TS-E on the cheap? For architectural photography

AmateurArchitectural wrote:

I shoot architecture, largely exteriors, for work but not for income. Mostly photos I only use at PowerPoint resolutions and for book/article illustrations. Really large prints are an occasional treat.

That is your current situation. Your photography might grow, so try to take that into account if that is not very unlikely.

I really want to move to a TS-E, firstly because I much prefer to compose and problem-solve in-camera rather than in PS, and secondly because I loved my old Nikon shift and want to play with tilt too.

My question is, is it too bad a waste of a beautiful lens (17mm TS-E) to put it on a 7-year-old EOS400D?

It does not go to waste, but maybe shine on a body with fewer restrictions.

- Will I be able to focus through the 400D’s little view-finder?

That is the biggest problem. For smaller apertures and small sized images, slightly off focussing will not matter too much, though.

- Is the image quality in camera too low to be worth it?

I guess you must mean image quality out of camera? At low ISO settings the 400D is fine. Just a tad less vibrant than other Canon models. Whether the 10mp is enough is for you to decide (it seems it is).

The main downsides of the 400D are the smallish LCD, no LiveView, in combination with the small XXXD viewfinder.

My alternative is to shell out another £1000+ to get the 6D and the 24mm TS-E instead (17mm on FF the angles are too un-natural-looking for my kind of architecture), and consign my EFS to spare.

You can consider a 400D with 17mm TS-E. Will give you low quality higher ISO, usability problems with tilt judgement. No live view to aid you either.

You can consider a 650D with 17mm TS-E. Will give you much better higher ISO possibilities, a great high res. LCD which swivels (and offere live view) and has a nifty touch interface that you can use or leave, and will give you much better judgement of focus and tilt.

You can consider a 6D with 24mp TS-E II. Will give you a better than the 400D LCD, with live view. Will offer a bigger and brighter view finder, which helps a bit judging focus and tilt too.

You can consider a 6D with Samyang 24mm tilt shift. You get a tad lower quality optics than the Canon powerhouse, less build quality for a lower (more affordable) price.

You can consider a 6D with the old 24mm TS-E, 2nd hand.

Any advice welcome!

(If you want to see the sort of thing I shoot, there's some here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barnabas_calder/)