spinning (swirly) bokeh

darkosaric · Dec 16, 2010

Hi,

I would like to have lens with spinning (swirly) bokeh. I see many lenses for large format cameras have this, but I am still not ready for bigger than meduim format .

So far yashica 50mm ML f2 is one choice:
http://www.retrocamera.net/review-of-yashica-ml-50mm2.html

, but maybe someone has some other ideas ? Nikon, Kiev and Leica M mount would be best - I have those cameras already.

thanks,

jp498 · Dec 16, 2010

For medium format, the Yashica-C TLR does it wide open sorta like the lens you link to. Soon as you stop down it goes away, and the leaves need to be about the same distance and size from the subject like your linked images of the leaves. So it does it, but not with the ease that some of the LF choices provide. It happens in LF because the film size often exceeds the lens designer's idea of how the lens would be normally used to provide normal results; think projection lenses being used for 4x5.

Here's something that shows it a little, but would show it better if the background were leaves instead of bare branches. This is with the yashica-c.

Dead Link Removed

garpie · Dec 16, 2010

Kiev's Arsat 80 2.8 produces that kind of bokeh too

elcabezagrande · Dec 16, 2010

You should be able to find an ML 50/2 mounted on a Yashica FX-3 or FX-D for less than $50. I like the lens very much, I think it is quite underrated, and it hasn't been embraced by the DSLR crowd like the ML 50/1.7 and the 50/1.4, which is keeping it realistically priced. And I love that swirly bokeh:

Bee in thistle, Bike Trail, Fort Dodge by Greyscale3, on Flickr

brucemuir · Dec 16, 2010

research the
Rokkor 58mm f/1:1.2

gandolfi · Dec 16, 2010

you say mf format (?)

best choise in my opinion is to get a Rollei SL66 - find a small petzval projection lens and fit it on...

Image done whith that combo.

(I like the images shown above... just showa you, you don't have to go big or expensive to get a nice result!)

guissimo · Dec 16, 2010

For swirly bokeh I suggest the Helios 40-2 85/1.5 and the leica summitar 5cm f2. Supposedly, the Helios 44 58/2 swirls too and they are cheap. I don't know which versions though. Go to flickr and do a search for those lenses and you'll find some nice shots showing the swirlies.

garpie · Dec 16, 2010

In 35mm, and among wide angles, Mir-1 37mm f2.8 will also give you a swirly bokeh.

erikg · Dec 16, 2010

Leica summarit 50mm 1.5. The Helios 85mm is a beast, interesting, but a real workout to use.

Andrew Moxom · Dec 16, 2010

Helios 58mm M6 lens for Russian Zenit camera (M42 screw mount and works a treat for swirlies)

lns · Dec 16, 2010

For your Leica, the obvious and obscenely expensive choice is the 50mm f1 Noctilux, which has very swirly bokeh. That has a love-it-or-hate-it effect. I personally don't like it, from pictures I have seen on the web. However, I have an old and very cheap 50mm f2 Summitar that at wide apertures has a similar, but to my eyes more understated and thus nicer, swirly bokeh effect. It's a nice low contrast lens at all apertures and is very compact. So I'd recommend that.

Neither of them have the exact look of the old swirly large format lenses, but something along those lines. If I can figure out how to attach a thumbnail image from the Summitar, I'll add that later.

-Laura

EdSawyer · Dec 16, 2010

In my experince, the 75mm f/1.5 Zeiss Biotar (M42 or other mount) Is the poster child for swirly bokeh. Very unique, and a great lens in general, in addition to the cool bokeh.

macrorie · Dec 17, 2010

Yes, I have a Summitar that wide open produces bokeh that is not for people prone to dizzy spells, etc.

2F/2F · Dec 17, 2010

I like the Leitz Summar. The Summitar will do it too, but not as heavily.

Chris Nielsen · Dec 17, 2010

Wow, those images make my head spin!

Colin Corneau · Dec 17, 2010

gandolfi said:
you say mf format (?)

best choise in my opinion is to get a Rollei SL66 - find a small petzval projection lens and fit it on...

Image done whith that combo.

(I like the images shown above... just showa you, you don't have to go big or expensive to get a nice result!)

Damn...that is *the* most ghetto hack I've ever seen.

darkosaric · Dec 19, 2010

Thank you all for answers . I think i will go for a summitar. But I really like gandolfi 'thingy' also, it is very cool

spinning (swirly) bokeh

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