45mm or 90mm TS lens for portraits?

Hello folks,

I am planning my next lens purchase. I have decided on a tilt shift lens for more creative portraiture work. This will be on a 5D

now, I have no experience with any TS lenses, so if there's anyone who knows the difference in the 90 and the 45, that would be greatly appreciated. I am looking mostly for the creative focusing effects I can get with it, not for architectural uses or anything like that.

I might end up renting both of them to compare.

Any ideas or recommendations between the two? For an idea of how I do some of my portraits, look at the first few photos on my website. I've started using ND filters with lighting gear outdoors to blur backgrounds, and I want to combine that with a TS lens.

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http://www.keatonandrew.com (my portfolio)

I have used the 24mm on a 20d for half body shots in a doco portraiture setup. In order to see the difference you have to soot wide open [f3.5]with max tilt/swing. The 8 degrees in not enough for the small format. I understand the DOF will make the 45mm a better choice on full frame. I personally don't like the flattening the 90mm gives, but could assume the effects are worth the expense when the other two have been used a lot.

The sharpness of the 24mm wide open is not the best by any means. The lock-off's are very poor and there is always slippage. I am waiting for an upgrade of these lenses.

would the 90 possibly be a better option for DOF reasons over the 45, maybe? that might make it worth it for me over the 45
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http://www.keatonandrew.com (my portfolio)

All three of these lenses are great for what they allow you to do. The 90mm has the best performance in fact, it's a case of the 'look' of 90mm. Going by what you have on your site i'd say the 45mm would be my recommendation unless you are planning a different series. All are worth getting and like i said, the effect is not as grand as large format because of the small image circle and small movements.

since they are both 2.8 Lens the 90 definitely gives you more DOF options.

See here to check the DOF.
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
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Jay
http://www.pbase.com/damkader
Equipment in Profile

You might want to play with a lensbaby (cheap) first. It isn't exactly a T-S lens, but works on the same concept.

Hire one and see if it works for you. TS-e lenes are quite difficult to use and require patience to get the best out of them. Some photographers get TS-e's and find them too much hassle, others love their results.

I have a TS-e 45mm, which I like very much but I hardly use it. It's not an easy to use lens and your subject/model will need patience too. It's a manual focus lens and the point of focus shifts when you swing the lens.

Regards,
Gareth Cooper
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http://www.GMCPhotographics.com (weddings)
http://www.pbase.com/gazzajagman (other stuff)

'Science is what we dream of, technology is what we are stuck with' Douglas Adams

The question that matters is how many people in a photo, and if only one, how much of that person?

Looking at the opening page of your web site, I see you take a lot of portraits of groups. With a 90 on a 5D you'll have to back up into the next country.

For three-quarter body shots of one person, and groups, the 45 is far the better choice.

You can do a lot of focus tricks by putting some Vasaline on part of a a polarizer, and then turnign the polarizer until the Vaseline makes the parts you want fuzzy, fuzzy. Save money and get a polarizer that fits normal and short telephoto lenses.

this will be for portraits of one person

I'd probably use them more for 3/4 or half length body shots, so it seems the 45 might be a better choice. I do understand the issues with the TS lenses, and I will quite gladly accept that in order to get this effect!

Lens babies don't really interest me much.. I may still get one, but I still need good image quality, and the LB look doesn't do the same thing for me that I really like about the TS lenses I've seen.

It was either a 70-200 2.8, 135 2L, or a TS, and I see myself using the TS to make money more often than the other lenses.

I think I will rent one or two... midwest photo down in columbus isn't too far away, and I know they have some in stock.
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http://www.keatonandrew.com (my portfolio)

I have both the TS-e 24 & 45mm and once borrowed the 90mm. Great lenses for their purpose but with a learning curve as others mentioned here already.

You should also be aware of exposure reading. The tilt or shift movement gives an inaccurate auto-exposure, hence you should switch to manual exposure, metering the light before using the lens movements.
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Best regards,
Paul