Soft focus

[piticu]

Some time ago i've decided to make myself a „true“ soft focus lens, so today i've gave it a try. Please bear in mind that it is still in very alpha stage, mostly because of lack of necessary tools. Soon i'll post a improved version of it.
Basically i drilled some holes in a thin aluminium foil, pait it black and mounted on a filter (i don't have an extra clear glass filter - UV, skylight etc - so i've used a yellow one. This will change soon)



At the begining, I've used the „soft filter“ on a Nikkor 18-135mm AF lens, only because the diameter fits…

but soon afterwords i've remember i have a Sima lens, a singlet that has all the chromatic aberrations i need, so i've used it with this lens:

I calculate that the „diaphragm“ is somewhere around f8-f10. Next, there's a pic taken with Sima wide open ( f2.8 ), no filter attached:


You can clearly see the glowing highlight so this encouraged me to continue. I need to make a bigger central hole, so the diaphragm will be around f5-f6, and also more and concentric small holes Also, a uv filter will be nice, although i can compensate in post process for the yellow cast.

Next step is to use the helix from a broken Helios that i put somewhere, together with the rear element and i will have a brandnewhomemadepoormanshacksoftlens to play with

[Attila]

Like my Fuji 85mm f4 not worst at all congrats!

[piticu]

Never heard of that lens. Can you please tell me more?

[Attila]

I didn't like at all I sold immediately after a few shoots, people from some reason love it and high priced lens. It has inside a similar metal plate what you did. Not my taste.

[Jesito]

If you like the soft focus, you can get a Porst (Tomioka) 50mm 1.2 and use it a 1.2, the DOF is so small that you get a creamy soft focus in most of the image. An expensive and not an easy lens to use wide open ....

This shot taken with it and the 350D (on a PK-EOS adapter).



Otherwise (smaller apertures) is a clear and precise lens.


Kind regards,
Jes.

[martinsmith99]

I've heard that stretching tights over the lens produces the same effect.

[piticu]

Thank you for your suggestion Jes, but what i'm looking for is a sharp image overall and glowing highlights. Also some chromatic aberrations towards the sides will be great to see
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/505

[GrahamNR17]

I too experiment with soft focus. My favourite at the moment is the single meniscus lens from a Box Brownie. It is used 'wide open' by cutting off the built-in aperture behind the lens. However, my next one I will leave the aperture as it was surprisingly sharp before I removed it:

[kds315*]

[kds315*]

Forgot, I have that Kenko Soft Focus MC f2.5/85mm also, delivers nice true soft focus images...but works differently, without the "sieve" plates.



Control to SHARP


Control to SOFT




Looks great for silverware...(increasing level oft softness...)







Women LOVE that effect...very romantic...




[btw. I have two and one sits around unused....lenses I mean ]

[Screamin Scott]

Don't forget the Tiffen "Softnet" filters.They are like the womens hose idea, but with it sandwiched between glass in a filter.

[piticu]

I got couple of "soft" filters but the mostly diffuse the light, lowering the contrast also. What i want to get is the glowing highlights too, similar to Imagon or that Kenko lens (any price drop on that one, Keith? ).
Anyway, i re-made the "filter" this morning:





The first pic is taken with Sima f2.8 wide open, second with my "filter" attached and the last one with a Nikkor 18-135 at 100mm f5.6. In all pic i used also a flash for fill:




Now i'm waiting for a sunny day to test it outside. Also i'm looking for a model too

[kds315*]

I have the lens piticu....

[piticu]

I apologize for that Klaus, now i remember: you got two of them, right? I'm telling you: I'm getting older…
"spent cartridge" means the bullet thing? I've used it to smooth the edges of the holes

[kds315*]

We all do piticu, no offense taken!!

I wish you best of success with your contraption!!

[mark07968]

MartinSmith99 asked me to post as I have used a pair of ladies neutral tights as a filter!!

Take a cokin (or similar) filter adaptor, make a frame the size of a filter and stretch a piece of the tights across the cut out, secure the edges with some glue. Depending how much you stretch the nylon depends on the level of softness on the final image. Ideal for weddings and location portraiture

[estudleon]

I have the fujinon 85 SF.

It's not esay to use, but it's a portrait tool, and in the hands adecuates it will be usefull.

First you have to focus. After pressing together the barrel and a plated ring beside that, till one mark red where stop automatically.

This is for compensate the little pupíle of focus when you use F/4 and 5,6. Not with smaller apertures.

If you use the lens at F/ 5,6-8, and F/8 you will see only an halo out of focus and the center very sharp.

Great halo? F/4 with center unsharp and F/5,6 with center more sharp but no much.

More sharp? F/ 11 with very little halo less sharp and a center very sharp. At F/ 16 is a common very sharp 85 mm lens .

You have in this lens all the possibilities, in your hands is the hability to do this in the artistic way.

I didn't like this lens, because i didn't know it well. I'm begining to do this.

Rino.

[Orio]

Looking at this thread, I find myself continuously trying to clean my eyeglasses.

Sorry guys, just kidding

[lulalake]

Yeah, there is just something about a soft focus lens that just can't be done in photoshop.
I seldom use mine but this gave me an excuse.




145mm Mamiya medium format lens, 40D body. Nothing done to the pic except resizing.

Jules

[Seele]

Sorry for coming in late.

Apart from the Sima, I also have a Spencer Port-Land from Buffalo NY, also of the same design type. I have to say that the Spencer is a bit of a handful to use: its degree of diffusion is dependent on the aperture used, and to use it at full aperture (maximum diffusion) focussing is very tricky as the axial rays can overpower the on-axis rays, so what seems to be in focus could be out of focus on the negative.

For quite some time now, I have been thinking of making an Imagon-type "sink strainer" discs for both the Sima and the Spencer; been hoping to find the exact specs of them: the bigger hole in the middle would be one producing the "core" image, while the secondary holes surrounding it produce the secondary "halo" images. So the design of the sink strainer disc determines the imtensity ratio between the core and halo, and the rate of the halo dissipates.

Ideally, the sink strainer disc should have an adjustment to shut down the surrounding holes, for the purpose of focussing, then the other holes can be opened up to obtain diffusion.

My problem is to find a way to get the sink strainer discs designed and made to give a known f/stop: no TTL metering with my 4"X5" cameras!

[piticu]

if you take into account only the central hole, and if you know the focal lenght, it's easy to calculate the diameter of that hole to match the wanted fstop but still, you'll want to waste some films to know exactly what you get (trial and error procedure)

[martinsmith99]

Here's some samples with a cheap Kood Pro Series Strong Diffuser Df2. It's a square filter that fits to the usual holders.
#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

[kds315*]

Good example to show the differences between a real soft focus lens (which achieves a glow around the subject) and a diffusing filter or PS action which, as the word implies, just diffuses the image and makes it a bit dull and softer - and with those I would agree with Orio that I have a tendency to wipe my glasses clean...

This was shot using the Kenko MC 45mm soft focus lens, straight from the cam (just cropped, resized):

[F16SUNSHINE]

[amoebahydra]

My Rodenstock Imagon 120mm, also use on my Hasselbald 205TCC...