Any tip on artistic lenses?

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

The lovely chinon 55mm f 1.7 with learther grips (tomioko) design
Very cheap but renders impressionistic pics like Monet the newer Pentax mount version is also as interesting

The newer version below has more glow

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Vivitar Series 1 35-85mm used wide open at 35mm produces unique bokeh.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

ZoneV · Expire: 2011-12-02

Diaplan / Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 would be my first reccomendation, too:

Much less easy too handle is the Sigma YS 135mm/2,8 lens - it could create Trioplan like bokeh too after a modification - but has the ability to make spherical under corrected bokeh as well. Much like the Nikon DC Nikkor lenses - bokeh control !

A lens with apodisation filter would be interessting to - such a smooth bokeh is very special. But sometimes it is distracting / unnatural.
There is only the Sony/Minolta 135mm/2.8 [4.5] STF lens. As an alternative one can build a DIY apodization lens.

The Vivitar 35mm f/1.9 seem to produce someting like the now expensive 28/1.9 lens.
Need to make more images with it.[/img]

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Canon Serenar 85mm:

Cooke kinic 1 inch:

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Wow.
Last bokeh is awesome Shocked

or tilt (on nex)

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Call me traditional, but I prefer my "artistic" lenses not to intrude into the image any more than is necessary. So I still prefer just good old fast lenses. Like 50/1.4s and /1.2s and 85/1.4s and /1.2s. And I can get by with most of the rest I own with some proper positioning.

Taken with my EOS XS (1000D), Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical @ f/1.2, with EOS-FD adapter, corrective element removed.

Often similar soft bokeh can be achieved with slower lenses by positioning the subject properly with respect to its background:

EOS XS, Canon FD 400mm f/4.5 @ f/4.5, FD-EOS adapter w/element removed:

Canon F-1, Tamron SP 60-300 f/3.8-5.4 @ ~ 5.4, Fujichrome Provia 100, duped with my XS and dupe rig:

sbaechler · Joined: 01 Jan 2013 Posts: 10

Get a Holga camera. It's the most fun and you will get beautiful images, (if they are in focus).

There is also a Holga lens for Nikon mount. I had one but wasn't happy with it. The Holga is a medium format camera and there the 60mm is a wide angle, while on FX or even DX it's quite long. It's also not sharp at all.

The camera is 30$ without flash and 50$ with flash, brand new.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I'm with Michael - Cooltouch on this, I like my bokeh smooooooooth. And for me it doesn't get much better that this from the Rollei Planar 50 1.8.

Machinery by Mudplugga, on Flickr

There's been a discussion on the Pentax Forums about the legendary Helios 44M swirly bokeh, and neither of mine seem to do the swirly thing to any great degree, there's some, but very very little. But I have a Chinon Auto Reflex 28 2.8 that swirls like crazy, so much that I rarely use it.

In a world of swirls. by Mudplugga, on Flickr

Srdjan · Joined: 11 Apr 2012 Posts: 316 Location: Nis

For me one of very interesting and artistic bokeh is definitely Carl Zeiss Biometar 80 2.8 for P6. This lens is famoust my strange swirl bokeh. Goole it you will find more on this lens, but is very sharp and this effect is useful in photography as in video.