3 New Pages for the Soft Focus Crowd

(also posted for my friends over at LFForum)

It's been a while since I've added new pages at my little web site.

Easter weekend did the trick. Here are 3 new pages with photos made with some very ecclectic soft foci types.

I used the Pinkham Bi-Quality (Series IV Visual Quality) 14", a 15" no name achromatic meniscus, Voigtlander Euryscop, Voigtlander Petzval, Wolly Velostigmat with Fuzz-U-Lator modification, Wollensak Beach Series B, and finally, the Cooke Aviar.

Hope you have some fun wading through the stuff.

Dis-Claimer; I didn't say any of it was any good. Just that you can get an idea what the different soft focus lenses can do for you.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Portraits/The_Gary_Portraits_I.html

Thanks, Jim! I enjoyed all three pages. Wish I could afford some exotic glass like your Euryscop and Aviar, but am currently having fun with a Kollmorgen "Snaplite" 5.75" f2 projection lens on my Pacemaker.
Following are a couple of images from it:

--Leigh in Santa Barbara.

leighmarrin said:

Thanks, Jim! I enjoyed all three pages. Wish I could afford some exotic glass like your Euryscop and Aviar, but am currently having fun with a Kollmorgen "Snaplite" 5.75" f2 projection lens on my Pacemaker.
Following are a couple of images from it:

--Leigh in Santa Barbara.

Click to expand...

That's what I'm talkin about. If it's one of the early snaplites where the front group comes right out easily, try just the front alone for some really beautifully soft images. jg

Jim, thanks for the reply. I believe my series II Snaplite is one of the later ones, as it has a threaded deeply recessed barrel for (I think) a Cinema-scope attachment. But I'll try to see if I can remove the front part easily.

When used at five feet or further, I notice a lot of center "hotspotting", in about a 1" area in the middle of a 4x5" negative. Wonder if this is typical of the Cinephor/Snaplite modified petzval lenses?

Attached is another shot from my Snaplite of a cut-down RR telegraph pole I erected in my backyard. I did some inexpert PS-burn-in to reduce the center brightness.

The other photo of the Santa Barbara courthouse was done with a "kluge" of a lens with a rear cell of a 127mm Ektar and the front cell of a 203mm Ektar. (My wide-angle "Ratke" lens--Ektar spelled backwards...)

Jim,
As always I totally enjoy your photographs! A couple of questions,
if I may? What is in the top tray of the machinist tool box? It appears to be a lens, but to me it looked like a horn from a Model A Ford.
Also what is a "Fuzz-U Lator modification"? I thought I knew "Wollys"
pretty well, but I guess not well enough. Sometime when you are not too busy, bring me up to speed. Thanks.

Your friend,
Charlie

Hi Charlie.

You are exactly right. That is an antique Klaxon 'ahooga horn' but probably predates Model A's. Could've been used on lots of old cars in the '20's. I plan to use it on my Model A even though it isn't quite correct. I couldn't afford an original Model A one so far.

The fuzz-u-lator (Mark Sawyer invented the word) is the diffusion ring on the front of some of the bigger Velostigmat's. Originally they could seperate the 2 front lights by the distance of 1 thread, ie. one full turn. What us deviant types have discovered is that if you back out the "stop" so that front can keep right on unthreading, the effectual softness approaches what a Verito or even softer would produce. So while the factory limited you to about 1/48th seperation, the photos you see on that page were more like 16/48ths seperation. Much much softer than standard issue.

Next thing you know we'll have 2 carburetors on the camera instead of just one.

Cheers. Jim

Real nice Jim,like these lens.

Mike

Next thing you know we'll have 2 carburetors on the camera instead of just one.

No need---just find a two-(barrel lens)-carburetor, and you will be good to go

(and yes, "diaphragm carburetor" did come to mind as well...)