Canon TS-E 90mm - perpendicular or parallel?

At LensesForHire we have a Canon TS-E 90mm tilt-shift lens. Amazing bit of kit, and if I live to be 900 I might one day start to understand how to use it. Or maybe 900 years isn't enough.

Anyway, one of our customers suggested getting it modified so that the tilt axis and the shift axis are parallel, rather than perpendicular as it is supplied by Canon. His reasoning was that this would make it more suitable for product photography, whereas having the tilt and shift axes perpendicular was more appropriate for architectural photography - for which you'd probably prefer to use the TS-E 24mm anyway.

Apparently it's a simple modification and the lens is explicitly designed to allow it.

So:

• Can anyone confirm that the customer's reasoning is correct? (Regarding both what the modification would achieve, and the likely use of the lens?)
  
• If I did it myself, would I invalidate the warranty? Or should I just send it off to Canon?
  
• And when I get the TS-E 45mm, should that be modified too? (What would people use that lens for?)
  

There is a good tutorial on how to do it yourself (it's easy) at Outback - do a Google search. Many just do it themselves and do not send it to Canon though you could. I have the 90 and a 35 Canon tilt/shift lens combo. I like that combo and the 45 or 24 just are not sharp enough for me. Give that some thought.

Hi, this explains it all pretty well

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk …ify_canon_tilt-shift.html

A lot of people do do it for the reasons your customer suggested.

If I was in your position I would be tempted to have 2 copies of this lens available to hire (funds allowing!), one in each orientation, as I think it is quite likely a renter may decide to modify the lens themselves in order to have the orientation they require for their shoot and although the process is relatively simple I wouldn't want strangers attempting to do it to my lenses!

In the UK afaik it doesn't invalidate your warranty, although I did re-mod my lens back before sending it in for minor repairs after a fall.

The TSE-45mm is a lens that would more likely be used for both Architectural and product shots, so perhaps it is even more important to have 2 copies of this lens in stock, again set up in either orientation.

I guess it comes down to how much interest you have in these lenses as to whether it is worth having multiple copies or whether you advertise you do and then do the mod yourself before sending it out. would imagine you could get pretty quick at it!

Does anyone have any resources comparing the difference between parallel and perpendicular orientations? I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around why one is better for product photos and one is better for architecture.

I'm presuming it has to be either/or, not modified to be easily switchable back-and-forth, correct?

I have modified my 24. It's dead easy, and I prefer it parallel. You can easily do it on your own.