Best options for tilt shift macrophotography

Question

I'm considering few options to do macrophotography with tilt shift possibilities. I'll have a Canon R5C or R3 camera and either:

• Canon EF 50 and 90 TSE with EF-R adapter and Novoflex R bellow without tilt shift movements

or

• Novoflex tilt shift bellow with medium format lenses (eg., Fujifilm, Schneider Kreuznach), so I can have proper image circle

What would be significantly better in terms of possibilities (eg., with medium format lenses, I have more many lenses, even zoom, with the Canon TS-E, I can rotate both tilt and shift, but not with the tilt shift bellow) and image quality (say I'm using 50 Mpixels) ?

I would like to optimize image quality and tilt and shift and macro possibilities (magnitude).

A drawback with the medium format would be the price, depending on the optics.

Answer 1

A tilt shift lens like the Canon TSE and a medium format lens on a tilt shift bellows both provide oversized image circles to allow shifting the lens/circle... so I do not see an advantage to the medium format lenses in the sense of "a proper image circle."

FWIW, I have both. I have the older Novaflex TS bellows (square, only the front standard moves), and I have Nikon PC-E lenses. Due to the small format of DSLR's, I find the tilt function of both to be quite difficult to use with any accuracy; even when tethered to a laptop it is difficult (but that does help a lot). And that's only for general use/closeup use (small-ish product shots)... I haven't even attempted macro where accurate use of TS would be that much more difficult. IMO, you would be better off using the R3's built in focus stacking 99% of the time.

IMO, the main advantage of the bellows is that it allows a large variety of lens options and magnification ratios for macro and high magnification macro (reversed lens), which is how I use it. For critical alignment I use a geared head, not the tilt lens/bellows function.

Answer 2

Large format film cameras probably provide the best option for macro photography because:

• The maximum magnification is only dependent on bellows extension.

• Any focal length lens can be used.

• The image circle becomes larger as the magnification increases.

• The longer focal lengths make for larger absolute tilt movements because the film plane and lens plane are further apart, and the greater absolute tilt movement allows for finer adjustments.

• The longer focal lengths allow for greater working distances.

• Large format film provides unparalleled resolution.

• Focusing with the rear standard allows the lens to subject distance to remain constant.

Of course there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

But large format film is also easy to reason about, and allows for multiple exposure lighting.