Any good? Canon TS-E24mm F3.5L II tilt/shift lens and Fuji GFX100S 100MP medium format camera

Is the Canon TS-E24mm F3.5L II tilt-shift lens good enough to use of a FujiGFX100S medium format camera. What restrictions are there, how well does it work.
How well does the TS-E24 work on the larger sensor of the GFX100S? What settings do you need to take care with, Can the lens handle 100MP?
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PHOTOGRAPHY WITH TILT AND SHIFT LENSES
KEITH COOPER
Available via any good bookshop ISBN 9781785007712
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[@key2adventure]

Great review and explanations. Love your take on diffraction, agree so much 🙂 I use the 17mm TS-E on my Hasselblad with an electronic adapter from Techart. It gives me EXIF data on shift and tilt. I also haven't noticed any vignetting from the mount, but off course vignetting when hitting the border of the image circle. It's crazy wide on the (small) medium format sensor, something like 13.5mm and there is noticeable loss of detail in the corners when shifting, but it is decently sharp when shot without movement. Do you find the 24mm II noticeably sharper than the 17mm? I might go for it instead of the insanely expensive Hasselblad HCD 24mm + the HTC 1.5 adapter that by the way makes the lens a 36mm. But that one I can use on my beloved H3D-39 as well.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks I find the 24mm I've got to be a bit better than the 17. Part of this could be that I've used them both since 2007 and the physical movements are a bit slack. I have to take rather more care in focus on the GFX than I did with the 5DS. Residual tilt of a fraction of a degree can show up more in images [this may be the microlenses of the sensor as well - not looked into this any more] The TS-E50 works a treat... I did like the HTS1.5 - tried it on a 100C [and a 50], but that 1.5x increase in focal is irksome - I like wide ;-) How do you get T/S data from a ts-e 17? I get aperture and lens info, but there are no encoders in the Canon lenses?

[@key2adventure]

@@KeithCooper Yes, you are right. I did not remember correctly, there is no T/S data in the EXIF only aperture and shutter time.

[@KeithCooper]

@@key2adventure Ah... perhaps when Canon finally get round to bringing out RF mount T/S lenses... ;-)

[@waynerickard4240]

Great video really enjoyed it thanks for all the time and effort you put into making it.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - this was one of the tests which convinced me to get my own GFX100S ;-)

[@waynerickard4240]

@@KeithCooper yes well when I earn some money my wife says I can have one till then... also I want your book but it tells me no to shipping to New Zealand is that right?

[@KeithCooper]

Ah, yes, the finance department... The book should be available from any bookseller. Was it the publisher's site you were looking at? I just checked Amazon and it was listed - just search for "keith cooper tilt shift'

[@j8rtUfh3evz]

Another excellent video. I picked up a GFX100s in the January sale (1500 off) plus a Fringer EF - GFX mount adapter for all my EF lenses including TS 🙂 Vignetting - with 100mpx, why not move further away from the subject and crop a little? (if possible)

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I''ve used the TS-E 17 and 24 in 35mm crop mode a few times, but I'm still minded to get the Fuji 30mm TS as well - it matches the FOV of the TS-E24 on 35mm, but it's a fair old price ;-)

[@jdh_images]

Great video Keith - love your book too!! - I have the 24mm TSE which I use on the R5 a great deal - I have the Fuji 100s but given the EF to GF Mount is not cheap I am going to wait until Fuji release their TSE.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - the Fuji 30 T/S should be roughly 24mm 'equivalent'

[@devinwhite]

@@KeithCooperand expensive af lol

[@יוסיקליין-ג9ר]

many thanks for the very detailed review, but it really unclear to me whether the canon ts e 24 mm second version covers completly the gfx sensor (?). many thanks .

[@KeithCooper]

Unshifted - it clearly covers the sensor The question then becomes sensor coverage vs shift amount vs shift direction vs the size of the image circle and its fall-off in quality/coverage ... Not a simple does/does not question. At one level the image circle is big enough so shift doesn't hit a hard edge, but with diagonal shift you can see the vignetting in the one corner quite easily at wider apertures - but you also get slight mount vignetting in the opposite corner. For myself this means that if the lens only requires say 6mm of shift for a subject, then there is no problem. With larger shifts quality/vignetting issues _may_ be an issue. Think of it as adding the red lines you had on the original TS-E 24 shift scale i.e. take extra care

[@DenisStosic]

Thank you for one more excellent informative video, Keith. Have you ever tried mounting a Fuji camera to a Large format 5x4 back? And then using all benefits of movements.

[@KeithCooper]

I don't own a Fuji camera unfortunately - but see the MPP 5x4 in the corner at the back of my desk... See here for attaching my 1Ds to it.. www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-mpp-view-camera-adapter/ If I get a GFX100S I might try it again, but beyond curiosity, I don't have good enough lenses to do anything useful in this area.

[@DenisStosic]

@@KeithCooper Thank you for your answer, Keith! I read it and it has a lot of information, step by step. Great read- thank you. Take care!

[@simonkipper2657]

Excellent info as usual. How about aperture control? Is that an issue with a non Canon body? Thank you Keith

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks No issue with the adapter I've got, on any EF lens

[@danwhiteside248]

Hi Keith. Just wanted to say thanks for all your advice and help with tilt shift lenses. I ended up with a second hand tse 135mm (£1400) over the Fuji 110m tilt shift, and it is a great lens - works superbly!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - not had the chance to try that one on the Fuji - should be pretty good.

[@danwhiteside5452]

Hi Keith. Will I lose resolution shooting an adapted canon tse on the gfx 100s? I tested the tse 135mm macro and the files were 60mp v thew usual 100mp. thanks

[@KeithCooper]

The TS-E135 works fine IF you turn off the 35mm crop mode I've done this accidentally when testing the 24mm - the giveaway was the 3:2 crop in the viewfinder, as opposed to 4:3

[@danwhiteside5452]

@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith !

[@dardis1745]

Keith thank you for this video and your explanation! I am taking an online class for architectural photography and I asked a question about using canon lens on gfx cameras ( because used gfx 50s and 50sii are cheaper than the Canon R5 and Nikon Z8). I was told I would 30% of the image due to coverage (lens and full 44x33 sensor) and pronounced chromatic abberation and smudging when fully shifted. BUT... If I am following your video correctly it looks like if I am shooting in 35mm mode on the GFX I will not be "losing" 30% of the image and I wont have the pronounced chromatic abberation and smudging. If that is true then shooting in 35mm mode on the GFX would be like shooting on the Canon R5 / Nikon Z8 / Canon 5ds? Let me know if I am wrong...im in the process of purchasing a camera for arch photography...no pressure lol...again thank you for your video!!

[@KeithCooper]

Sometime I use my TS-E24 on the full GFX100S frame - anyone saying "pronounced chromatic aberration and smudging" has a dud lens or knows not what they are talking about. [have they actually tried it or are they just reading comments on a forum? ;-) ] Sometimes I use it in the 35mm crop mode - this gives me 60+MP and the same FOV as if I was using the ts-e 24 on my 5DS. I'm waiting to get a Fuji 30mm TS lens, since it then gives me the coverage of the 24 [at even higher quality] for the full GFX frame - but that's $$$ and for my business I've shot several jobs using the ts-e24 on the GFX 100S and had no complaints from clients. If using the full frame you do have to be very careful with focus and take a lot of care that the lens has no residual tilt [ I leave the tilt axis set at horizontal, when using rise and fall. It needs more care at strong shift and I have had to process a few images a bit more in extreme corners. That however might just be that my ts-e24 is from 2008 and has had a few bumps [it needs a service]

[@dardis1745]

@@KeithCooper Thanks for the response! I think they have read from a forum or just asked google lol but I am not concerned about that anymore. I have watched your videos concerning camera choices and came to figure out that GFX will probably not be a good choice for me. I am just beginning to understand the field of arch photography and while I want to do this I still want to take portraits in studio and environmental. So now I am researching the Nikon Z8 and Canon R5. Right now I am going through the pros and cons of both and looking at the lens selection for both cameras native and adapted lenses. Hopefully I can find mostly everything 2nd hand. Thank you for your videos and help Keith! if you ever make a Udemy course or something like that Im taking it!

[@garrygeorge2811]

Keith: thanks as always. Like you I have the 24mm TS-E and like using it with my Canon M3 to get 3:1 perfect panos. I think the adapter vignetting, after a diagonal shift, should be addressed by taking a flat field image and using the flat field correction in Lightroom.

[@KeithCooper]

Glad it was of interest. Unfortunately, flat field approaches only help with a known amount of shift. The amount of shift I use varies... There is no exif, and once you start adding diagonal shift it's not going to be very practical (oh and from my personal POV, using Lightroom is a complete non-starter ;-) )

[@dkokalanov]

@@KeithCooper May I ask what do you use instead of Lightroom?

[@harryvangastel1078]

Great video Keith ! I'm selling my TS-E 17, with a bit of pain ; it's too wide indeed. Hope to acquire the 24 soon. (I also use the TSE Frame from Rogeti, great stuff). Going to buy your book, too. The 17 has more trouble with the smaller mount btw, so more vignette on the opposite side...hope to see more of this.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I do have some test images from the 17 - it's really wide, but then again I tested the Laowa 15mm...

[@privatebydesign1808]

I use the TS-E 17 with a 1.4TC a lot. Saves buying a 24 and gives the wider angle when you need it. Actually I have the TS-E17 and TS-E 50 and use them both with 1.4 and 2x TC's. This effectively gives me 17, 24, 35, 50, 70, and 100 focal lengths for the price of 2 TS-E's. IQ is plenty good enough the vast majority of the time with any of those combinations.

[@dkokalanov]

@@privatebydesign1808 Are the adapters degrading the image quality? I use the 1.4x II and it does degrade to an extend and I've heard 2x is worse.

[@privatebydesign1808]

@@dkokalanov As always it depends. On a pixel level yes you see degradation, at the image level I'm very happy with the output of the TS-E17 with 2xTC. My output is often used as large format promotional material where people are very close to large scale reproductions, IQ is not the limiting factor.

[@dkokalanov]

@@privatebydesign1808 Thank you!

[@Dstonephoto]

I’ve been reading up on using older Nikon lenses on newer bodies and the conclusion I’ve come to is that the debate about sensors outresolving lenses is fraught with errors , misconceptions, and blown out of proportion.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - much beloved over the years on forums by people who've never actually tested it... I've a big collection of 'old glass' to experiment with if I get a GFX100S of my own ;-) See here... www.northlight-images.co.uk/using-old-lenses-on-a-modern-digital-dslr-camera/

[@Dstonephoto]

@@KeithCooper Perhaps DPReview's demise has a silver lining to it. Thanks, I will read your article. I tried perusing forums in the hopes of finding sane discussions on it but found very little.

[@Dstonephoto]

​@@KeithCooper Let's flip this argument on its head: are there any real-world example of bad lenses -- and to what extent does this "bad lens" create a bad image. Speaking for myself I can honestly say that I've yet to see a bad lens. I guess many people automatically assume a lens is either fabulous or trash; like there's no middle ground. Yet at the same time we see people adapting the Nikon 40mm 2.4 on GFX bodies and suddenly it's the greatest lens ever. I'm so confused. Hope you had a great weekend.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, for me there are relatively few bad lenses, just ones I can't see why I might [currently] have a use for them ;-) For 'bad' lenses ... well, some lens designs really show internal reflections and sensor reflections, however some might find that of interest... Having just tried a few lenses from my 'old lens drawer' I'm really curious to see how they perform on the big sensor

[@thomaseriksson6256]

Not a problem with F11 on GFX100S thas why I like it. If you use a calulator its only good up to F7.1. I have a frend that has the 51 Mpix Sony and he can use it up to F9.0,. The 100S has a the same number of photo diods per aria. I have the old Nikon PC lenses but I will not upgrade them to Zed. I can not motivate the cost to get the Zed lenses. I will use a FTZ atapter if I get the Z8 and put my money in the GFX system.

[@KeithCooper]

Seems reasonable

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I wonder whether the GFX100s has useful advantages over the Lumix S1R and Sony a7S IV & V in high res mode. Or R5 in 400 megapixels mode. Yes, I know, but presumably raw is coming, maybe in the R5 II. You won't get that vignette, and every pixel position will be read for colour, not guessed at, and effectively each physical pixel is made smaller.

[@KeithCooper]

At the moment, the Fuji 400 mode is most useful for studio work. The S1R worked outdoors and 180 MP was rather impressive - I've some pictures in my S1R review which would be a joy to print from at large sizes.

[@deraldart]

thanks, i always learn a lot and i enjoy it.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@danwhiteside5452]

Hi Keith. Would an adapted tse lens work more seamlessly on a Sony a7rv compared to fuji gfx as it was designed for full frame?

[@KeithCooper]

Should do - if an EF lens works [aperture setting] then no problem since it's manual focus. Not tested though since I'm not on Sony's promo loan list... :-(

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Nikon made much of the new lens mount design, but didn't immediately present any lenses that obviously demonstrated it. Meanwhile, Canon had its 28-70 F2.0L and 50mm F1.2L to get everyone talking.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, Nikon could have made rather more of the Z mount from a 'wow factor' IMHO

[@thomaseriksson6256]

Thank you for the good video. The most interesting for me with the GFX100s is that it’s possible to crop to a panorama without losing to mutch pixel. I think that if Fuji new TS lens is good it can be a package I'm interested in for woodland photo. I currently using your book to learn to use my PC lenses better and I will test taking panorama with them.But you think they arn not up to modern standard.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - I'm definitely heading out to the wood again...

[@paololarocca7684]

it's interesting that a full frame lens covers the fuji medium format sensor, considering that there aren't many lenses for the gfx mount and the current ones are very expensive, it could really be an option for someone wanting to try medium format....about small mounts, what do you think of the e-mount? that's my current main platform, do you think that the reason there aren't tilt-shift lenses for the sony e-mount could be related to its small size?

[@KeithCooper]

I tried an old Russian Helios 58/2 and it covered the whole frame - lenses vary a lot in how much over the basic 36x24mm they cover. If I can get a camera of my own I would like to experiment a lot more! Smaller mounts may be more likely to show vignetting, but there is no way of knowing without trying. Interesting about Sony and tilt/shift - I guess they just don't see it as a useful market. Also, Sony are still the only significant camera company which doesn't respond to my requests to look at kit ;-)

[@jedailprod]

Good review,but how xdo thos Canon lenses compare to Laowa 19mm on GFX?

[@KeithCooper]

The 19mm has no shift (or tilt) - so is simply not one I'd compare as such... However, in general, with the Canon and Laowa lenses with shift [15/17/20/24] the image quality improves somewhat over the image circle as the focal length gets longer See my detailed 19mm review for more www.northlight-images.co.uk/laowa-19mm-gfx-f2_8/

[@charliehoffmanphotography3145]

Hi Keith, I'd be greatful to hear your thoughts on using the Laowa vs the Canon on the GFX 100s. Did you find it easier in post with one over the other? Image clarity and color correctness? If you didn't already own the Canon TS lens would you own the Laowa? Thank you Sir and I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Charlie

[@KeithCooper]

Basically quality goes up slightly with each focal length I've tried so L15 < C17 < L20 < C24 'Colour correctness' is not a consideration for any of them for me. Not sure what I'd use if I didn't already have some lenses...

[@charliehoffmanphotography3145]

@@KeithCooper Thank you Keith, I think the Laowa at the retail price point is a bargain while we wait patiently for the Fuji 30mm TS. I just couldn't justify the purchase of a new or used lens and then a adapter to make it work. Then fussing with corrections in post to get a full medium format image. Reducing the image to full frame crop defeats the compositional ability of the GFX 100s. It's going to take some time for Fuji to build that catalog of lenses, but it's happening. Be well and all the best Charlie

[@robinjones6999]

Excellent Keith - how about a tutorial on what vignetting really is ( just an idea)

[@KeithCooper]

More one I'd do as a written article (I don't like doing really technical stuff on YT) Might include some of it in the look at the TS-E17

[@davidmantripp]

sorry if I missed something ... but what about tilt?

[@KeithCooper]

Nothing missed, I'm quite deliberately not looking at tilt in this particular testing ;-) This one is for the coverage of the lens image circle, image quality and vignetting. This and the TS-E17 are ones where I rarely ever use tilt in my actual work. However, if I get a chance [it's a loan camera] I will address tilt in both the 17 and 24 together in a separate video. It does work, but shows distinctly more issues with vignetting and off axis loss of detail. I will be looking at tilt much more on the GFX when I get the new Fuji T/S lenses at some point.

[@Skillividden]

24 TS was my most used lens when I was shooting Canon. I still have the lens, but I haven't yet tried it on Fuji (I do not have the adapter).

[@KeithCooper]

It's not bad, but I'm getting the Fuji 30mm T/S to test later this week, which matches the FOV of the 24mm on my 5Ds

[@Skillividden]

@@KeithCooper Yes, I am looking forward to testing the 30 mm as well. 15 mm shift on a 33*44 mm sensor... just crazy.

[@gerardferry3958]

are diffraction limits based on format size? so f11 is 35mm

[@KeithCooper]

No, purely on aperture and sensor pixel spacing Sometimes you need smaller apertures and the 'diffraction naysayers' can just stick with their calculations, whilst I get the photo taken ;-)

[@bryangoldbergphotography]

So, I have the GFX 100S and the GF 30mm f/3.5 which, up to this point, I have been using for wide shots. I've been looking at experimenting with architecture photography. Just curious how the coverage compares using the Canon TS-E 24mm. Given that the native 30mm acts like a 24mm equivalent, am I effectively getting the same coverage, but with the additional tilt capability? Or will I end up with more coverage?

[@KeithCooper]

Unshifted, you get the coverage of a 24mm rather than a 30mm [focal length is focal length whatever sensor you are using] Adding the shift of the 24mm gives a wider still maximum coverage - more like a 19mm shift on '35mm full frame' Tilt has nothing to do with coverage. I'll be testing the upcoming Fuji tilt/shift lenses later this year, where the 30mm will give me the sort of coverage I get with the TS-E24 on my 5DS

[@jamescaulfield3907]

Hi Keith, Thanks for the video on the Canon TSE 24mm II. I did enjoy it however I have a question for you in light of the fact that I've suffered with this lens over the years, even purchasing another specimen to test alongside my first 24mm, and seemingly still do (with both)... When in the field shooting architectural exteriors of tall(er) buildings, I routinely experience softening of the top of the building. I am focusing with benefit of live view on the Fujifilm GFX 100s and while focusing near the top of tall buildings it becomes apparent fairly quickly that there is no earthly way to achieve sharp focus when shifted up to include the top of the building. Thoughts? Thanks in advance, James Caulfield

[@KeithCooper]

The 24 can have issues in the corners with strong shift, but the one I've got does focus OK for lesser shifts. Where I noticed an issue it was with an asymmetric left/right sharpness. Rotating the tilt axis changed this, giving the feeling that there may be a bit of de-centering of the lens or even a tiny bit of residual tilt. I'm finding this with the TS-E17 as well, but there I'm rarely using very strong shift. I do wonder too as to how much this might be adapter related as well? Definitely waiting for a try out with Fuji's new T/S30!

[@jamescaulfield3907]

Thanks, Keith, but the realtive softness I'm experiencing is not in the corners. Whether the camera is in portrait or lansdcape, with the tall building in the approx. center of the frame, there is simply no way to achieve adequate focus on the upper section or top of the building. Better focus can be always be achieved in the center or toward the bottom of the building. Since I am generally always at f/11, I now wonder if I might have a better result at f/9 or f/8. Perhaps what I'm struggling with is diffraction in other words? @@KeithCooper

[@jamescaulfield3907]

P.S.: I don't have this issue, at all, with the new (arguably more modern) 50mm TSE lens form Canon. It is exceptinally sharp everywhere. I do have this problem somewhat with the 17mm though, just not to the same, virtually unusable degree as the 24mm. That is what made me wonder if my problem was simply due to user error. But after more than 40 years in the biz, I'm really uncertain what I may be doing wrong here to bring this problem on myself to such a degree... Maybe I should just send both specimens I own of the 24mm TSE to Canon service for calibration?@@KeithCooper

[@KeithCooper]

I suspect mine are out of alignment - but have you tried a tiny amount of tilt? I need to do some more experiments to nail this down for mine...

[@jamescaulfield3907]

That's an excellent suggestion, Keith. Thank you. I'll give it a try when I get back to town and report back with my findings. James @@KeithCooper

[@KuldeepGhadiali]

Hi Keith, could please make a tutorial video of how to manual focus (accurately) on tilt shift lenses on 17 TS-E and 24 TS-E and so on… There aren’t any proper videos/tutorials of how to accurately focus using these lenses.

[@KeithCooper]

Do you mean focusing with tilt, or just focusing with shift? There is nothing special in focusing with shift and I've covered focusing with tilt in several videos and articles (and my book) Could you be more specific?

[@KuldeepGhadiali]

@@KeithCooper Sorry what I meant to say was just focusing in general using any manual lens. Basically how to accurately focus with any manual focus lens (i.e TS-E lens). I have seen other videos where photographers are using a technique called focusing 1/3 way in but its a bit confusing for me. I hope that was somewhat understandable.

[@KeithCooper]

A lot depends on the lens and the subject, as well as the type of camera. For mirrorless cameras I use focus peaking to assist It's far too big a subject to cover in a video though...

[@KuldeepGhadiali]

I have found that when using 24 TS-E and shooting architecture specifically, if I focus on the corner of a building that I’m shooting, everything is in focus and tech sharp. However, thats not the case with 17 TS-E and 45 TS-E. when using 17 TS-E if I focus 1/3 way in the frame, things are in focus front to back. In conclusion, its all hit and miss and there is no right method that works, also no one has created a video of showing how to focus specifically with these 2 lenses. That was my main reason to ask you about that. P.S English is not my first language so what I write might not make clear sense but I hope you are able to understand what I’m trying to say. P.P.S - Love your videos!

[@KeithCooper]

Sounds like you might be seeing some field curvature - However, with any significant degree of shift on these lenses I generally won't use an aperture below f/9 You need to experiment and work it out - use a wide aperture to see if there are any problems with the lens. It's possible you have some residual tilt in the lens (an element may be mis-centred) This is best tested on a big brick wall ;-) There is no specific special way to focus with these lenses (with shift) as far as I know - focusing a lens is not something I'd really cover in a video...

[@chumleyk]

Interesting that you picked a building with angeld sides thus negating demonstrating part of the benefit of tilt shift lenses,...

[@KeithCooper]

Well - quite a deliberate choice for many of the images ;-) This video is more about how the lens functions with a larger sensor. There are a mix of photo subjects in this video and it's not really intended to be a tutorial on the range of uses of shift in addition to 'correcting verticals' [I've many other videos and articles aimed more at covering that]. I'll be doing a similar test of some other lenses, but hope to have a full [written] article, where I can include rather more images and detail.

[@DM-dq1mh]

Hi Keith, lots of good information in your videos as always, I know you said the name of the adapter you were using, do you have any more information on it, ie does it allow for any data , aperture etc to be recorded? Thank you

[@KeithCooper]

It's a fotodiox one - the camera records full lens EXIF, even down to the lens serial number fotodioxpro.com/collections/fujifilm-gfx-adapters/products/ef-gfx-fsn