>OK, so the lens slides up/down and right/left while still parallel to the
>film plane, correct? So how is that any different from physically moving
>the camera up/down/right/left?
>
>(what did I miss?)
In essence there is no difference, except for where the camera is located.
By keeping the film parallel to the subject, the subject does not distort.
The shift lens does not change the relationship of the subject to the
background though, which moving the camera would.
Try this: Put the widest angle lens on your camera and go point it at a
building. At first center the building in the viewfinder. The building
will lean back. This is standard perspective stuff that you learn in ART
101. Now keep the camera flat to the building (not pointing up or down)
and you will see that the building doesn't lean. Unfortunately, now the
building is in the top of the picture and probably getting the roof cutoff.
A shift lens allows you to now slide the lens upward which magically
brings the building down into the center of the picture. It's all done
through controlled distortion.
I find that a shift lens can be handy whenever you want to have the horizon
high or low in the frame but wish to keep vertical items vertical. I also
use it for horizontal shifting. For example, take a look at the United
Airline Terminal shot taken in the tunnel at O'hare which is in the Olympus
Gallery. I aimed the camera directly down the tunnel with the very end
centered in the viewfinder. Then I shifted the lens to the left (with just
a slight vertical shift too) to get the composition I desired.
Ken Norton
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