I have recently been checking out some of the Hartblei tilt shift lenses at the Kiev website. They seem a reasonable alternative to the expensive canon TSE lenses.
There are a few focal lengths to choose from, all at different prices. I'm most interested in the 45 for landscapes on FF and the 80 or 120 for macro shots.
I'd love to hear about any experiences with these lenses. Are they all of similar quality? Any paricular gems out of this bunch? I realise they are probably not as good as the canon TSEs.
Cheers
Kev.
Edited by Kevin Yong on Oct 17, 2005 at 10:50 AM GMT
The review of the 45 looks great.
I like the super rotator series as they can shift and tilt in any direction. This is an advantage over the canon TSEs but I don't know how the image quality compares.
Prices at Kiev are:
45 super rotator - confusing - listed as 725 (under medium format lenses menu) as well as 899-999 (in the harblei lenses page). I have emailed the seller for clarification.
65 super rotator - $329 - as per the link that brian posted. The sample in that post looked quite good to me.
80 super rotator - $499.
Anyone seen reviews of the 65 and 80. Are there any other similar lenses of different brands that I might want to consider?
The 45 is expensive.. the others are much more reasonable.
I have an 80 and it is a neat lens. Very unique, clever design, but can be hard to rotate the various elements. The unique draw is that it lets you tilt in any direction AND shift in any direction simultaneously.
Built like a tank. No plastic on these puppies.
I tested mine against my TS-E 90. They were reasonably close stopped down, but the TS-E kicked the snot out of it wide open. Still, a nice cheap way to get into T/S on a budget. --c
discreet:
Also the 45 rotator is meant for medium format...
Here is a quote from the Kiev site:
"This is a BRAND NEW Hartblei Multicoated 45mm f 3.5 Shift and Tilt Super Rotator lens in P6 mount. You can use this lens with Mamiya 645 ( P6/Mamiya adapter is $20) Pentax 645 ( $35) Or any 35mm cameras such as Canon EOS, Nikon AI, Pentax K, Yashika. It offers a full 12 millimeters of shift up and down or side to side and 8 degree tilt in ANY !!! directions"
I'm not sure which mount and adapter I would need for the 45. I am waiting a reply from the seller.
Charles, thanks for the info. I'd like to use the 80 fairly wide open to isolate element of a subject. Looks interesting but might have to save up for the 90.
Okay I dug up an old test I did of the Hartblei 80 v my TSE-90. Not the most scientific test, and since we are dealing with manual focus that might have been a factor, but I believe I did try a few shots of each.
At f/8 they are close but it is clear that the TS-E is sharper (left). --c
Arax Shift 45/2,8 $450
Arax Shift 80/2,8 $338
Arax Tilt/Shift 80/2,8 $398
Arax Tilt/Shift 35/2,8 $478
Hartblei Tilt/Shift 65/3,5 $382
Pentax 67 Shift adapter for Canon $792
Prices without the Swedish 25% VAT but not sure if he does export outside of
the nordic countries. He responded to my e-mail within an hour
Note that the shift on the 35mm is limited to 11mm each way - the Zuiko 35mm shift is a very good performer with a similar shift range and cheaper on the used market.
Since this thread has opened up again, I have a few questions. I currently have a Hartblei 35 f/2.8 super rotator OO with Kiev (Atlanta) but it seems that they are having some problems with delivery from the Ukraine (as I understand it, Mike Fourneman is in the Ukraine right now and supposedly sending more of these lenses back but I've been continually pushed back on my order for the 35).
So--my questions is---since I'm pretty 'ignorant' of the possibilities---they have a MF 45 superrotator--which is actually an even better FL for me (I rented the Canon 24 TSE and decided it was wider than I wanted)---but, what kind of adaptor would I have to have to use the MF with and EOS mount--and is it even possible---AND--would I be able to use the full range of tilt and shift using an adaptor.
On a search on dpreview, I found someone that was planning to use the MF 45 on his 1DsMkII but I cannot find the post any longer--so am hoping that I can find the answer here in the alternative forum.
BTW--I do not want a shift only lens--I see the possibilities for those, but def. want a tilt/shift
I have the 45mm medium format Super Rotator on order for the 1ds2. You do need an adapter but since everything is manual anyway (focus & aperture) there is no need to stick to a lens mount specific to Canon or 35mm. I have another thread on this forum discussing it and the alternatives. In fact I was going to add some information to it this morning.
I too am having trouble getting a delivery date out of Kiev camera. They say it has been shipped but no charges have been made to VISA which I find contradictory. I need it by the end of the month.
For an adapter I've got a shifting adapter made in the Ukraine on order. If you look at araxphoto.com they have it listed there, along with a variety of other adapters. I ordered the shifting adapter in order to do architectural panoramas with both a rise (to correct perspective) and a left/right shift to increase field of view and resolution.
There is one thing though, when they say that this lens is the equivelent of 24mm on 35mm that does not mean that it will function as a 24mm lens when mounted via adapter to a 35mm body. It means that on a MF camera the field of view would be the same as a 24mm lens made for 35mm would be mounted on a 35mm body.
To give some numbers to the last point I have to go from memory as I can't find my notes but with a full frame camera (1ds2) and a regular adapter (that doesn't shift) the field of view in equivelent terms for a fully shifted pano was about 35mm. With the shifted adapter I ordered (and similar for the Zork unit of the original poster) the expanded field of view gets to between 24 and 28mm. Taking a single frame is still 45mm on a full frame 35mm body.
With this Medium format TS lens and even a full frame 35mm with a shift adapter the entire range is still within the normal 6x6 image circle so I am expecting fairly good results if I ever get a chance to try it out. I will post to my thread if it ever shows up.
I have the 45mm medium format Super Rotator on order for the 1ds2. Doug
Doug, you are the one I was referring to---but I was thinking I read the thread on dpreview. I would be interested in the 45 but am still not sure if I would be able to use the full tilt and shift using an adaptor. I looked at the Arax shift adaptor, but don't I just need an adaptor that will handle the mount to EOS mount?
I'm looking at the Kiev site now--and the 45 MF lens and it says that it will fit the EOS mount. I really am totally unknowledgable about this. Since its a manual focus lens--are you saying that the bayonet mount will just work on the 5D 'as is' (of course I know there are not contacts, etc--and it full manual)? (Maybe I need to read some of these other threads on here from other newbies to alternative lenses--not understanding if that is possible or not--boy, do I feel dumb LOL).
So--you are saying you are buying the shift adapto to extend that shift?
Kiev IS frustrating, isn't it? They have been telling me for several weeks that the 35 is coming from the Ukraine--supposedly Mike is there now and shipping back to Atlanta. Idon't 'need' this lens immediately, but really do want a TS as soon as possible for a variety of reasons. I've even considered the ARax 35 which is available.
