Chuck, I don't disagree in the least. For specialty equipment renting is
frequently the way to go--that way you don't have a lot of money tied up in
things that rarely earn their keep.
But what you do lose by non-ownership is the serendipity moments in life
with such a lens.
I understand the concerns with the sharpness at the extreme shifts. I've
read that before. But considering that most of the time were shifting only
about 50% of the maximim capability of the lens, I'd suggest that the Mark2
version is still more than adequate for most of us. However, if you are
doing panos with the shift lenses, yes, this edge softness is a problem. But
I encounter that with the Zuiko 35/shift too.
Another reason why the Mark2 lens may be a fine choice is that it has very
good flare control.
But all that does require acquiring a parallel system with all the hoops and
juglets involved. It's far cheeper for me to just buy a few rolls of film
for the rare project requiring such an investment.
My 4x5, which was a lovely late-model Crown Graphic (1964+), unfortunately
had the rather pedistrian lens on it. I really wasn't in a place to invest
in better glass and I was shifting away from the darkroom so I eBayed it to
somebody in Italy. But the fact is, a decent wide-angle lens on an
adequately adjustable 4x5 is still one of the best ways to go for tilt/shift
photography. I'm quite enamoured by a couple of these absolutely tiny 4x5
cameras that fold up so small they can fit in a large pocket in a photo
vest.
AG
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