Index:
Related Local Links:
Medium Format Home Page
Medium Format Cameras List Page
Wierd Third Party Lenses (varioflex shift)

Related Links:
Horseman View Camera to 35mm Adapter (for shifts/tilts etc)
Dr. Zork's Shift Adapters Page
B¨ørn Rørslett's Nikon 28mm PC to Tilt/Shift Lens Conversion
(thanks to Lars Hansen for URL!) [7/2001]

The following postings and links provide some general information on shift lenses and related topics. For a guide to making your own medium format and 35mm shift and tilt/shift lenses, see our Homebrew Shift Lenses Pages!

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998
From: Dave Schneider dschneider@arjaynet.com
Subject: Re: Subject: [8] Horesman View Camera Converter ,2nd request [26]

An 80 mm lens will focus at 80mm regardless of what the film size is. A normal lens for 6x6 format is about 80mm which will produce roughly the equivalent view as a 50mm lens on 35mm. A 300mm lens will work like a 300mm lens, which, on a 4x5 negative will give you the same perspective as about a 85mm lens in 35mm, but when uses with a 35mm format it will be a 300mm lens. There are equivalent charts for lens length verses format at B&H;'s home page in the large format section and on several large format user pages on the web. Remember that a lens of some focal length will always produce the same image size, we just select how much of that image we want to see by how big a piece of film we put behind it.

I looked into the Horseman view camera converter some time ago as an alternate to a Nikkor PC lens, a Zoerk panorama shift adapter or a real live view camera. There were several questions that I was not satisfied with about the Horseman or the Zoerk. It would appear that infinity focus is not possible with some of these adapters rendering it useless for my needs. To gain a wide angle perspective for architecture I would need a 28 - 35mm lens. These lenses for medium format cameras are not readily available in the used market and very expensive. New, these lenses can be $1500 or more. The Zoerk uses a medium format lens which has a longer mounting flange to film distance than 35mm cameras so they build the shift mechanism between the 35mm body and the lens mount to make it match the correct distance. I was not able to get any one from Horseman or Zoerk to adequately answer the questions about how much shift or tilt could be acheived before the limitation of the lens mount and camera body was reached. The Nikkor PC lens has a limited capability for shift and has no tilt capability.

My decision, with input from many of the contributors on this list (thanks), was to buy a view camera. I found an Omega (Toyo) 45E in good shape for $400 with 2 flat and one recessed lensboard. I got a good 120 roll film holder and a handful of 4x5 film holders at a flea market. The lens is where I splurged and bought a new Grandagon-N 90mm F6.8 (I of course would have preferred a Schneider but the 90mm F8 has been criticized by many users and I couldn't stomach the cost of the F5.6 despite name brand loyalty). I have just started using this setup in the last week and will report more on my findings. I can report that I sorely miss the ease of use and portability of my bag full of Nikons but my initial feel is this is the solution to the results I was looking for.

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998
From: "James W. Norris" jnorris@metronet.com
Subject: Re: Horesman View Camera Converter ,2nd request [34]

Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998
From: Rolland Elliott rolland_elliott@yahoo.com
Subject: [8] Horesman View Camera Converter ,2nd request

The web site for the Horseman VCC (view camera converter) is below:

http://horsemanusa.com/pd_frame032.html

I was hoping someone could tell me approximate equivalent focal lengths that the following lenses (made by Horseman specifically for the VCC) woud give me when used on a Nikon 35mm body and the Horseman VCC?

80mm F4
105mm F5.6
135mm F5.6

The VCC also allows one to use Large Format Lenses with frange focal distances between 90mm and 300mm, mounted on #0 or #1 shutter. What would equivalent focal length be on a Nikon body with say a 300mm large format lens?

I'd really appreciate some insight on this matter.

...
This device seems to be nothing more than a bellows unit. There is no mention of any glass being inside it; therefore, the field of view of the various lenses is identical to the same length from you favorite 35mm manufacturer. Be aware, though, that the marked depth of field indicators for the large format lenses is different. Large format depth of field numbers are calculated using a different circle of confusion.

Jim

From Medium Format Digest:
From: James Chow jchow@atom.isl.melco.co.jp
Subject: latest MF news from Japan Re: Mamiya RZ67 pro lenses, Contax 645
Date: 1998-11-24

I noticed in the just-released December Nippon Camera issue that Mamiya Japan is planning to release a pr. of new tilt-shift lenses for the RZ67 pro to work with the tilt-shift adapter. The lenses are a 180/4.5 and 75/4.5. The release date is set for July 1999 for Japan.

Also, an ad for the Contax 645 lists the release date as Jan 20, 1999 in Japan. The new Pentax 67II should be out by now...I plan to drop by Yodobashi Camera to check it out (and the prices) this week.

From Medium Format Digest:
From: Niloy Hil yolin@cup.hp.com
Subject: Medium Format Lens Adapter Aith Tilt/Shift
Date: 1998-11-24

The December issue of Shutterbug mentioned an Italy born medium format lens to 35mm body adapter with tilt & shift capability. It says there's no USA distributor yet.

Heard more info since then?