what do perspective control lenses do? Are tilt-shift the same thing?

Question

what do these lenses do? and what type of photography is it best suited for?

Answer 1

In photography, a perspective correction lens (also known as a shift lens or PC lens, or a tilt and shift lens or TS lens if the lens offers the tilt feature) is used to correct the optical effect of perspective, i.e. to obtain images whose vertical lines (or horizontal) are parallel, as if the viewpoint were in front on the subject.

This type of lens is mostly used in architectural and other technical photography. Perspective control lenses are generally made for single-lens reflex (SLR) 35mm and medium-format SLR cameras, as most large format cameras allow for perspective correction using movements (tilt, shift, swing).

Another use is controlled dept of field, for example for a portrait. You can reduce or expand the focused zone. See Herminia Dosal's work

http://www.afterimagegallery.com/dosal.htm

Answer 2

It is used to control perspective, specially if you photograph buildings, so you do not have to tilt the whole camera; Nikon produces a vertical shift only lens, it could not tilt.
In the middle of 1950s was a manufacturer (forgot the name) that did make a camera with a fix lens able to do swings and tilts, but was short lived.
Tilt and shift are two different things: Tilt moves the lens over a horizontal axis and shift moves it up/down or left/right

Answer 3

I may be going off the point a little here but if you are interested in correcting perspective in digital images there is a tool in Paintshop Pro 8 that will do this for you. The point here being that perspective can be corrected after the photograph has been taken and without the use of the lenses you mention.

Answer 4

They are used mainly in architectural photography to eliminate converging verticals (which you often get if photographing a building with a wide-angle lens) and perspective distortion. They operate on the same principles as the bellows on a large format camera.
Perspective control lenses are very expensive and are only made by a small number of manufacturers. (Canon being the main one).

Answer 5

Swings, tilts, shifts and growing fronts are frequently stated in about the 0.33 semester of images and a 4x5 view digital camera must be borrowed by making use of the scholars to finish those assignments. What you're doing is replacing the focal plane of the digital camera in relationship to the axis of the lens. This manipulates the glaring intensity of field to seize matters which could preferably be confusing to drag finished concentration via their actual structure. both Nikon and Canon make such lenses which could be used with some fulfillment on a 35 mm SLR or finished body dSLR. in case your purpose is to have finished mastery over DOF, a view digital camera continues to be the acceptable answer. Nikon calls their lenses "attitude administration" and Canon calls theirs "tilt-shift"