Soft focus lenses in 35mm

Softie · May 19, 2009

I'm looking to make up a 35mm kit around a few soft focus lenses. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any central listing of soft focus lenses produced for 35mm cameras. Furthermore, no manufacturer appears to have made a complete set of wide, normal, and telephoto soft focus lenses (Pentax seems to have come the closest with a 28mm and an 85mm).

So I thought I'd ask and see if the community could list all of the known 35mm format soft focus lenses. I'll kick it off with Nikon:

105mm f/2 DC
135mm f/2 DC
90mm f/4.8 fun fun lens

keithwms · May 19, 2009

There is a 145mm f/4 SF C variable soft focus lens for the mamiya m645 family that you can mount on Nikon F with a $20 adapter. It comes with various discs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MAMIYA-645-...OCUS-LENS_W0QQitemZ120322502320QQcmdZViewItem

N.b. I don't know this seller and cannot vouch for this item ^^^... just giving a link to consider.

TheFlyingCamera · May 19, 2009

Lensbaby.

dougjgreen · May 19, 2009

Stick a cheap filter on whatever focal length lens you wish was a soft-focus, and dip a Q-tip in a bit of vaseline, and apply some of the vaseline to the filter. Start with a very little bit, and add more for the effect you are seeking.

tomkatf · May 19, 2009

Canon FD 85mm f/2.8

Had this lens briefly in the '80's and have missed it ever since... beautiful "real" soft focus by introducing varying degrees of spherical abberation when used in the soft modes, unlike filters, vaseline, etc. which just blur or fog... Also can be used as a normally sharp lens... Have considered buying this lens and a Canon body for dedicated soft focus shooting!
See here:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/85mmsoft.htm

HTH,
Tom

Ralph Javins · May 19, 2009

dougjgreen said:
Stick a cheap filter on whatever focal length lens you wish was a soft-focus, and dip a Q-tip in a bit of vaseline, and apply some of the vaseline to the filter. Start with a very little bit, and add more for the effect you are seeking.

Good morning, Softie;

If you do not like Doug's suggestion, Adorama has a special on right now for Zeiss "Softar" filters you can put on the front of just about any lens. Most of them are B+W filters, although there is a Heliopan "Softar" at Adorama that has a special on right now that includes free shipping.

Just for reference, these are listed there from $ 191 up to $ 282. Just a thought.

nsurit · May 19, 2009

Tamron made an SP soft focus 70-150 f2.8 Adaptall 2 Zoom, which is not too easy to find. The Zeiss Softar I and II filters can be used to give a soft focus affect to your existing lens. Others made soft focus filters, however the Zeiss were top rated ones. They also cost more. Your might also try a little vasoline around the edges of clear filter or maybe even a little sandpaper to sand the edges of an old filter. Panty hose stretched over a lens with a central hole burned with a cigarett works. This may keep you going for awhile. Bill Barber

JohnArs · May 19, 2009

I have the Imagon 120mm, the Dreamagon 90mm, and a Simda 100mm,the lens baby about 50mm, further also the 135 DC all with Nikon mount.
All have variable SF setting.

Cheers Armin

StorminMatt · May 19, 2009

I know that Canon EOS is not terribly popular in film circles. But in that particular system, the only soft focus lens available is the 135/2.8.

nsurit · May 19, 2009

Oh, yes there is the Sima Soft Focus 100mm f2 soft focus + macro. Low tech and usually not very expensive when you find one. Bill Barber

archphoto · May 19, 2009

My list:

Imagon 120, 150, 200, 250 and 300mm: I have the 200 and 250mm
Mamiya RB67 150SF

Lensbabies are not real soft focus lenses, they are "fun" lenses, as they have a curved field focus, opposed to the Iamgon's and
Mamiya's, whitch have a flat field focus.

Peter

sidearm613 · May 19, 2009

Canon EOS makes a 135 f/2.8 soft focus. The auto focus ain't so great (no USM), but real photographers manually focus anyways. If you don't mind medium format, and who doesnt like a larger negative, pentax made a 120mm SF lens for the 67, but I don't know anything about that lens.

Still, the best, easiest, and most cost effective solution is to buy a cheap UV filter or something to that effect, rub some vaseline on, and be happy with the super cool effects you get.

sidearm613 · May 19, 2009

StorminMatt said:
I know that Canon EOS is not terribly popular in film circles. But in that particular system, the only soft focus lens available is the 135/2.8.

Not terribly popular? I love my cheap EOS film camera. I covet a 1v very much, and I know a lot of film photographers who use EOS either as a principle system or as a 35mm system to back up their bigger cameras. And why not? Great lenses, ubiquitous, built like tanks (the expensive ones at least, mine...not so much) Where did you get the idea that EOS is unpopular?

Now I second my camera purchase choice. Shoulda gone for that F5! OH WELL...

Rol_Lei Nut · May 19, 2009

There are a number of triplet lenses in the 100-135mm range made by (mostly) German manufacturers (Zeiss Jena, Meyer, Schacht Munich [not Ulm]) which deliver lovely portrait and other soft images.
Mostly in Exakta and M42 mounts. Very cheap if you find one.

Kerik · May 19, 2009

sidearm613 said:
pentax made a 120mm SF lens for the 67, but I don't know anything about that lens.

I've got one of these and like it both on the 67 and with an EOS adapter on a... well let's just say it kind of looks like a 35mm SLR...

luvcameras · May 19, 2009

Here are a few more 35mm Soft focus lenses

Pentax 85mm f/2.2 k mount
Pentax 85mm f/2.8 FA AutoFocus
Canon EOS 135mm f/2.8
Canon 85mm f/2.8 FD
Spiratone Potragon 100m f/4
Minolta 85mm F/2.8 Vari-Soft MD mount
Minolta 100mm f/2.8 AF
Sima 100mm f/2.8 T Mount
Fujinon 85mm f/4 M42 and Fuji mount
Leica Thambar 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Kenko 85mm f/2.5 multiple mounts
Kenko 45mm f/4.5 multiple mounts
Sony 135mm f/2.8 STF Sony Alpha Mount

Dan

StorminMatt · May 19, 2009

sidearm613 said:
Where did you get the idea that EOS is unpopular?

Because, at least in film circles, everybody raves about Leica and Nikon F-series. You don't hear ANYTHING about Canon EOS outside of digital circles (where EOS is EXTREMELY well-regarded and popular).

sidearm613 said:
Canon EOS makes a 135 f/2.8 soft focus. The auto focus ain't so great (no USM), but real photographers manually focus anyways.

Besides being somewhat noisy and not allowing for full-time manual focus, there is nothing wrong with micromotor autofocus. It is not less accurate. So if you can get around these issues, don't let the absence of USM deter you from buying a lens.

Q.G. · May 20, 2009

The quality of autofocus depends on the system controlling the motor as much as on the moving parts.

Hamster · May 20, 2009

dougjgreen said:
Stick a cheap filter on whatever focal length lens you wish was a soft-focus, and dip a Q-tip in a bit of vaseline, and apply some of the vaseline to the filter. Start with a very little bit, and add more for the effect you are seeking.

Better still use K-Y jelly instead of vasaline, K-Y is water based and cleans off much easier.

dougjgreen · May 21, 2009

Hamster said:
Better still use K-Y jelly instead of vasaline, K-Y is water based and cleans off much easier.

I generally have even better uses for K-Y Jelly than smearing it on a UV filter. OTOH, Vaseline really has no higher purpose than blurring the focus.

sidearm613 · May 21, 2009

StorminMatt said:
Because, at least in film circles, everybody raves about Leica and Nikon F-series. You don't hear ANYTHING about Canon EOS outside of digital circles (where EOS is EXTREMELY well-regarded and popular).

Besides being somewhat noisy and not allowing for full-time manual focus, there is nothing wrong with micromotor autofocus. It is not less accurate. So if you can get around these issues, don't let the absence of USM deter you from buying a lens.

Well, you heard it from me, I love my EOS camera. Not to discredit the F-series, which are great cameras, but I always preferred Canon, even when I was twelve and all I wanted was a d****** P+S.

I do agree with you about micrometer AF. It works for me, and at the moment none of my lenses for my EOS system are USM anyways, so it had better work for me. I hardly ever autofocus anyways, so I couldn't care less, but when i actually have to autofocus, then for a second I see the brilliance of the USM.

p.s. - At this point in my life, I can't afford to talk about Leica, much less own one.

Rol_Lei Nut · May 21, 2009

sidearm613 said:
Well, you heard it from me, I love my EOS camera. .... I hardly ever autofocus anyways,

Manual focusing on a camera designed and optimized for autofocus (and there's more involved than simply changing the focusing screen) seems an odd way of making one's life more difficult...

Softie · May 21, 2009

Thanks for all the input. I guess I'm surprised that no one other than Pentax ever made a wide angle soft focus lens in 35mm, and apparently the 28mm Soft is pretty uncommon. I'm also surprised that the only normal lens option is the 45mm Kenko. It's actually beginning to look like an easier task to assemble a wide angle & long normal soft focus lens set for my 8x10. . .

Vanishing Point Ent. · May 22, 2009

100 mm Sima Soft Focus + 1.4 Teleconverter = Something Amazing.

nsurit said:
Oh, yes there is the Sima Soft Focus 100mm f2 soft focus + macro. Low tech and usually not very expensive when you find one. Bill Barber

I would like to let you in on a little secret. Just between you & me, LOL.

If you add a 1.4 teleconverter, behind the 100 mm Sima Soft Focus lens, something amazing happens.

All of the flare disappears, but the image stays soft. Let me explain. Joan Rivers used to allow
photography during her shows. You weren't allowed to use any flash, but if you weren't disruptive,
it was O.K. This was at a nightclub / restaurant, called " Carlos' & Charley's ". It doesn't exist
anymore.

Now this was back in the day, before Ms. Rivers got the talk show on Fox.
She had wrinkles commensurate with a woman her age.

The lighting was normal performance spot lighting.

With the Normal Lens, the images looked normal. With the Sima S.F. & the 1.4 Teleconverter, all of her wrinkles disappeared. It was amazing.

After her talk show was cancelled, I was allowed to shoot her again. She had, had the first of her face lifts. So, the S.F., wasn't needed, anymore.

For my money she looked better, without the face lift, but with the Soft Focus & 1.4 Tele.

benjiboy · May 22, 2009

I have the Canon FD 85mm f2.8 S/F lens that are quite rare these days, and with soft lighting ladies of a certain age certainly seem to appreciate it .

Soft focus lenses in 35mm

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