First Impressions: Schneider PC TS Makro-Symmar 90mm f/4.5 HM
I’ve just finished examining my first batch of results from the Schneider PC TS Makro-Symmar 90mm f/4.5 HM tilt/shift lens, and I am very impressed with the results. Note that it works with Canon or Nikon or Sony Alpha or Pentax K via interchangeable rear lens mounts.
If you’re a photographer who needs this type of lens, or you want to do high-res landscape photography by multi-frame stitching, your ship has arrived. Of course I’ll be showing examples of high-res stitching when I return from a mid-October trip to Yosemite.
The 50mm f/2.8 version is due for testing within a few weeks.
My full report is coming, along with the usual comments on operation and ergonomics, etc, but this Schneider 90mm appears to be of exception optical quality, quite possibly the best I have yet tested in the 80-90mm range. To be proven out with some more work and duly reported upon.
See also my review of the Hartblei/Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 SuperRotator in DAP. Very different styles of image rendition and design goals of the optics, so the comparison is less apt than one might think. But that too will be a subject for my review.
The Schneider PC TS 90/4.5 is about $3180 at B&H Photo, and thanks for using that link should you buy one, so I get credit. Alternately, LensRentals.com is now renting the new Schneider PC-TS lenses.
I certainly would like to own it, but the price has that thought on pause for the time being. However, I have several more weeks with my evaluation unit.
