Mamiya m645 Soft Focus Lens questions..

Hello Team,

I see that years ago, Mamiya offered a slight telephoto soft focus lens for m645...

Questions..

A) how does it work, do you just focus first then dial in softness with second dial?
B) having assisted someone using Hasselblad, would the diffusion be like using softar 1-2 or 3?
C) I noticed they had a c version of this lens but not a N version?
D) Or would it be as prudent to get a few SFX filters and call it a day....what say you..

Any sample shots with this lens would be appreciated, thanks for your input....

Soft focus newbie...

Harlequin

no longer have my 645 (great camera, good glass), but if i was doing a LOT of soft focus i would get it. otherwise filter with vaseline, silk stocking, saran wrap each provide alternatives for the few times i might use it.

...i've only seen this lens once, but never used. It's quite big so may effect balance. If the price/condition is good it may be worth a try. The C-lenses are earlier than the N series. But they are nicer - having all-metal construction. No plastic filter threads. Condition is everything with such old lenses. Both types are multicoated.

Most dedicated soft focus lenses use uncorrected Spherical Aberrations to achieve that effect. Spherical Aberrations is when the central rays though the lens focusing in a different plane than the periphery rays, resulting in a sharp image with a unfocused image superimposed, and with the correct amount of SA and apodization, you can get a very pleasant effect. The amount of out-of-focus image is adjusted by the aperture (eliminating the most periphery rays) or by an apodization filter (those things that look like a sink sieve) to control the amount of periphery rays. Pinkham-Smith large format soft focus lenses still command $$$$'s because they create a crisp sharp image with just the right glow around high contrast areas, to de-accentuate fine lines - without over-doing the soft effect.

Hasselblad softars are unique in that they contain a bunch of small -ve lenses inside a plane plano resin optical flat. This results in a sharp image (take through the flat) with an out of focus image (through the small lenses) superimposed, and comes closest to replicating a soft-focus lens with filters. However the soft effect does not change with aperture, hence the 3 softars. The resin flat is prone to scratching, and you will find most Softars with visible scratches.

Diffusion filters (like nylons or hair nets) add veil to the image, and generally just lowers the over all contrast which is a different "soft" effect, but can add sunstars around specular highlights.

Here you go.

http://ianbfoto.com/downloads/Mamiya 645/Mamiya 645 145mm_Soft_Focus_Lens.pdf

For examples look up Mamiya 645 145mm soft focus and Mamiya 145 soft focus on Flickr.