Do you have a Soft Focus lens? Use it much?

Kirks518 · Mar 1, 2015

I have the 150mm SF for my RB, but I don't have the disks. At the time, I was just looking for the focal length, and it was a steal. Now I'm wondering if I should get the disks, or get the 145mm SF for my M645. But, I'm questioning if I'd use the soft focus ability much. So, if you have a soft focus lens (any make/model), when do you use the soft focus mostly, and are you happy with it? Part of me thinks I should just get either the disks for the 150 or get the 145mm, and then I'll have the option when I want it.

snapguy · Mar 1, 2015

dinero

Depends, to me, on how much the disks cost. There are many free or cheap ways of making soft focus from nylon stockings to nose grease on a filter.

Dr Croubie · Mar 1, 2015

I saw a set of discs on fleabay the other day. Seller described them as 'lensbaby apertures'. Not sure if they were for an RB or LF imagon, but they were for an imagon afaik.
I'd have bought them, but I don't have a lens to put them on.

You can always make your own discs with some strong black card, a hole punch, compass, good scissors, and a shiteload of patience...

Alan Gales · Mar 2, 2015

snapguy said:
Depends, to me, on how much the disks cost. There are many free or cheap ways of making soft focus from nylon stockings to nose grease on a filter.

Due to spherical aberration the soft focus lenses create a soft glow to your subjects that stockings, greasy filters or softar filters can't give. Photographers pay lots of money for prized soft focus lenses in large format.

Check out Jim Galli's wonderful website for more information. http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/

Alan Gales · Mar 2, 2015

Kirks518 said:
I have the 150mm SF for my RB, but I don't have the disks. At the time, I was just looking for the focal length, and it was a steal. Now I'm wondering if I should get the disks, or get the 145mm SF for my M645. But, I'm questioning if I'd use the soft focus ability much. So, if you have a soft focus lens (any make/model), when do you use the soft focus mostly, and are you happy with it? Part of me thinks I should just get either the disks for the 150 or get the 145mm, and then I'll have the option when I want it.

The 150mm SF lenses for the RB's go so cheap now. You might be better off just buying another lens that has the discs included unless you get lucky and find the discs separate.

I recently picked up a Kodak 305mm Portrait lens. It is a soft focus lens for 4x5 but will cover 8x10 for portraiture. I'm playing with it to see how I like it. I do like just a bit of soft focus for portraits of women.

Check out Jim Galli's site for ideas. http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/

RalphLambrecht · Mar 2, 2015

Kirks518 said:
I have the 150mm SF for my RB, but I don't have the disks. At the time, I was just looking for the focal length, and it was a steal. Now I'm wondering if I should get the disks, or get the 145mm SF for my M645. But, I'm questioning if I'd use the soft focus ability much. So, if you have a soft focus lens (any make/model), when do you use the soft focus mostly, and are you happy with it? Part of me thinks I should just get either the disks for the 150 or get the 145mm, and then I'll have the option when I want it.

I use a soft-focus filter when I need it but, I don't use that very much either soft focus ivery easy in PP

resummerfield · Mar 2, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
I use a soft-focus filter when I need it but, I don't use that very much either soft focus ivery easy in PP

Yes, but... I've never be able to totally recreate the look of a SF lens with the "sink strainer" disk. The look of the speculars is so unique...

Trail Images · Mar 2, 2015

Yes, I do have the 150mm with disks and have only used it a few times so far. I found myself doing a lot of panoramic work on most of all my recent outings. However, that idea is slowing and I plan to fall back to using the 140 macro and 150 soft focus more often as a change up.

Here is a link to the RB forum with my 150 first shots taken:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Bruce Osgood · Mar 2, 2015

I think I would rather have a camera bag with relativity inexpensive filters setting idle than an expensive single purpose lens that does not get used.

Alan Gales · Mar 2, 2015

Bruce Osgood said:
I think I would rather have a camera bag with relativity inexpensive filters setting idle than an expensive single purpose lens that does not get used.

What you are saying is perfectly logical but these Mamiya lenses are so cheap now. I buy and sell film gear to help support my hobby. About a year or so ago I sold a Mamiya 180mm Softfocus lens for the RZ in close to mint condition, boxed with everything it came with new. I was disappointed to only get about $100.00 for it on Ebay.

Still, $100.00 is a lot to pay for something that sits in a drawer. It all depends upon how much you use it.

Trail Images · Mar 2, 2015

I think I would rather have a camera bag with relativity inexpensive filters setting idle than an expensive single purpose lens that does not get used.

I guess almost any lens could fall into a "single" purpose use depending upon what it was originally designed to actually cover photographically.
However, I understand the point you make and I'm sure there are lenses that sit in a lot of kits used very rarely. But, I've found using my RB67 ProSD with 37mm Fisheye, 140mm Macro, and 150 Soft Focus lens useful beyond their original intention I suspect.
All three of these lenses if used correctly can work a bit of "double duty", and I do use all three in that fashion off and on.

Old-N-Feeble · Mar 2, 2015

resummerfield said:
Yes, but... I've never be able to totally recreate the look of a SF lens with the "sink strainer" disk. The look of the speculars is so unique...

I agree the "sink strainer" effect is very difficult to fake in PP... but I don't like the effects of the discs anyway. I prefer a nice round aperture with no outside holes.

Moopheus · Mar 2, 2015

Kirks518 said:
I have the 150mm SF for my RB, but I don't have the disks. .

You don't absolutely need the disks, you'll get some soft focus with that lens without. The disks just enhance the effect in various ways.

itsdoable · Mar 2, 2015

Alan Gales said:
Due to spherical aberration the soft focus lenses create a soft glow to your subjects that stockings, greasy filters or softar filters can't give. Photographers pay lots of money for prized soft focus lenses in large format.

"Softar" is a Zeiss trade name for thier soft focus filters, which contain small negative lenses that add spherical aberations to the output, creating that soft "glow" very similar to a soft focus lens. They use to be very sought after in the film age, and still produce results that you don't get with digital processing (as with soft focus lenses). However, in the used market today, they are not much cheaper than a soft focus lens...

Alan Gales · Mar 2, 2015

itsdoable said:
"Softar" is a Zeiss trade name for thier soft focus filters, which contain small negative lenses that add spherical aberations to the output, creating that soft "glow" very similar to a soft focus lens. They use to be very sought after in the film age, and still produce results that you don't get with digital processing (as with soft focus lenses). However, in the used market today, they are not much cheaper than a soft focus lens...

You're right. I was lumping all the soft focus filters together under the Softar name and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, my mistake, I wasn't thinking. Thanks for correcting me!

removed account4 · Mar 2, 2015

forgive me for responding to this thread, i know it is in the MF area, and i don't have a mf camera ( although i use a roll film back on a graflex slr )
i do have a soft focus lens, actually a few rapid rectilinear and a few wollensak portrait lenses but i don't use them as much as i used to.
( except for a brass lens named laverne ) ... i learned how to shoot wide open and front focus with the "normal" optics i have
and the effect ( affect ) seems to suit me fine. while i have been privy to the whole smoke on a skylight filter ( with a smudge in the middle)
pantyhose ( black or white ) with a hole in the middle, tea-box paper to diffuse during printing and a variety of other things ( ky or vasoline on a filter too )
but shooting wide open and focusing a little infront seems to be my soft focus of choice these days .. and using a roll film back makes it easy to crop in camera
the part that is in focus from the diffused part ...

sorry again for posting without having the format camera or lens in question in my kit.

BrianShaw · Mar 2, 2015

I have a SF lens for LF and a bag of SF filters for other formats. Best results are the dedicated lens esp for female portraits. Decent results in smaller formats with some of the filters but not with others. Softar and duto type sf filters are best . other diffuser filters not to my liking. Any sf filter better than the old fashioned make shifts in my experience but that may be result of my poor craftsmanship in making them

Alan Gales · Mar 3, 2015

We are discussing rather to own a SF lens or not which is an interesting question.

If you go to Large Format Photography Forum there are people on there that collect and use various SF lenses because each design has a unique signature. Some are a little different and some are a lot different.

BrianShaw · Mar 3, 2015

jnanian said:
... i do have a soft focus lens, actually a few rapid rectilinear and a few wollensak portrait lenses ...

But I don't think RR is soft focus, per se. Some people put them and almost any tessar-type lens into that category but I don't think that is a technically correct thing to do. The 1908 (0r so) RR that I use is actually quite crisp.

removed account4 · Mar 3, 2015

BrianShaw said:
But I don't think RR is soft focus, per se. Some people put them and almost any tessar-type lens into that category but I don't think that is a technically correct thing to do. The 1908 (0r so) RR that I use is actually quite crisp.

hi brian

you are right, they aren't considered "soft focus" but often time they are considered to be suited as portrait (( or landscape or pictrorial ) lenses when shot wide open
because they have a nice soft even bokeh .. as if they were soft focus but then again the verito from what i understand is a rapid rectilinear
or based on that design and it is considered a soft focus lens ( maybe because they made a way to make it "faster" ) ... ( maybe i am wrong, i am wrong often )

with your lens, when you close it down it is sharp as nails, but wide open i bet your lens has a nice signature . i think they are the perfect lens !

what i find interesting ( no matter the format &c )
lenses are often broken down into categories ( too many to list )
... but soft/landscape/pictorial/portrait &c lenses often time cross boundaries ...
i mean petzval lenses area considered to be soft focus to some ( some even have the defocus knob like the wollensak vitax ) but in actuality
they often are extremely sharp ..

conversations like this are great because there is always so much to learn .. and very little taught

jojhn

benjiboy · Mar 3, 2015

I'm primarily a portrait shooter and have the very rare Canon FD 85mm f2.8 soft focus lens, that ladies, particularly ones of a certain age really appreciate, including my wife, I can't say I use it a great deal but if you need it does the job brilliantly.

Kirks518 · Mar 3, 2015

benjiboy said:
I'm primarily a portrait shooter and have the very rare Canon FD 85mm f2.8 soft focus lens, that ladies, particularly ones of a certain age really appreciate, including my wife, I can't say I use it a great deal but if you need it does the job brilliantly.

That's the thing. It seems mostly they are used for portraiture of women of a certain age group.

I do like to 'experiment' with funky lenses (I've had fun with some x-ray machine lenses), and part of me thinks a soft focus lens might be fun to use for things other than portraits.

So part 2 of my original question be, if you have a soft focus, do you use it for things other than portraits? Samples would be great. I also think I would get more use out of the Mamiya 145mm for the M645 then getting the disks for my RB 150mm, since there is 'No Assembly required' with the 145mm. I also tend to use my 645 more then my RB. I'd keep the 150mm, since as I said, I bought it for the focal length initially, and still would use it.

Trail Images · Mar 3, 2015

So part 2 of my original question be, if you have a soft focus, do you use it for things other than portraits?

Although I only had a few examples they're listed as links in my first post in this thread. Quite honestly I'm a landscape only shooter, so, I never intended to use the lens out of that arena. When I say landscape I also include closeups or macro style shots in that too.

Another point I tried to make in that first response is the lens is not only for SF usage. Heck once you've stopped down past f8 as I recall there is no SF effect and it works just fine as a slightly long lens. When I bought my 37mm Fisheye I had plans of shooting some a bit goofy takes with various distortions. To the contrary I've used it for the past two years as an excellent super wide angle and have even used it in making pano type scenes by stitching 3 images together in PS.

Being a bit long winded here my only point is with the RB lenses although they're ones designed for certain usages like SF, however overall they will also work as a "common" purpose lens too.

DannL. · Mar 3, 2015

Purchased my very first soft focus lens about a week ago. I hope to get plenty of use from it.

Alan Gales · Mar 3, 2015

Kirks518 said:
That's the thing. It seems mostly they are used for portraiture of women of a certain age group.

I do like to 'experiment' with funky lenses (I've had fun with some x-ray machine lenses), and part of me thinks a soft focus lens might be fun to use for things other than portraits.

So part 2 of my original question be, if you have a soft focus, do you use it for things other than portraits? Samples would be great. I also think I would get more use out of the Mamiya 145mm for the M645 then getting the disks for my RB 150mm, since there is 'No Assembly required' with the 145mm. I also tend to use my 645 more then my RB. I'd keep the 150mm, since as I said, I bought it for the focal length initially, and still would use it.

There are photographers who do Hollywood style photography and/or boudoir photography who use soft focus lenses for young women as well as woman of a certain age. It can be romantic.

If you like the pictoralist style of landscape photography, SF lenses are good for that. With soft focus a lot of times you are expressing a mood.

Do you have a Soft Focus lens? Use it much?

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