making a soft focus look

[jamie young]

I recently got a 2x3 rb series b and more recently found a roll back to fit. Now I want tto go out and shoot with itand am interested in messing around to get that petzval or soft focus look. Can't find it now but I thought I saw someone mention tht changing element distance on a anastigmat can give that soft focus look. I was thinking of screwing out the lense groups to do that ( and taping them mostly unscrewed so they don't fall off. Anyone try this with any success, or is it a waste of time. Any other ideas to get interesting effects?
thanks, Jamie

 

[Jim Noel]

Screwing out the lens element a quarter of half turn my give you some softness, buyt it will not be the Petzval look. Petzval and other formula soft focus lenses are pretty cheap to cover your format, and well worth the price.

Another choice which I hate to suggest because I don't want competition, is to shop the Thrift Stores for old roll film folders. Many of them have lenses which give a nice effect, and can be bought for a few dollars. If the film size is smaller than that which you are using, it is not unusual to get nice sharpness in the center with good bokeh near the edges.

Just remove the lens and shutter, mount on a temporary lens board made even of cardboard and give them a try. I do this, keep the ones I like and give or throw away the ones that don't please me.

 

[John Kasaian]

Put a small dab of Vasilene on your finger tip and smear it on the edges of your lens

 

[removed account4]

hi jamie

you can also shoot "wide open" and
focus infront of your subject a few feet.

--john

 

[fotoman]

You can also add a soft focus filter to your current lens. The Softar's are very nice, and come in different strengths.

 

[Dave Wooten]

You can add softness under the enlarger also....dodge thro crinkled celophane, or stretch a cut section of ladies nylon hose and project thro onto your photo paper..do this for part of the exposure..(remove the hose from the lady)

Vaseline -- put a uv filter on your lens and make one mark across it with your finger...don t put the vaseline actually on the lens...you can also rough up a uv filter with fine sand paper

 

[JLP]

Another way to get some unusual out of focus effect is to tilt your front standard or swing (If you can) it does not look like a petzval since you wont get the effect in a circle but if your subject is at the center it will give you some weird effect.


jan

 

[Ray Heath]

I recently got a 2x3 rb series b and more recently found a roll back to fit. Now I want tto go out and shoot with itand am interested in messing around to get that petzval or soft focus look. Can't find it now but I thought I saw someone mention tht changing element distance on a anastigmat can give that soft focus look. I was thinking of screwing out the lense groups to do that ( and taping them mostly unscrewed so they don't fall off. Anyone try this with any success, or is it a waste of time. Any other ideas to get interesting effects?
thanks, Jamie

g'day jamie
you could use a single magnifying glass as a camera lens

 

[jimgalli]

buy a 3 1/2" projection petzval from me and cobble it on somehow. Also most of the cheapy 1940's Kodak Folders with the single meniscus doublet in the back can look pretty goofy but you have to open them up. As made the lens is throated way down to get acceptable sharpness. Take the meniscus out of the back and figure out a way to use it wide open

 

[Early Riser]

Put a small dab of Vasilene on your finger tip and smear it on the edges of your lens

Sorry but this is not a smart thing to do because removing vaseline from a lens is a real problem. Buy a cheap UV filter and smear the vaseline on that instead.

 

[juan]

The lens on my RB series B is particularly ugly wide open - the dreaded double line bokeh. I was very disappointed.
juan

 

[Mark Sawyer]

At the risk of making an unpopular observation:

The image from a soft focus lens looks like the image from a soft focus lens.

The image from an imitation of a soft focus lens looks like the image from an imitation of a soft focus lens...

 

[noseoil]

Don't forget about the "mesh filter" in front of the lens when taking the shot. Remember to add a bit of exposure to compensate. You can vary the distance between the lens and filter to change the effect. tim

P.S. Thanks Frank, for the book.

 

[jamie young]

Thanks everyone!-Lot's of things to to experiment with.
Jamie

 

[Bob F.]

You might also try screwing the wrong back and front elements together... An example from a very interesting book here: http://www.thames-search.com/oxford.html - this is the result of the illegitimate union of a 150mm SA front and a 90mm SA rear. There are one or two other examples in the book. Most of the photos are 5x4 shot on Ektachrome. Very interesting travel book if you are interested in the River Thames and/or LF photography. I am, so, happy days...

Cheers, Bob.

 

[jamie young]

What's the "dreaded double line bokeh"?

 

[Ole]

"The dreaded double line bokeh" is when lightpoints in the background look like little circles, and lines in the background look like double lines. Mirror teles are extreme in this regard ("doughnut highlights"), but quite a few other lenses show it to a lesser extent.

and now my question: What's a "150mm SA"? To the best of my knowledge, there's only 165mm in Super Angulon, so "SA" in this case should mean something else?

 

[Bob F.]

<snip>

and now my question: What's a "150mm SA"? To the best of my knowledge, there's only 165mm in Super Angulon, so "SA" in this case should mean something else?

Whoops, sorry, I misread: should be Symmar-S. The one at http://www.thames-search.com/quarrywood.html is similar but with a 120 SA (I double-checked this time...) on the rear.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Charles Webb]

Re read Mark Sawyers post, he is telling it like it is!


"The image from a soft focus lens looks like the image from a soft focus lens.

The image from an imitation of a soft focus lens looks like the image from an imitation of a soft focus lens..."


These other "tricks" do one of two things. Either Spread the highlight into the shadow, or spreads the shadow into the highlight. Looks nothing like true
soft focus.

If you want SF effects get one of jim's gems and have at it.

Using most of the techniques recommended here for achieving the soft effect will reproduce only different degrees of mud. If you like mud, follow the instructions given.


Charlie................................L.F.B.

 

[jonw]

Here is my most recent example of an old petzval I finally have been able to use. It did not come with a flange and have attached to my 4x5 Gundlach lensboard with plastic slip straps. It was taken with a Gasc & Charconnet brass lens imported by Geo. Bryant & Co. I estimate it to be a 6 inch f5 lens.
Constructive comments on this shot are welcome....I have not been able to post on this gallery for some strange reason this past year....
Jon

 

[jonw]

Second try on posting picture taken with 6 inch petzval (Gasc & Charconnet). It is hard getting a teenage to sit still...much less for one of these brass lens. This a shot of my son, Cole.