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New Pictorialism [Soft Focus Alert!]
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
exaklaus wrote:
Let me step into this thread with a few soft pictures made with a 1:1 Tachonar from Astro Berlin.

To bad that this lens is not useable with a DSLR for anything else than close-up.

Great pictures, Klaus!

Is this the lens you have ?

If this is the case, the this lens seems to be equipped with a C-Mount and it should be straightforward to use it all the way to infinity with an adapter on a Panasonic G3, an Olympus E-P3 or a Sony Nex. It is also fairly easy to cnvert to Leica Screwmount...

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
No, it is a 75mm lens, pictures are here on my Astro-Site:
http://www.exaklaus.de/astro.htm

Klaus


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, I have various Kenko mounts here (fits the 85mm, 45mm, 35mm), so it is just a matter of seconds actually Wink

I really like to be able to very precisely adjust the amount of soft focus and if stopped down it behaves like a "normal" taking lens. Quite versatile. The loss of contrast in the very high SF settings is evident, but just a tad more increases it substantially.

***

@exaklaus: looks nice but the contrast is rather flat of course (uncoated I guess?) How is that ASTRO 2.3/100mm Soft Focus? I passed on a recent auction as I wasn't sure about it...


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice shots! For a low-cost approach, try +diopter close-up adapters. The +dioptre strength controls the focus distance; the lens focal length controls the magnification. More adapters --> more fun; stacking adapters produces more flare. Here is a table of +dioptres to focus distance, in inches and metric:

+1 --> 20-38in (50-95cm)
+2 --> 13-20in (33-50cm)
+3 --> 10-13in (25-33cm)
+4 --> 8--10in (20-25cm)
+5 --> 6.5-8in (16-20cm)
+6 --> 6-6.5in (15-16cm)
+8 --> 5in --- (13cm)
+10 -> 4in --- (10cm)


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:


@exaklaus: looks nice but the contrast is rather flat of course (uncoated I guess?) How is that ASTRO 2.3/100mm Soft Focus? I passed on a recent auction as I wasn't sure about it...


No, it is coated, but a F:1 lens may be a bit flat in contrast and I did not (beside making it smaller for uploading) manipulate anything.
2,3/100Soft focus. It won't fit any of my adapters securely, so I did not try it on DSLR.

Klaus


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Too bad Klaus, I always wondered how that 2.3/100mm SF would perform!
Which mount does it have? Mitchell I guess...

Last edited by kds315* on Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:07 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A few more pics from today with the Pentax 85/2.8 Soft Focus (please don't tell the barkeeper it's an autofocus lens Embarassed ):





Playing with the light:









Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks very good to me Sebastien!


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Looks very good to me Sebastien!

Thanks Klaus. The Pentax FA 85/2.8 is a fine lens indeed. It has a rather complex optical formula (for a soft focus lens) with 5 elements arranged in 4 groups:


Picture Credit: Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for that Sebastien, indeed unusually complex.

Talking about complex, I just shone a light into my Kenko 35mm lens and was surprised to see 10 reflections = 5 lens elements (or cemented groups).

***

Here a few shots using the Kenko 4.5/45mm soft focus lens. Funny that I used the same "target" a while ago...







[these three pictures made it to the new "Langford's Advanced Photography, 8th edition"]


PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Too bad Klaus, I always wondered how that 2.3/100mm SF would perform!
Which mount does it have? Mitchell I guess...

Exakta, but will not mount my Eos-Exakta adapters.
Klaus


PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Thanks for that Sebastien, indeed unusually complex.

Talking about complex, I just shone a light into my Kenko 35mm lens and was surprised to see 10 reflections = 5 lens elements (or cemented groups).

[these three pictures made it to the new "Langford's Advanced Photography, 8th edition"]

These Kenko soft focus lenses do indeed look very tempting...

And congratulations for making it to the Langford's!

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A few more pictures. First, with the Pentax 85/2.8 Soft Focus:





Then, with the Porst 135/1.8:







Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
very nice Sebastien!


PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
very nice Sebastien!
Thank you, Klaus.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sigmatel 138/1.8 wide open:







Tamron 70-150/2.8 Soft Focus wide open:

















Cheers!

Abbazz

Last edited by Abbazz on Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:06 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Fine ones Sebastien!

I like that glow and the fine softness a lot!


PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:03 pm    Post subject: soft focus lens Reply with quote
Wow, I'm liking the results of that Tamron 75-150/2.8 Soft Focus.
Must be rare?
I don't see any for sale, bummer...


PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:36 pm    Post subject: Re: soft focus lens Reply with quote
buggz wrote:
Wow, I'm liking the results of that Tamron 75-150/2.8 Soft Focus.
Must be rare?
I don't see any for sale, bummer...


Rare and expensive , prepare 500 USD to take one for sure.
Nice to see your pictures again Sebastian!


PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Fine ones Sebastien!

I like that glow and the fine softness a lot!

Thank you Klaus for the kind words.

buggz wrote:
Wow, I'm liking the results of that Tamron 70-150/2.8 Soft Focus.
Must be rare?
I don't see any for sale, bummer...

Thank you buggz. The Tamron must be one of the rarest among the Adaptall II series. It's also a very good lens in its own right, fully usable at F2.8. The soft focus ring comes in as a bonus!

Attila wrote:
Rare and expensive , prepare 500 USD to take one for sure.
Nice to see your pictures again Sebastian!

Thank you Attila.
The Tamron 70-150/2.8 Soft Focus is not overly expensive if you think about it. It's a fast zoom (F/2.8 ), and one of the top of the line Tamron SP Series: built quality is excellent, sharpness and contrast are top notch. It is not overly bulky or heavy for an all metal F/2.8 zoom. It has a convenient 0.98 m minimum focus distance and uses common 62 mm filters.

What else?... How about a built-in retractable lenshood, and the universal Adaptall II mount, making it easily adaptable on almost any camera! On my Pentax DSLRs, I set the aperture ring on "AE", and it becomes a lens with automatic diaphragm control, just like any modern Pentax lens.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Surely people not pay it's price if not an excellent lens. You explanation was a good idea, help to people to understand why need to pay this amount for this lens.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the info on the Tamron.
I don't mind paying for quality, just always looking for the best deal.
My most recent expen$ive item was the Zeiss Contax/Yashica 35/1.4
I love this lens!
It stays in my "go to kit" along w/ my converted to EOS Minolta Rokkor 58/1.2


PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:55 pm    Post subject: Distagon 28/2.0 Reply with quote
A few softies taken with my Zeiss "Hollywood" Distagon 28/2.0:













Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yesterday, I tried the big Sigmatel 135/1.8 with the Pentax 1.7X autofocus adapter. The resulting lens is a 230/3.0 autofocus lens with surprisingly acceptable image quality wide open. the amazing fact is that this contraption manages to retain the characteristic "Sonnar" look of images delivered by the Sigmatel lens. Here are a few pictures, wide open:





















Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here are a couple of shots taken with my canon FD 50/1.8. The adapter I use introduces flare up until about F8 so most of my shots look like this. I guess it is OK for an effects lens. Just not what I thought it would be.



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