The modification described by Fred is only to a lens cap. The whole adapter removes easily just like the original lens cap did, so you keep all the full features of the 17mm TS-E lens, and do not modify it. And if you start with a spare lens cap, which only costs about $40, then you still have the original cap to use.

Because the lens is optically very good, there are many situations where it is useful with no shift, but where a solid ND or graduated ND filter can be helpful. And tilt is still very usable with the described holder for shots where that is useful.

There really are no alternatives other than some form of building an adapter. If there were an alternative, I am sure many would choose it, but until something becomes available, we need to build our own or try to hand hold a filter. The expensive LEE Filters SW150 Filter Holder Kit is only made for the Nikon 14-24 zoom lens, but something like it would be nice for the 17 TS-E. But it takes special 150 mm wide filters, which are expensive and hard to get.

But the Lee 82mm Wide Angle adapter is actually made from two metal parts, which look like they have been screwed together with thread lock or epoxy to hold them in place. If you could remove the inner metal part that provides the 82mm threads, it would open up the adapter to a hole size of about 86 mm. One possible way to do a removal is to use a small grinding tool and carefully remove one portion of the inner ring. If you can get one short portion removed, the rest may come out easily by prying, because of the gap you have made in the ring. This is similar to cutting the metal of a stuck filter to get the remaining ring out of the lens. In this case, it does not matter if you slightly damage the threads on the outer part, because you are not using them for this project. If cutting one short section out does not work, you can cut out a second section opposite from the first, and then the two parts should be much easier to remove. I must warn that I have not yet tried this, but it looks very practical to me. It is also a much easier do it your self project than machining.

That is indeed correct. The inner section of the adapter is what is limiting shifting. Gaining an extra 7mm by cutting it would be really helpful. I thought about this before the epoxy step.
I'm not sure if I can still do it though. I don't want to remove the adapter from the lens cap. (Unless there is an easy way)
Perhaps I could try to cut the metal without removing the adapter. I'm not a tool guy by any means but have a dremel.

Yakim, there is always going to be a shift restriction using any filter solution. If someone comes up with one, it will be ridiculously wide. As I wrote, I pretty much always use the shift movement with this lens therefore this adapter would be used only in very special occasions.

Update:
Roland, thanks for your description. You were right. I used my dremel to cut the inner metal up to the line divisor. Once it reached that point, the entire thread ring came off. I was very fast and easy. Now I just gained about 7mm opening!

The extra 7 mm of diameter should in theory give about an additional 2.5 mm of available shift before problems show up, so consider that as you decide how to proceed.

Removing the adapter from the modified lens cap after it has been bonded on could be anything from easy to very hard, depending on how clean the surfaces were when you bonded it, and how much epoxy is actually holding things together. If it is "very easy", you probably do not want to use it that way in the field, so you might try flexing it and pulling on it to see if it comes apart. If it does, you can go for the modified metal ring. If it does not come apart easily, you will need to decide how much you want more shift. I would probably not recomend the removal of the inner metal ring while the lens cap part is still bonded on, but you may get away with it. The worst that may happen is that you damage the plastic cap portion, and need to get another one to modify.

I have noted that all the Lee Wide Angle adapters seem to have the same outer portion, with only the inner part being different for each adapter size. That means if you were modifying the adapter to remove the inner ring, you could start with any Wide Angle adapter that you have or that happened to be in stock. That had me realize that I have a Wide Angle adapter with a smaller size that I no longer need, so I will likely try to modify it, and keep my 82 mm Wide Angle adapters available for my two 82 mm wide angle lenses.

Update: I posted this while you were cutting your inner ring out, and missed the previous post. Thanks for being first at trying it, so that we all know it is fairly easy.

Roland W wrote:
The extra 7 mm of diameter should in theory give about an additional 2.5 mm of available shift before problems show up, so consider that as you decide how to proceed.

Removing the adapter from the modified lens cap after it has been bonded on could be anything from easy to very hard, depending on how clean the surfaces were when you bonded it, and how much epoxy is actually holding things together. If it is "very easy", you probably do not want to use it that way in the field, so you might try flexing it and pulling on it to see if it comes apart. If it does, you can go for the modified metal ring. If it does not come apart easily, you will need to decide how much you want more shift. I would probably not recomend the removal of the inner metal ring while the lens cap part is still bonded on, but you may get away with it. The worst that may happen is that you damage the plastic cap portion, and need to get another one to modify.

I have noted that all the Lee Wide Angle adapters seem to have the same outer portion, with only the inner part being different for each adapter size. That means if you were modifying the adapter to remove the inner ring, you could start with any adapter that you have or that happened to be in stock. That had me realize that I have a Wide Angle adapter with a smaller size that I no longer need, so I will likely try to modify it, and keep my 82 mm Wide Angle adapters available for my two 82 mm wide angle lenses.

I just tested and I was able to gain 3mm of shifting. I can now shift -4 to +4 with zero vignetting. At 5mm, the vignetting is almost non-existent but it's there. Now I know I can use about 1/3 the shifting capability and 6 degree of tilting with this adapter whenever needed.
Fred

Fred,
for the benefit of all us other 17 TSE owners that could become lens cap modifiers, could you post a few pics of the modification to the WA adapter? Thanks,
Mike K

Mike K wrote:
Fred,
for the benefit of all us other 17 TSE owners that could become lens cap modifiers, could you post a few pics of the modification to the WA adapter? Thanks,
Mike K

Hi Mike,
I posted some pictures of the adapter without the ring threads as Roland described. As I wrote above, the ring thread came apart very easily as soon as I cut one of the edges. I posted a photo of the ring thread as well. I hope this helps visualize how it looks now.

More photos...
I also painted (sprayed) the internal section with a "Flat" black paint to avoid internal reflections when shooting long exposure.

Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm

Hello,

Is it possible to see few shots with this setup? On full shift for example?

Thanks,
Ilija

Fred Miranda wrote:
Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm
Hi Fred. What did you use to cut the thread ring? Thanks!

JulianDeLaRosa wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote:
Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm
Hi Fred. What did you use to cut the thread ring? Thanks!

How Julian,
I am no tool guy , but have a dremel and it was very easy to cut the ring off. Just use a thin metal cut accessory for the dremel and cut through one of the sides of the ring. It will come apart.
Fred

Fred,

I don't have the 17mm TSE (yet) but can you show the whole setup, as if it were ready for action?

Thanks for posting this!

I will post some pictures of the entire set-up once I unpack today. My gear got all salty and dusty.

Fred Miranda wrote:
JulianDeLaRosa wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote:
Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm
Hi Fred. What did you use to cut the thread ring? Thanks!

How Julian,
I am no tool guy , but have a dremel and it was very easy to cut the ring off. Just use a thin metal cut accessory for the dremel and cut through one of the sides of the ring. It will come apart.
Fred

Awesome! Thanks! I have a dremel but, I wanted to make sure that's what you used.

Look here:
http://www.digidaan.net/album/pic-stock.php?image=32924&stock=techniek-apparatuur

He seems to have a solution.

Hollander wrote:
Look here:
http://www.digidaan.net/album/pic-stock.php?image=32924&stock=techniek-apparatuur

He seems to have a solution.



This is the X-Pro mounted over the 17mm cap. I have the X-Pro and 17tse, and the rubber feet on the tips are easy to knock, and it looks like he has them set far back. Another member here posted on this setup before too, I haven't converted mine to the 17mm yet, but am looking to what Fred has done instead of just attaching the X-Pro with the largest ring adapter (118) to the cap like what is pictured. The other option using the X-Pro speaks to reflection off the back of the filter too, and is found here:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/792161

Fred Miranda wrote:
JulianDeLaRosa wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote:
Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm
Hi Fred. What did you use to cut the thread ring? Thanks!

How Julian,
I am no tool guy , but have a dremel and it was very easy to cut the ring off. Just use a thin metal cut accessory for the dremel and cut through one of the sides of the ring. It will come apart.
Fred


My ring didn't come apart even after several cuts. It took me more than an hour to sand it off also using a dremel . After gluing, I painted the inside with fine grain pigmented enamel flat paint bought from Micro-Tool (part# CF3-F).

I've tried it with the Cokin Z Pro holder, it's bad! Vignetting with both shift and tilt. While with Lee holder, tilt was OK, I got about 6-7mm shift both ways w/o problem.

Sweetf8 wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote:
JulianDeLaRosa wrote:
Fred Miranda wrote:
Basically by removing the thread ring, you gain 7mm as illustrated on the picture below:
Red section = 7mm
Hi Fred. What did you use to cut the thread ring? Thanks!

How Julian,
I am no tool guy , but have a dremel and it was very easy to cut the ring off. Just use a thin metal cut accessory for the dremel and cut through one of the sides of the ring. It will come apart.
Fred


My ring didn't come apart even after several cuts. It took me more than an hour to sand it off also using a dremel . After gluing, I painted the inside with fine grain pigmented enamel flat paint bought from Micro-Tool (part# CF3-F).

I've tried it with the Cokin Z Pro holder, it's bad! Vignetting with both shift and tilt. While with Lee holder, tilt was OK, I got about 6-7mm shift both ways w/o problem.

I'm sorry to hear that. For me the ring came apart as it's just glued there. I cut in one side and it became a little loose and then a cut on the opposite side for it to come apart. It took about 5 minutes.
See the picture:

Fred Miranda wrote:

I'm sorry to hear that. For me the ring came apart as it's just glued there. I cut in one side and it became a little loose and then a cut on the opposite side for it to come apart. It took about 5 minutes.
See the picture:


No, Fred. I didn't doubt you. I am aware that Lee WA rings are 2 parts gluing together. Just don't know why MY ring is like that. I shared the info so that others would know, especially one that will try to cut a 67mm ring. That would be the hell of a sanding job if the ring is like mine.