the lens and the camera, and therefore does not allow work with autofocus lenses with Canon EF mount (paradoxically!), which all have an electromagnetic diaphragm controlled from the camera, and some have and an electronic focusing ring. However, it is the EF mount that allows, through cheap and compact adapter rings, the use of most manual lenses - from old school Helios-44 to modern Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar 50/2 ZF.
There are many different screw buttons on the adapter. Thus, the button near the Sony E mount serves as a lock for rotating the lens around the optical axis to set the direction of lens shift or tilt. Rotation is carried out 360°, but discretely - a total of 16 positions are available.
View of the modified adapter from the Sony E mount side. The button on the mount on the right in the photo is a lock for rotating the lens around the optical axis.
Next to the ribbed ruler there is a button for locking the optical axis shift position. To make a movement, you need to press the button and, without releasing it, move the moving part with the lens to the required distance, and then release the latch. Movement is available within 9 mm in each direction along one direction - the same amount was available for Fotodiox Shift EOS-NEX, in the review of which you can read about how to obtain “medium format” photographs by shifting the optical axis. When you press the latch, the movement occurs steplessly, but the fastening is carried out in one of 19 discrete positions, determined by a gear ruler inside the adapter.
Modified Laina TS-E Mount II adapter in the position of maximum optical axis shift.
A serious ergonomic miscalculation was made in the design of the adapter: for some reason the shift lock button is located on the moving part of the adapter, which complicates use, since you have to simultaneously hold the button and move the massive moving part with the lens. At the adapter Fotodiox Shift EOS-NEX The lock button is located on the stationary part, so it is much easier to work with, especially without using a tripod.
The position of the optical axis shift lock button differs: for Laina TS-E Mount II it is located on the moving part of the adapter, for Fotodiox Shift EOS-NEX it is located on the fixed part.
To tilt the optical axis, you need to loosen the long protruding screw located opposite the rotation lock button. The lens can be tilted in one direction selected during rotation at an angle of no more than 12° (according to the manufacturer, it has not been tested). The automatically selected position is not fixed; you need to tighten the screw back by hand to select the desired inclination. In practice, when shooting, it is most convenient to select an angle and shoot without first fixing the moving part.
Modified Laina TS-E Mount II adapter in the position of maximum tilt of the optical axis.
It’s best to use the tilt and shift options on a camera mounted on a tripod, but you can also maneuver the adapter’s movements by hand, in weight. The weight of the lens plays a key role - the heavier and larger the lens, the more difficult it is to control due to increasing friction in the moving parts, weight imbalance and muscle fatigue.
Using optical axis tilt
Information about using optical axis shift can be found in the adapter review Fotodiox Shift EOS-NEX.
There are only two main functions of tilting the optical axis, and they are opposite: 1) placing the object in focus and the visual effect of increasing the depth of field; 2) placing most of the object in defocus and the visual effect of reducing the depth of field.
In the first case, the real application is macro and subject photography: at close focusing distances, the depth of field rapidly decreases, and aperture to increase it is not always justified, since it leads to increased lighting requirements and can also lead to diffraction. In the case of objects that have pronounced planes, it is possible to select such a tilt of the lens without changing the angle that the plane of the object and the plane of the sharply imaged space coincide. In this case, parts of the object located outside this plane will look blurry, which will have to be compensated for by aperture or stacking to the required extent. For some time now I have been using a tilt adapter to prepare photos of lenses for reviews - for example, here.
In the second case, the tilt direction is chosen such that the depth of field plane intersects the object in the desired place, while parts of the object on both sides of the intersection are blurred, and only a narrow area remains in focus. This way you can get a pronounced bokeh effect even with small aperture lenses, such as “dark” zooms or wide-angles.
Of course, to use the adapter effectively, you need to choose lenses that cover the 36x24 frame with a margin. Typically, not too fast (up to ~F/1.7) lenses with a focal length of 50 mm, as well as short telephotos 75-135 mm, work well.
The following are examples of images taken with the Sony A7s full-frame mirrorless camera and the following lenses:
Conclusions
Despite its shortcomings, adapter Laina TS-E Mount II is a unique multifunctional solution to which there are not many alternatives. This is not only a good cure for boredom, but also a really useful tool for those who are engaged in product, macro or fine art photography.
You will find more reviews from readers of Radozhiva here и here.
Fuck him)
bicycle camera + Helios 44-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvtXdAMlzNw
If you stop pulling the elephant by the trunk, this product will scratch the matrix with its negative working segment. )))
There, it’s more likely that the mirror, when lifted, may hit the lens shank
(If you use this technology on DSLRs).