I have been out shooting landscapes for the first time with a MPPMKV11 and 90mm Schneider angulon,(exposure was 1sec at F22), I tilted the whole camera down to include a rock in the foreground and brought the camera back out so the film plane was level, is this right ?. Also when using this lens for architecture I cannot use the lens rise knob because it sits way back in the body, can I use the movable back method to correct verticals ?. Cheers, Lee.

-- Lee Pengelly (leepengelly@aol.com), April 01, 2002

Answers

The way you did it is one way. Another would have been to tilt the front standard forward, with the camera level and the rear standard vertical. A third way would be to keep the camera level and the front standard vertical and then tilt the rear standard back. For architecture, if you can't get enough rise, you can point the whole camera up, and then tilt the front and back standards forward until they are both vertical.

-- Steve Gangi (sgangi@hotmail.com), April 01, 2002.

For landscape with foreground, I point the camera down to frame as required, and then tilt the back backwards to get the plane of sharpest focus where I want it, using Schimphlug or the Sinar asymetrial system.

If you want a rectangular horizontal plane (flower bed or ceiling) to look rectangular, keep the film plane horizontal.

In normal architectural photography (wall), keep the film plane verticle: start with the camera (rail) horizontal, but, like he said, point the camera (rail) up if you have to, but then re-set the film plane (and front standard) to vertical before using shift to frame the subject as required.

-- Dick Roadnight (dick.roadnight@btopenworld.com), April 01, 2002.

Hi Lee, I understand with lens and camera back parallel that you pointed the camera down and focused. Then you tilted the back of the camera back. If so, this distorts the view, and it creats a foreground which is known as looming. That being said, some folks like it. Nevertheless, it's a looming foreground. Best, David

-- david clark (doclark@yorku.ca), April 01, 2002.

I prefer to keep both standards vertical, and tilt or rotate the landscape.

-- Matt O. (mojo@moscow.com), April 01, 2002.

Hi Lee, I have an MPP Mk VII too. Yes, thats the way to do it, but you can also put the camera on it's side and use lens swing (which is now tilt). You could use the camera on it's side for architectural photos too as lens shift is (now rise and fall) is easy to do. Bob

-- Bob Ashford (ashford@kfshrc.edu.sa), April 02, 2002.

Lee: There is an MPP users site that might be helpful. As mentioned, there is a tripod socket on the side of the camera that is helpful to get rise in some situations. The rise on my MPP is a tilting lock on the front, on the left side, and allows a good bit of rise with the 90mm. Tilted on its side, you get all kinds of movements using the front and back movements. It is a versatile camera.

Regards,

-- Doug Paramore (Dougmary@alaweb.com), April 02, 2002.

"I prefer to keep both standards vertical, and tilt or rotate the landscape." Why didn't I think of that?

I have two questions: Matt, does the landscape swing as well as tilt? If it does, is it yaw-free?

-- Erec Grim (guivret@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

"does the landscape swing as well as tilt? If it does, is it yaw- free"

I find it does all these and more after a few pints of Mr Boddingtons' finest...

/Bob/

-- Bob Francis (bobphoto@techie.com), April 09, 2002.