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An 85mm question
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've done some preliminary test to my portrait lenses but mostly just for bokeh, sharpness & CA, and I still find time and model to do a portrait photo test and color test.

For the fourth row, I am still waiting for the Pancolar 80/1.8 from eBay.

I need your advice about what other test should I do and how should I do it, so the result that I will share and post in the forum will be very usefull and won't waste server space for too much photo files Smile ).

The first 3 are currently my favorit lenses Smile






PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry my mistake .. it should be Biometar 80/2.8 ... not 85/2.8 .. Smile
I'll edit the text later.

Below is some test scenes that I've done.



By the way, I don't intend to collect all these lenses. Sooner or later I will find my favorite lenses and sell the others Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 ALWAYS gets left out. And for the record, its actual focal length is 87mm.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
woodrim wrote:
The Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 ALWAYS gets left out. And for the record, its actual focal length is 87mm.


Thanks for the input. I'll try my best to get that lens. Wish me luck.

By the way I just tested Takumar 85/1.8, Rokkor MC 85/1.7 and Nikkor-K (pre Ai) 85/1.8. So far they all has the same rendering. Rokkor has slightly smoother bokeh.

I'll post the result as soon as I get the Pancolar.

How about the Volna?


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Is that a distinction without a difference?

It's often been said among the Nikon crowd that their 43-86mm zoom (which was universally regarded as pathetic -- at least the early iterations of it) made a wonderful portrait lens on the long end.

I know you shoot Pentax, but I'm just sayin' -- find yourself a crappy zoom that has 80mm or so in its focal range, and that may be all you need. Plus you likely won't have to pay much for it at all.

BTW, I ran into this same situation shooting some portraits of my parents with a Rolleiflex 2.8D. The lens was so sharp that they were somewhat put off by the sharpness. Counting every wrinkle and all.


Thanks Michael. That is what I'm running into right now. My wife children and relatives are all at that "I don't want my wrinkles to show" age and do not like the sharp photos of them I'm shooting. I have several Vivitar lenses that I've tried and like some of the results. I've also been looking at Pentax soft focus 85mm lenses but the cost there is waaay too high for me at the moment and the reviews are not that glowing.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
@nixland: That is an impressive collection of portrait teles that you have there! Wow!

@Big Dawg: Keep the Viv and try to find a J9. That lens is reasonably priced and has a very unique character. Use a long hood and it improves considerably!!


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
My wife children and relatives are all at that "I don't want my wrinkles to show" age and do not like the sharp photos of them I'm shooting

have you try the vaseline trick
http://georgiamariex.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/soft-focus/


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
@nixland: That is an impressive collection of portrait teles that you have there! Wow!


Smile .. I have an insane obsession since I was bitten by manual lens, drived by my extreme curiousity, that is to try and explore all famous portrait lens as many as possible. Not to collect them but to explore their character and keep 4-5 lens which character I like the most and let go the other Smile

But I am still not be able to arrange a session for portrait shot yet. I had plan to shot only a scene where I could do test for portrait (skin tones), sharpness, CA, bokeh, etc. at the same time, so I dont have to change lens too often. One lens, one scene, one shot. Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nixland wrote:
woodrim wrote:
The Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 ALWAYS gets left out. And for the record, its actual focal length is 87mm.


Thanks for the input. I'll try my best to get that lens. Wish me luck.

By the way I just tested Takumar 85/1.8, Rokkor MC 85/1.7 and Nikkor-K (pre Ai) 85/1.8. So far they all has the same rendering. Rokkor has slightly smoother bokeh.

I'll post the result as soon as I get the Pancolar.

How about the Volna?


All of those in your test are pretty much the same. Much the same results with my 50mm lenses. At full open the background is totally gone or almost so. I would like one that gives some softness of the subject but more background detail. A more blended look. I'm also thinking of maybe a 50mm f/4 lens such as the Flektagon 50 f/4 or a Tessar 50-55 f/4 or so. I expect a Pentacon 50 some day soon and maybe I will like it better.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
@nixland: That is an impressive collection of portrait teles that you have there! Wow!

@Big Dawg: Keep the Viv and try to find a J9. That lens is reasonably priced and has a very unique character. Use a long hood and it improves considerably!!


If I get the Volna from Woodrim I may not need to go further. If not then I will look into the J9.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
It's often been said among the Nikon crowd that their 43-86mm zoom (which was universally regarded as pathetic -- at least the early iterations of it) made a wonderful portrait lens on the long end.

It's pathetic? I didn't know that. Good thing I'm not bidding on the Pre-AI copy that's currently at <US$1 +$9 shipping. Or is it worth that much?


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Dawg,

maybe these links could be of some interest to you :

Madamasu using Volna-3 : http://forum.mflenses.com/volna-3-and-nikon-d700-t17656.html

some of miines with Volna-3 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/volna-3-bouquet-t27622,highlight,%2Bvolna.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/volna-3-2-8-80mm-p6-t21793,highlight,%2Bvolna.html

Flek 4/50 / Volna-3 / Samyang 1.5/85 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/flower-with-flek-4-50-volna-3-2-8-80-and-samyang-1-4-85-t33111,highlight,%2Bvolna.html


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RioRico wrote:
cooltouch wrote:
It's often been said among the Nikon crowd that their 43-86mm zoom (which was universally regarded as pathetic -- at least the early iterations of it) made a wonderful portrait lens on the long end.

It's pathetic? I didn't know that. Good thing I'm not bidding on the Pre-AI copy that's currently at <US$1 +$9 shipping. Or is it worth that much?

I've never owned one. I'm just going by many comments about it I've heard over the years. And yeah, if you were to win the bid on that lens you may find that pre-AI 43-86 to be on the soft side.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Big Dawg wrote:


All of those in your test are pretty much the same. Much the same results with my 50mm lenses. At full open the background is totally gone or almost so. I would like one that gives some softness of the subject but more background detail. A more blended look. I'm also thinking of maybe a 50mm f/4 lens such as the Flektagon 50 f/4 or a Tessar 50-55 f/4 or so. I expect a Pentacon 50 some day soon and maybe I will like it better.


OK. Thanks for the input. I will put it in my test list.

By the way below is another sample where the distance between camera-object (about 3-4 meters) and between object-background is more or less the same, so we could see more background detail.
I only pick 3 lenses with has different rendering.
Fyi, these are cropped images.








PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks nixland for the sample.
I like the first Pic, may I know which lens was used? .
And If I see all of your 85mm lenses, it must be easy to buy manual focus lenses in your country, isn't it?.
Cheers


PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
convert1 wrote:
And If I see all of your 85mm lenses, it must be easy to buy manual focus lenses in your country, isn't it?.
Cheers

After seeing all those lenses, I decided it was more a case of having an unlimited budget, rather than any geographical location.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
RioRico wrote:
cooltouch wrote:
It's often been said among the Nikon crowd that their 43-86mm zoom (which was universally regarded as pathetic -- at least the early iterations of it) made a wonderful portrait lens on the long end.

It's pathetic? I didn't know that. Good thing I'm not bidding on the Pre-AI copy that's currently at <US$1 +$9 shipping. Or is it worth that much?

I've never owned one. I'm just going by many comments about it I've heard over the years. And yeah, if you were to win the bid on that lens you may find that pre-AI 43-86 to be on the soft side.

I was outbid (at US$1.05) so I'll never know...


PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
HI Rico.

Don't you have some projector lenses that make good portrait lenses? Often they are Petzval types and I like those for portraits as they are only sharp in the centre and the edges are a swirl of creamy bokeh, dof is tiny too so you can get the eyes in focus and the rest has a lovely smooth oof quality.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
nixland wrote:
Big Dawg wrote:


All of those in your test are pretty much the same. Much the same results with my 50mm lenses. At full open the background is totally gone or almost so. I would like one that gives some softness of the subject but more background detail. A more blended look. I'm also thinking of maybe a 50mm f/4 lens such as the Flektagon 50 f/4 or a Tessar 50-55 f/4 or so. I expect a Pentacon 50 some day soon and maybe I will like it better.


OK. Thanks for the input. I will put it in my test list.

By the way below is another sample where the distance between camera-object (about 3-4 meters) and between object-background is more or less the same, so we could see more background detail.
I only pick 3 lenses with has different rendering.
Fyi, these are cropped images.








I like that first one of these. Which lens is it?


PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Don't you have some projector lenses that make good portrait lenses? Often they are Petzval types and I like those for portraits as they are only sharp in the centre and the edges are a swirl of creamy bokeh, dof is tiny too so you can get the eyes in focus and the rest has a lovely smooth oof quality.

I guess my PL's are just too good! I haven't seen that effect. But I haven't yet tried them all for portraiture. I have one hulking candidate, labeled 3.0 INCH F/1.6 PROJECTION LENS - Projection Optics Co. Rochester, N.Y. U.S.A. - Lens Projection PH-671/PEP-1 (and stock and code numbers). But like my Rodenstock XR-Heligon 120/1.8, its register is too short for my Pentax; I probably can't use those till I get a NEX. I also have some 16mm-cine PL's that must wait.

My other PL's are just too clean! Kodak 53/3.5 and 65/3.5 Anastigmats; Schneider PC-Cinelux AV 60/2.8 (yup, perspective control!); Kodak Ektanar and Ektagraphic 100-150/3.5's; GoldE and TDC VIVID 127/3.5 Anastigmats; those don't show it, they're sharp all over. I recently got a FAX-KOWA 137/4.5 that I haven't tried yet. And I may get a 4.5-inch Ross soon. We shall see...
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