Tilt shift lens advice

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Hello

I'm looking to buy a tilt shift lens (I have a budget of arounf £500 - £700) and would greatly appreciate some advice please. My main question is what focal length I should go for? I would mainly be using it for the 'minature' effect.

Thank you in advance!
 
Welcome to the Forum. Hopefully my new-to-me 35mm tilt shift lens is waiting for me at work. As I haven't even touched a TS yet I cannot claim any expertise but Vincent Laforet has a video at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qo3nYcDCuc
where he does some TS miniatures on what look to be a 24mm Canon and then on a 90mm. So it seems pretty much any TS will be usable but his video might tell you which is closer to what you plan to do.
 
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The great thing here is that I may speak Nikon as I understand
your are a Nikon shooter.

Nikon makes three PC lenses: 24, 45 and 85 mm… I own the
first and the last. The 45 finds no application in my work.

To answer your question more directly, "what focal length I should
go for?" … I don't know since it's all a matter of subject. Are most
of your subjects better taken with a wide (24mm), normal (45mm)
or a short tele (85mm) regular non PC lens?

For instance, a local company is producing silicon wafers and I
often shoot macros of their production line for documentation. Yes,
I then favour working with the 85PC as it permits great macros and,
for the discretion level they want, superb "toy scale" narrow DoF. This
is important to them as their factory holds many things or processes
that should be kept undercover. —This is my favourite lens for product
photography in the studio.

If your going for sceneries, a wider lens may be the solution. New Nikon
lenses are well over your budget but used ones may be found. …I hope.
 
If you are buying new then the options are a bit limited as the only one that fits your budget is the Samyang 24mm.
You might pick up one of the Canon's ( 24/45/90mm) used for that money if you are lucky, all of them take a TC quite well so personally I would go for the 24mm Mk1.
BUT its a very expensive way of getting the "minature effect" and if all that is what you will be doing you then its a waste of a very specialized lens' and the minature effect becomes a bit overused like soft water or selective colouring
Before jumping and buying one have a look at Lens Rentals ( http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/) and try one.
Alternatively have a look here( http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/miniature-tilt-shift-cs6/)

Just seen the above post and did not realize you shoot Nikon-forget the comments about Canon
 
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You need to choose the focal length that best suites your subject matter without tilting and that'll be your best option....bearing in mind that larger apertures and longer focal lengths will make it easier to achieve the effect that you're seeking.

It's well within your budget to get a tilt adapter and several lenses to use on it. The adapters will allow medium format lenses to be used on typical 35mm DSLRS. I have Canon's own 24, 45 and 90 TS lenses but also use an adapter with Pentax 645 lenses (45, 55, 75, 120, 150mm)......the adapter and three lenses can be bought for the upper end of your budget..

Bob
 
Thank you very much for all of your replies! .... Still deliberating at the mo
 
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