Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Manual Focus Lens with the Dreamiest Watercolor Bokeh?
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.7
Tom


#1


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very fun thread!


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The guys over at Classic Lens Podcast deal with this subject too - they referred to it as "wet on wet" bokeh, by which they meant bokeh that reminded the viewer of a watercolor painting where paint is applied to still wet under coat of watercolor paint such that they amalgamate and ran together into a smooth impressionistic effect. This is the link to this specific podcast. https://www.classiclensespodcast.com...-on-wet-bokeh/

I liked this idea so I was inspired to also start a thread on this topic over at Rangefinder Forum where I provided some examples of mine. Rather than repeat this here I will provide the link and allow interested parties to follow it to the thread in question. https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168875

Here is another few samples of mine of this type. They have had some "work" done on them so they are not "pure" examples but they do demonstrate the characteristics.

Food Hall by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Beside a Fashion Cat Walk by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Scene from Lunch Time in the Market by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Market Cafe Study 4 by Life in Shadows, on Flickr


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 3:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pentacon Prakticar 28mm f2.8

#1


Super Komura Uni Auto Zoom 90-250 f4.5

#1


Yashinon - DX 50mm f1.7

#1


RE Auto Topcor 35mm f2.8

#1


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
yoyomaoz wrote:


Here is another few samples of mine of this type. They have had some "work" done on them so they are not "pure" examples but they do demonstrate the characteristics.



I really like them. Was the "work" you mention to the colour palette? I'm either going bonkers or you have a Toulouse-Lautrec LUT Wink .


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Whoo Turtle Great thread with extraordinary pictures. Thanks guys ! Thank you! Like 1 small


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
Creamy smooth Biotars, of course! The Takumar 1:2 f=58mm (sonnar) has it too...suspect nearly any sonnar fits criteria...


Yes, the Biotars are indeed great in that respect, although more on film than digital images. I've seen some great macros taken with the 58mm Takumar but the portraits have not yet been as convincing.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
pdccameras wrote:
Not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for, but it won't cost you much to find out! These are photos taken with a Russian Helios 44-2, 58mm f/2.0 lens (a really nice Zeiss Biotar clone). The weird swirls result from my removing the front element of the lens and putting it back in reversed. All the effects are right out of the camera. There is no Photoshop magic here! Photos were taken on the Sony A7 Mii.



Nothing short of spectacular. Yes, this lens is also on my bucket list if only for the sake of the element of surprise! What effect did you get exactly by reversing the back element?

-Charles


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lightshow wrote:
I'm not sure what you mean by "Raindrops during the apocalypse" (yes an awesome band name). My favorite bokeh lenses are:
Canon FL 58/1.2
Canon Dream Lens 50/0.9
Nikkor 58/1.4
Olympus OM 55/1.2
Minolta 58/1.2


I find the Minolta spectacular and added it to my list. Thank you! The others not so much at first glance. The Dream Lens is incredibly expensive!


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
eddieitman wrote:
The wonderful chinon 55mm F1.7 (monet Lens) by the way it can dreamily render



Thank you. I did some research on this lens but remain to be convinced. Do you have any portraits taken with this lens by any chance?


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
Here's a wildcard...the Fujinon 55 / 2.2.

It's famous for apocalyptic raindrops...


But it does creamy as well, and does it rather well I think.


It's a strange old lens, and usually dirt cheap. I like it. As long as there are no small highlights in the image the bokeh is lovely. The gravestone picture has a Holly tree in the background and the leaves are very reflective in sunlight, it's my bubble bokeh test.
The Lily has no highlights, even though it was a very sunny day. Both shots are wide open at the slow f2.2


That is a really funky background. This lens has already come to my attention. Thank you!


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.7
Tom


#1


Wow. Beautiful bokeh! I'll definitely do more research on this lens.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
yoyomaoz wrote:
The guys over at Classic Lens Podcast deal with this subject too - they referred to it as "wet on wet" bokeh, by which they meant bokeh that reminded the viewer of a watercolor painting where paint is applied to still wet under coat of watercolor paint such that they amalgamate and ran together into a smooth impressionistic effect. This is the link to this specific podcast. https://www.classiclensespodcast.com...-on-wet-bokeh/

I liked this idea so I was inspired to also start a thread on this topic over at Rangefinder Forum where I provided some examples of mine. Rather than repeat this here I will provide the link and allow interested parties to follow it to the thread in question. https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168875

Here is another few samples of mine of this type. They have had some "work" done on them so they are not "pure" examples but they do demonstrate the characteristics.



I really like your images, the faded and strained vintage look. The "wet on wet" bokeh certainly adds to it. I used to use textures, but do so much less often now. I want the out of camera results to be distinctive rather than have to rely too much on post-processing. The thread you started on Rangefinder is great and gave me a couple of ideas. Thank you!


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Pentacon Prakticar 28mm f2.8


Very nice. However, I don't think this is the type of bokeh I am referring to...


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wollensak Oscillo-Anastigmat 75mm f/1.9

It's a bit like a Biotar but not the same.






More samples:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=158051784%40N03&sort=date-taken-desc&text=wollensak&view_all=1


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
blotafton wrote:
Wollensak Oscillo-Anastigmat 75mm f/1.9

It's a bit like a Biotar but not the same.


More samples:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=158051784%40N03&sort=date-taken-desc&text=wollensak&view_all=1


Interesting and funky. Thanks for sharing this...


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sciolist wrote:
yoyomaoz wrote:


Here is another few samples of mine of this type. They have had some "work" done on them so they are not "pure" examples but they do demonstrate the characteristics.



I really like them. Was the "work" you mention to the colour palette? I'm either going bonkers or you have a Toulouse-Lautrec LUT Wink .


Thank you for that. Hahaha I wish I did have Toulouse-Lautrec in my camera. I often use Nik Analog Efex (as a plugin to Lightroom) on my color pix to add a painterly aspect to them. Often I will texture the background a bit using some of its effects as well as lowering saturation some. This does not involve adding bokeh, but it does sometimes accentuate it. My Flickr page is here and there are more examples of my use of Nik Analog Efex plugins in it if you wish to check it out. https://www.flickr.com/photos/life_in_shadows/

More examples. These have definitely had "work" done. Wink

City, Evening - Three Amigos by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Street Shots - Las Tre Amigas by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Market Cafe Study 5 by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Last edited by yoyomaoz on Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:56 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nothing short of spectacular. Yes, this lens is also on my bucket list if only for the sake of the element of surprise! What effect did you get exactly by reversing the back element?

-Charles[/quote]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the kind words. I actually just flipped the front element around - that is removed the retaining ring, removed the front element, turned it over and put it back in the front. I got this very pronounced glow effect in the highlights, only a small area of moderate sharpness in the center and a swirly out-of-focus look in the background. I was focused quite close and shot wide open. I did not try messing around with the rear element, for fear of changing the back focus of the lens.

P.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
charley5 wrote:
yoyomaoz wrote:
The guys over at Classic Lens Podcast deal with this subject too - they referred to it as "wet on wet" bokeh, by which they meant bokeh that reminded the viewer of a watercolor painting where paint is applied to still wet under coat of watercolor paint such that they amalgamate and ran together into a smooth impressionistic effect. This is the link to this specific podcast. https://www.classiclensespodcast.com...-on-wet-bokeh/

I liked this idea so I was inspired to also start a thread on this topic over at Rangefinder Forum where I provided some examples of mine. Rather than repeat this here I will provide the link and allow interested parties to follow it to the thread in question. https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168875

Here is another few samples of mine of this type. They have had some "work" done on them so they are not "pure" examples but they do demonstrate the characteristics.



I really like your images, the faded and strained vintage look. The "wet on wet" bokeh certainly adds to it. I used to use textures, but do so much less often now. I want the out of camera results to be distinctive rather than have to rely too much on post-processing. The thread you started on Rangefinder is great and gave me a couple of ideas. Thank you!


Thank you Charley it is much appreciated. Glad it may have helped provide ideas. I have gone the other way in terms of how I get to the end product. I started out being a bit iconoclastic / purist about everything coming out of the camera /lens system being sacrosanct and only sticking to this (other than some basic PP). But eventually I got to the point where I decided that for me it is all about the image telling a story, not about the equipment used (solely). It is only the photographer who cares about the equipment - not the person viewing the image. Photography is about communication so if I am not communicating then I am not doing my job. Which ultimately led me to the thought that if people like Ansel Adams could spend a lot of time "post processing" his images to get an end result image that really tells a story then its OK for me to do it on my own way. Anyway that's the direction I took. Glad you like the results.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I vote for Canon Dream Lens.



PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
A selling point of the "revived" Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm in 2017 was it's "painterly bokeh", or some such marketing blurb … an original screw-fit version from the '60's can be found for a tenth of the price, or somewhat less than that in my case!

If you want/need the close-focus capability of the newer version, a set of 42-screw extension tubes can be found for pennies Wink

I see the Lydith was "re-revived" and re-launched again last August … if you've got the cash Wink


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
yoyomaoz wrote:

Thank you for that. Hahaha I wish I did have Toulouse-Lautrec in my camera. I often use Nik Analog Efex (as a plugin to Lightroom) on my color pix to add a painterly aspect to them. Often I will texture the background a bit using some of its effects as well as lowering saturation some. This does not involve adding bokeh, but it does sometimes accentuate it. My Flickr page is here and there are more examples of my use of Nik Analog Efex plugins in it if you wish to check it out. https://www.flickr.com/photos/life_in_shadows/

More examples. ...


Thank you for the reply yoyomaoz. That was informative and much appreciated.

Ian.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kypfer wrote:
A selling point of the "revived" Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm in 2017 was it's "painterly bokeh", or some such marketing blurb … an original screw-fit version from the '60's can be found for a tenth of the price, or somewhat less than that in my case!

If you want/need the close-focus capability of the newer version, a set of 42-screw extension tubes can be found for pennies Wink

I see the Lydith was "re-revived" and re-launched again last August … if you've got the cash Wink


Yes, I checked out the Lydith. Interesting results. Thanks for bringing my attention to it!


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
So I did some research on my own and came up with several manual focus lenses that have painterly bokeh (not mentioned in this thread), but two rose to the top of the list. They couldn't be more different from each other:

The Uran 27 100mm f2.5 is a large-format aerial lens from the Soviet era. It has really painterly bokeh.

The new Lomography Petzval MKII Art Lens 80.5mm f/1.9 has bokeh control. At the lowest swirl setting it has a fascinating background blur.

Does anyone have experience with either of these two lenses?

Thanks,

-Charles


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Trioplan 100 and 50.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Page 2 of 3