Ever more LF Bokeh pics! Pinkham & Smith Visual Quality, Verito, Euryscop IV Portrait

jimgalli · Dec 13, 2005

Another page on my web site with some photos done with these lenses. About a 5 minute read if you're interested in antique LF (8X10) portraiture. First try "right out of the box" portraits with all three.

My moniter is broke so I have to drop the entire address in.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/PinkhamSmithLens.html

Hope you enjoy. Let me hear from you as always.

Is my deepest motivation to drive prices through the roof by forever talking about old lenses and BOKEH?????? Doesn't matter because none of these lenses will ever be sold until my kids are cleaning up the mess when I'm gone

Dave Wooten · Dec 13, 2005

nice Jim,

In each portrait, what did you focus on?

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 13, 2005

Thanks, Jim. That's a useful comparison and some nice portraits in there as well.

Looks like he was focusing on the eyes, but with the Verito and some of the other soft focus lenses, the plane of focus can be a matter of opinion.

Frank Petronio · Dec 13, 2005

Nice portraits Jim. Where were you hiding the can of beer to get them to pose?

Dave Wooten · Dec 13, 2005

David A. Goldfarb said:
Thanks, Jim. That's a useful comparison and some nice portraits in there as well.

Looks like he was focusing on the eyes, but with the Verito and some of the other soft focus lenses, the plane of focus can be a matter of opinion.

Yes that was my interest Dave, from here it seems the 11.5 Verito included the eyes but not the nose

Gim · Dec 13, 2005

Great pictures Jim. I just went through your site and can't wait to get back to Nevada in the spring. Will be spending some time with the road maps.
Thanks, Jim

jimgalli · Dec 13, 2005

Hi Dave. Yes, eyes, and I agree the Verito image of Roy with nose and mouth out of focus is very iffy. I can tolerate the Petzval images where end of nose is getting blurry but it doesn't work too well with the Verito.

Dave Wooten · Dec 13, 2005

was wondering which way the dof goes on that lens... i e focus a little on the near face part of the nose and catch both the eye and nose? the final portrait has nose and eye in focus but the plane of focus is of course smaller due to the profile shot....I remember D Goldfarb posting about measureing to the nose etc...

also it is interesting the contrast difference on these individual lenses...

MattCarey · Dec 13, 2005

Jim,

thanks a lot for posting these. I have to say that I am finding the Verito look less appealing as time goes on. In the end, the Voigtlander looks really nice to me. Nice contrast, really creamy Bokeh.

Thanks a lot for the hint on stuffing the Packard into the fold of the bellows. Too bad my 8x10 has such a small lensboard. I don't know if I can get a decent sized Packard close enough to the lens.

Matt

JG Motamedi · Dec 13, 2005

Very very interesting Jim. I really appreciated the comparison between the P&S and the Verito. Looking forward to more!

jason

ps: How is the coverage of the P&S?

Dave Wooten · Dec 13, 2005

MattCarey said:
Jim,

thanks a lot for posting these. I have to say that I am finding the Verito look less appealing as time goes on. In the end, the Voigtlander looks really nice to me. Nice contrast, really creamy Bokeh.

Matt

IMHO, the swarthy male look is more enhanced with the petzval type lens, or a modern lens, more contrast and a sharper resolution....would be interesting to throw an example of say a g claron or sironar etc into the mix....

the verito for elderly or female or those old corporate shots of the 50's, or interpreting the painterly effect of the impressionists-pictorialists...

jimgalli · Dec 13, 2005

Dave Wooten said:
was wondering which way the dof goes on that lens... i e focus a little on the near face part of the nose and catch both the eye and nose? the final portrait has nose and eye in focus but the plane of focus is of course smaller due to the profile shot....I remember D Goldfarb posting about measureing to the nose etc...

also it is interesting the contrast difference on these individual lenses...

I probably just blew it. Yes it would have been better to compromise forward in this case. Or backed up 6 inches.

MattCarey said:
I have to say that I am finding the Verito look less appealing as time goes on. In the end, the Voigtlander looks really nice to me. Nice contrast, really creamy Bokeh.

In the end, most old time portraitists could have taken any of these lenses I've been playing with and produced fine portraits. Me thinks the person in front of and behind the camera has more to do with portraits than the lenses. But alas, I'm hooked. One I haven't shown photos from yet that has a fine personality very much like the P&S is the Bausch & Lomb Plastigmat Portrait f5.6. Probably more like the P&S than any of them but would go begging on the auction site because it doesn't have legend swirling about it.

JG Motamedi said:
ps: How is the coverage of the P&S?

The P&S is very short coupled for a portrait lens. Downright compact. It covers 8X10 easily. Moving in where I was shooting these head shots, it would probably cover 11X14.

cperez · Dec 13, 2005

Jim, great stuff!

Last weekend I braved the bitter cold and shot a test comparison between a 180mm Fuji SF f/5.6, 200mm Nikkor M f/8, and a 250mm Fuji SF f/5.6.

My work is several weeks away from printing (even working Polaroid Type55). But the initial inspections of the negs seem to yield similar findings. The best effect for my needs is around f/8 (or there abouts). By f/11 both Fuji's matched the multi-coated Nikkor for apparent resolution (though not in contrast, where the Nikkor was slightly but visibly better).

Your PS lens sure has smooth out of focus areas. In the case of my Fuji's without those silly pasta strainers, running on the iris near f/8 give a similar effect from what I can see from your website.

I don't know how sharp your old lenses are wide open (they look pretty good), but the Fuji's are definitely "soft" when used at f/5.6. The nice tradeoff between what's sharp (ie: in decent focus) and the overlaying aberration softening effects seems a delicate balance with my Fuji's.

This is a vast subject. Thanks for sharing your findings.

laz · Dec 13, 2005

I looked. looked again. Went away. Looked again. The Voigtlander knocks my socks off! And it's not just the crispness that does it, I love what's happening in the background.

Not much of a comment because I gotta look again. What won't change is that you do beautiful work Jim!
-Bob

Dave Wooten · Dec 13, 2005

seems the "sharpest" most contrasty lens is getting the accolades>

Jim maybe you could post a portrait with the 19 inch artar to compare with the 20 inch Voight.....now that oughta blow the story wide open!

jimgalli · Dec 14, 2005

Dave Wooten said:
IMHO, the swarthy male look is more enhanced with the petzval type lens, or a modern lens, more contrast and a sharper resolution....would be interesting to throw an example of say a g claron or sironar etc into the mix....

the verito for elderly or female or those old corporate shots of the 50's, or interpreting the painterly effect of the impressionists-pictorialists...

Think you nailed it Dave. The softer lenses definitely have their place but perhaps not with these guys The Voigtlander image really does have some gorgeous snap. I'm tickled to have the P&S though.

Dave Wooten · Dec 14, 2005

darn it thought i could dampen your spirits a bit on the P & S!

Charles Webb · Dec 14, 2005

Jim,
Very informative, you know I had one of the 50 P&S lenses that were made for the PPofA masters a few years back and loved it. Mine was made by TTH & C I know it was shipped in from England, as I recall it most certainly was not by Wollensak. I have tried for years to replace it, but.................

I am most impressed by the Voitlander, the tones are wonderful.
I can also see excellent results coming from the P&S especially in a harder light situation. Mine loved a "chalk and soot" situation, but also did well
on most everything I used it for. All five images are exceptional!.

Charlie...............

zenrhino · Dec 14, 2005

Holy cow. Those were fantastic.

laz · Dec 14, 2005

Dave Wooten said:
IMHO, the swarthy male look is more enhanced with the petzval type lens, or a modern lens, more contrast and a sharper resolution....would be interesting to throw an example of say a g claron or sironar etc into the mix....

the verito for elderly or female or those old corporate shots of the 50's, or interpreting the painterly effect of the impressionists-pictorialists...

This caused a revelation for me.

Here I was thinking it had to be something other than the crispness because that's not what I usually admire in portraits. I was looking at these wrong. I am learning that LF lenses are so much more than their focal length and aperature.

Damn. Thank you Jim and Dave this is the best lesson I've had on LF since picking it up after a lifetime at 35mm.

-Bob

removed account4 · Dec 14, 2005

my favorites are the last 2 on the page.
the crisp-factor of the voigt. is nice, but the
softness of the other two makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

thanks for posting these jim!

great stuff

-john

jonw · Dec 14, 2005

Jim- NICE! I too think the P&S and Verito have a very similar look. I like the "warm and smooth" images they produce. This does make me feel better having a couple of Veritos to keep me warm at nite, but no P&S.

Someone was asking about portraits with an Artar. I am going to try to attach portrait taken with TMAX and my 45cm RD Artar which has been installed in a copal 3 shutter. It was taken in my make shift studio, no beer required for Mary does not drink, with an aperture setting of f11 and 1/4 second exposure.

Keep up the great work Jim and thanks for sharing....'tis the season!
Jon

jonw · Dec 14, 2005

Tried the thumb nail upload, but being computer challenged, here is a link from the gallery- 45cm RD Artar with Tmax.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

MattCarey · Dec 14, 2005

jimgalli said:
In the end, most old time portraitists could have taken any of these lenses I've been playing with and produced fine portraits. Me thinks the person in front of and behind the camera has more to do with portraits than the lenses. But alas, I'm hooked. .

Unfortunately, you have gotten a lot of us hooked as well.

By the way, When I say that the Verito look is less appealing, that just means that it has come down from obsession/fascination to merely strong like.

jimgalli said:
One I haven't shown photos from yet that has a fine personality very much like the P&S is the Bausch & Lomb Plastigmat Portrait f5.6. Probably more like the P&S than any of them but would go begging on the auction site because it doesn't have legend swirling about it.

Post it when you get the chance. Better yet, don't post it. That way I'll have a better chance of getting one on eBay. I already have been outbid by APUGers for magic lantern lenses...I wonder where they got that idea?

Matt

Dorothy Blum Cooper · Dec 14, 2005

Jim,
Just wanted to say that I appreciate the lens comparisons on this as well as your beautiful work being shown! Of course, this is right up my alley (face shots). I'm partial to the 2nd shot of Roy and the 1st of Willie. I bet the actual prints would knock my socks off!! Wonderful series! I love faces with detail like this!!

Ever more LF Bokeh pics! Pinkham & Smith Visual Quality, Verito, Euryscop IV Portrait

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