Gear Notes: Canon EOS R5 with 17mm Tilt-Shift Lens | Lee Filter SW 150 System | Lee Filter Big Stopper & Polarizer | Sekonic 758DR

For a good reason, the racing term “Horses for courses” is a common refrain among photographers. A variety of camera gear is available for different use case scenarios. Like horses, some lenses are suitable for specific tasks only. They have limited shooting envelope, and like specialized horses, those lenses work well only for particular courses. Often photographers think about Tilt-Shift lenses as one or two-trick ponies and use them to create a tacky “miniature effect” or fix converging verticals. However, I find that Tilt-Shift lenses are one of the most versatile lenses. I can use them as great prime lenses. Alternatively, I can use the shift feature to make and seamlessly stitch 1-3 images to create panoramic images for landscape and street photography, use creative focus to make unique portraits, and indeed for product photography. I have three such lenses: 17mm, 24mm, and 90mm. They are all manual focus lenses, which, unfortunately, dissuades some photographers from using them. If you are one of those photographers, I urge you to reconsider. These are some of the most capable lenses out there. I will not dwell on this topic anymore as I can’t cover this topic better than Keith Cooper of Northlight Images.

However, I will talk about one technical issue with the 17mm TS lens: the difficulty of using filters on it. Image-makers commonly use an ND Grad and Polarizer for landscape photography. The long-exposure aficionados need ND filters. But due to the bulbous front lens element, you can’t use screw-in filters. Since I already had sets of 100-mm filters, I decided to get a lens ring specifically made for a 17mm lens. The problem was that the standard 100-mm square filter systems like Lee limit the tilt movement and wide angle of view cause pronounced vignetting. I started using the SW 150 Mark II Filter System to solve this problem and acquired 150x150 filters, a holder system, and a custom adaptor for the lens. The whole system is sturdy and well-built and solves the issues of vignetting and limited shift. I did have a problem using the tilt function as the front element was so heavy that controlling the tilt was difficult. I took the system for a test run this weekend.

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Vilano beach is a photogenic place that I photograph often. 

Fun Fact: Florida has1,350 statute milesof coastline and2,276 statute milesof tidal shoreline

There is a stone jetty to protect the neighborhood. As a bonus, this is a nice fishing spot.

Beach is accessible to pedestrians and vehicles.

This is a busy place; the tire tracks left behind tell the story.

I used long exposure to capture the passage of time.

There are some lovely houses facing the ocean. One of them is bright yellow. I noticed three colorful chairs and used it as a compositional element.

K + M = ♡

I spotted an inscription on the wooden watch station. I felt that the contrast between the static and dynamic elements poignant.

This structure looks out towards the ocean in three different directions.

I used the elevated vantage point to make some images of waves crashing on the jetty stones.

Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.

Alfred Tennyson

Break, break, break,
At the foot of thy crags, O sea!
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me.

Alfred Tennyson

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