Shift Lenses

Shift lenses are often combined with a tilt mechanism, when they are called tilt shift lenses. Tilt mechanisms enable you to change the plane of focus. Shift lenses keep lines straight, horizontal lines horizontal and vertical lines vertical.

But, and here’s the thing, they allow you to look beyond the normal image circle of the lens.

Imagine you’re looking at tall building. You tilt your head up and the building seems to be narrower at the top than down at the ground. You know it is not, and it doesn’t bother you because you know that in reality the building is not leaning in and getting narrower. But that’s what it looks like.

It’s the same when taking a photo of a tall building with a normal lens. If you tilt the camera up to fit the building within the frame, the sides of the building will look like they’re leaning inward.

And if you took a photo like that, it could be perfectly acceptable. But if you were photographing architecture and wanted to show what the building actually looks like, with vertical verticals, then you can’t unless you use a shift lens.

A shift lens is made in to two parts that can move relative to each other. The front part slides upwards. That way it covers more of the scene.Think of it like two overlapping circles that cover more of the scene than just one circle would.

The only downside to shift lenses is that they are expensive to make and to buy. As and when I get a shift lens for photographing architecture in London, I will link to the photos from here.

Peter Nixon

At a vigil in Cambridge for Ukraine, shot with a Canon R6 with 35mm RF lens.

Which Fuji Cameras Have IBIS

In-body image stabilisation (IBIS) has changed photography. Being able to hold a camera steady for half a second or longer changes how a photographer can shoot.

Let me explain. Imagine a static subject – let’s say a building down a side street. It’s lit by neon lights and the light from the interior. Overall it is pretty dark.

Without IBIS I can hold the camera steady with a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. Because the light is low, I have to shoot at 3200 ISO.

With IBIS I could hold the camera steady and shoot at 1/2 second. That’s four stops slower, which means I can pull my ISO down by four stops – from 3200 to 200 ISO. That’s going to give me a better signal to noise ratio and a nicer looking shot.

IBIS is not the only factor. A full frame camera holds the image better at higher ISO than does a smaller sensor camera. I can say this from my own experience with the Canon R6. And the Canon has IBIS and some of the lenses have IBIS, for even more of that steadiness goodness.

Still, sticking with Fuji Cameras with IBIS (and their weights with battery and card) because the Canon is heavier than any of these at 680g for the body alone (with card and battery).

X100 VI – 521g
X-T5 – 557g
X-T4 – 607g
X-S20 – 491g
X-S10 – 465g

X-H1 – 673g
X-H2 – 660g
X-H2s – 660g

If it’s a lightweight camera you are after then the X-S10 looks attractive at only 465g. But like all but one of the cameras listed here, that’s without a lens.

Remember that the X100 VI also includes a 23mm f2 (35mm-equivalent) fixed lens.

The 23mm f2 lens weighs 180g, which bring the X-S10 combo up to 645g. Or if we want to consider the X-s20, it weighs 491g. So with the same lens that combo would weigh 671g. And that’s only a few grams less that the Canon R6, at 680g for the body alone (with card and battery).

So with the downside that it has a fixed single focal length lens, the lightest option is the X100 VI at 521g.