Artistic Lenses

[Hugo Zhang]

Since there are much interest lately in soft focus lenses, I would like to post an article I found not long ago titled "Artistic Lenses". It was published in 1907. It's interesting to see the ideas behind these lenses. After almost 100 years, there seems to be a come back for these lenses.

[mikec]

Ssssh Hugo, don't you realise that you will be skewing the ebay prices of Hermagis Eidoscopes with that publicity. None came up in a quick search just now. were you waiting for a quiet trading period before springing this on us?

Thanks for the contribution, though I did need a magnifying glass to read it. I liked the reference to the use of spectacle lenses to achieve artistic effect. That has been seen in some posts here I think. Needing my glasses, I am thinkiing of using the cut off bottoms of wine bottles. At least if the if the snaps are no good, looking for a bottle with a clear base will have been fun.

[mikec]

Aaaaargh! It just dawned on me. I've just pushed up the price wine. :(

[Asher Kelman]

Ssssh Hugo, don't you realise that you will be skewing the ebay prices of Hermagis Eidoscopes with that publicity. None came up in a quick search just now. were you waiting for a quiet trading period before springing this on us?

Thanks for the contribution, though I did need a magnifying glass to read it. I liked the reference to the use of spectacle lenses to achieve artistic effect. That has been seen in some posts here I think. Needing my glasses, I am thinkiing of using the cut off bottoms of wine bottles. At least if the if the snaps are no good, looking for a bottle with a clear base will have been fun.
Mikek,

The prices going on is simply the outer evidence of growth in LF interest in photography. The pressure then on interesting lenses will get high for some particular rare favorites. Lenses will be purchased that have no value because they have deteriorated or while great at one job, aren't really suitable for most jobs.

The numbers mentioned that surprise people are not extraordinary considering that money halves in value every 7 years approximately. So a $50 lens of 1930 would be $800 by 1958 new in a box. However, given that more lenses get produced and prices drop and more useful lenses compete, prices may not hold. But to go from 1958 to now, what should be the increase for a lens in "good" optical condition?

Let's go back to the 1958 lens price and drop it to $100 again. Well over the next 50 years most of the siblings of this series are gone. Now the lens is valued for the limited qualities it excels in at certain conditions. Even with money halving its value every 10 years, that lens would go from $100 in 1958 to 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 by 2008! This price increase only holds for a rare lens. A lens closely similar which is not in limited supply will not command perhaps even 10% of the market price since the number of buyers is not sufficient to put pressure on the lens.

So only a relatively unavailable lens that enough people really want can fetch anywhere near that $3200 imaginary price. Move away from a P&S Series IV, Visual Quality to another fantastic lens of the same period, only different by nuances, the price will be much lower if there are many more copies available. So a Verito is still a bargain. It's no less valuable as a tool, it's just apparently not as rare.

For someone who cares, a particular look is part of the creative package of film. After all to get the photograph made of a tree, rocks or anything else, we could just use a digicam, a used Mamiya 7 or a Canon rebel send the file off to be converted to B&W and be done with it!

People seem to have the idea that people steal lenses from those who "deserve" to own them for $400! Well that was in 1999, and now is 2008.

We should just be thankful that we have these lenses to buy. For my part, I'm not jealous. I enjoy the pictures other people made. Some are inspirational, like Jim's picture of Margie and Dave here (http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5920). Think of how many digital photographers will now wonder how such a picture might be taken with any modern DSLR. The only choices I'd think of would be the Canon 50 1.2L at f1.2 with the Canon 5D for example.

http://idisk.mac.com/med007/Public/2007/Antique_Dealer4247v1_AR.jpg
Antique Dealer in Los Angeles

However, even this beautiful result, falls short over what is obtainable with the old soft portrait lenses whether from the use of perforations in a ring or as in the P&S lenses with hand polished outer glass bring in light in many close planes of focus such that the in-focus image glows.

That's missing on my image from the modern lens! However it's still a good image. So why would one bother to use film and not go closer to what one desires. Now the Canon L lens cost about $1600. This isn't chump change. So going from a modern DSLR system to LF lenses there are some great bargains and a few lenses are more expensive. However, if one uses the lens for just 5 years, the cost of owning even an uncommon LF lens is budget dust! Unless Cooke remakes these lenses, the prices of these lenses will hold their value. And those equally wonderful lenses that are more readily available will still be easily found at modest prices.

Asher

[mikec]

lovely image Asher, captures not only light, but soul aswell. Pertinent comments.

[John Kasaian]

Thanks Hugo for a cool article! :)

[seawolf66]

Hugo: thanks for reminding us that all does not have to be totaly Sharp as a Tack [Like the one, some people have sat on by accident: at one time or another:]

[Asher Kelman]

Michael Fontana is an Architectural Photographer in Switzerland. He was photographing some interesting very modern buildings, just casual shots with his point and shoot, for fun.

Then he saw the same image through the representation of Hiroshi Sugimoto, who racks the focus of his LF camera to blur the famous post modern architectural icons.

See Michael's pics and the Sugimoto interpretation of the same view, .

So what was said at the 100 years ago still goes for today!

Also, the award winning modern Photographer, Rainer Viertlböck from Munich, does impressively detailed architectural work. But his some of his own private art work is done with a slow shutter!


Asher

[Asher Kelman]

In fact, Hugo is so right for remind people of what artists have known for a long time. We are moved by shapes and shadows.. Our brains are built to take on the marvelous challenge of parsing, classifying, sorting and ranking all objects around us continuously in microseconds. To protect us from mental exhaustion, we are not made aware of all this matching and comparing going on all the while we look at a scene and muse about what we'll do that evening. By protecting us from all that slurry of information, we are spared getting mental overload.

So when we see an image that's ultrasharp and full of detail, the brain is presented with a scene that's unusual. for when we look out, some things are clearer than others. Much of the periphery is really not so well drawn in our brains.

By using unsharp images, we allow the person observing to work their libraries in the "Cathedral of the Mind". We are better off allowing for some wandering for our imagination. That we we can more readily bring our own experience, preferences, necessities and fantasies to work in appreciating the art.

Details, however, stifle choice. Detail is fine for building, disassembling what's built or and buying, but not for not so much for pleasure! For that we must have a choice to wander off and too much detail prevents that! Softness, is one such quality that allows us un-regimented viewing pleasure!

Asher

[Caitoav]

Sorry, but I can't seem to find e article?

[Jim Jones]

More important than artistic lenses is artistic vision with whatever lens the photographer uses. An artist should not need another artist editing the World for him: he can enjoy the World through his own vision. Detail in a photograph gives more for the artist to appreciate. Pablum is for babes.