Camera/Enlarger movements (Schiempflug stuff)

Kev M

Kev M

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I've been experimenting with my enlarger and relating it to how a LF camera must work. I can rotate the head relative to the base board which is the same as tilting the film/sensor forward or backwards to change the perspective and I can rotate the lens around a central axis which is like tilt/swing on a LF camera (except my enlarger can only do one at a time so you have to rotate the negative if you want the other effect) which changes the plane of focus.

What I cant figure out is what moving the lens along the horizontal plane relative to the negative and the base board. It moves the image across the base board but doesn't appear to alter the focus or distortion so what is the point to it?
 
It's called shift and on a lf camera allows you to change composition without the need to move you tripod, pretty useful. On an enlarger I imagine it is of limited use though
 
I'd have to get my Large format thinking cap out that I haven't used for years lol.....isn't it for increasing DOF without using a smaller aperture?? (which would explain the "no effect" when used with an enlarger)
 
An enlarger is really just a macro camera which magnifies the subject to many times its original size. And the subject matter (negative) is on a single plane so all any movements other than being setup perfectly square will do is selectively de-focus areas.


Steve.
 
Some enlargers have this facility, it is useful for example, if you want to correct perspective on say, tall buildings, without getting an out of focus image (you can stop down the lens to a certain point).It is important to note that the axis of the neg, the lens and the baseboard need to be such that they all meet at a single point following the schiempflug rule.

When using a view camera, schiempflug is more about getting things selectively in focus within a three dimensional plane.

Alan
 
kev asked specifically bout horizontal movement of he neg carrier though, so no changing the plane of focus. This will essentially allow you to recompose without moving your easel, although unless your printing is verycomplicated it's probably easier to move the easel.

Like i said, it's called shift (or rise)
 
Thanks very much for the responses everyone. The horizontal shift on the enlarger seems a bit pointless because as you said its easier just to shift the enlarger.

Now I just need to but another lens and I can started using these fancy moevements. (y)
 
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