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New Pictorialism [Soft Focus Alert!]
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:36 pm    Post subject: New Pictorialism [Soft Focus Alert!] Reply with quote
Here are a few "pictorialist" photographs that I took in my garden during the last few days in order to demonstrate the "paintlike" aspect that I have been seeking lately. These pictures have only been resized for web and have had their levels adjusted. No other editing or processing.

First, with the Sigmatel 135/1.8 lens:





Then with the Porst 55/1.2 lens:



With the Fujinon 85/4 Soft Focus lens:









http://abbazz.zenfolio.com/img/v19/p490900369.jpg



And with the Tamron 75-150/2.8 Soft Focus lens:



















Of course, the rendering varies greatly from one lens to the other. At this point, my favorite lenses are the Tamron 75-150/2.8, the Fujinon 85/4 and the Pentax 85/2.8 Soft Focus (an autofocus lens, so no pictures shown here). These soft focus lenses are maybe the lenses I find the hardest to master and I am still learning, but they can deliver stunning results.

Cheers!

Abbazz

Last edited by Abbazz on Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:37 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice ones Sebastien! Ever tried the Kenko SF lenses? Pretty nice ones with adjustable degree of softness. There is a 85mm (not so rare), 45mm (quite rare) and 35mm (very rare, only know two of them since 10 years - one is mine now since Friday).


PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very well done , lot better what I ever did as sample.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is going to work for portrait? You always have some portrait work Cool
hint hint


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Nice ones Sebastien! Ever tried the Kenko SF lenses? Pretty nice ones with adjustable degree of softness. There is a 85mm (not so rare), 45mm (quite rare) and 35mm (very rare, only know two of them since 10 years - one is mine now since Friday).

Thank you Klaus.

I know both the Kenko 85 and 45, but I have never seen any picture from the 35. Would you happen to have one or two samples that you could share with us? Soft focus wide lenses are quite uncommon indeed. Pentax used to make a soft focus 28mm, which has never been a great success and is now a quite rare and rather expensive lens -- although still a great deal cheaper than the crazy prices soft focus lenses for large format go for!

Attila wrote:
Very well done , lot better what I ever did as sample.

Thank you for your kind comment, Attila.

Bruce wrote:
This is going to work for portrait? You always have some portrait work Cool
hint hint

Of course, soft focus lenses do well for portrait -- that's what they were made for in the first place! Here are a few snapshots of the kids, nothing fancy.

With the Tamron 70-150:









Not really a soft focus lens, but nevertheless a lens with a pleasantly soft rendition wide open, the Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8:





PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
beautiful!
It must be because I am not used to 'soft focus' pictures, I like the first 3 and some of the Tammy, those which have quite good sharpness, the best.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kuuan wrote:
beautiful!
It must be because I am not used to 'soft focus' pictures, I like the first 3 and some of the Tammy, those which have quite good sharpness, the best.

Thank you kuuan for the kind words.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
famous french painters are back ?

congrats to your series
my favs are the ones with Fujinon


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
der einrahmer wrote:
famous french painters are back ?

congrats to your series
my favs are the ones with Fujinon

Thank you Thomas.

Thanks for the tip, I am on my way to find some nymphéas (waterlilies)... Laughing

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great set of pictures.
Klaus


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Once I have remounted the Kenko 35mm Soft focus lens, I will take some pictures with it and show them here...


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kenko 35mm SF on Lumix GH-2

Gaillardia (w. various SF positions):










Hercules:




PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Let me step into this thread with a few soft pictures made with a 1:1 Tachonar from Astro Berlin. No focusing (just moving forward and backward) and holding that lens in front of my Canon 5DII.




Tried to catch that bee, but with 1:1 and no focussing....:


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

Klaus.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
exaklaus wrote:
Great set of pictures.
Klaus

Thanks for the compliment, Klaus.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Once I have remounted the Kenko 35mm Soft focus lens, I will take some pictures with it and show them here...

Thank you, Klaus.

kds315* wrote:
Kenko 35mm SF on Lumix GH-2

Gaillardia (w. various SF positions):
htttp://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20117/big_455_Kenko35_P1010788_c_1.jpg]

Apparently, it didn't take too long for the remounting! Wink

This lens seems very interesting and quite versatile too, being able to deliver sharp pictures and dreamingly soft ones at the same time...

Cheers!

Abbazz


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"]
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