Tilt-shift lenses are some of the oddest options out there, and they can be a bit tricky to use, but they hold a very valuable place in the toolkits of many photographers. What makes them so useful? This helpful video tutorial introduces you to tilt-shift lenses and their applications.
Coming to you from Keith Cooper, this great video discusses tilt-shift lenses and why they're so valued by many photographers. The lack of autofocus, intimidating dials and knobs, and high cost can make many photographers shy away from tilt-shift lenses, but they are fantastically useful for solving some common problems. Tilt-shift lenses allow you to do things like control the depth of field independently of the aperture by angling the focal plane or to correct nonparallel lines. You probably know them best for architectural photography, and while they are indeed quite treasured in that genre, their usefulness goes far beyond that. Most professional tilt-shift options are also tack-sharp, making them a favorite alternative of landscape, product, and studio photographers. You will even catch the occasional portrait photographer using one with a telephoto focal length, both for its sharpness and creative effects. Lastly, because many have extra-large image circles, they can often be adapted to medium format cameras with full sensor coverage (albeit with more limited movements). Check out the video above for the full rundown from Cooper.
I use mine in my architecture work quite a bit, but I also use it for landscape work. I really love the panos you can get with one. Fun to use, too!