soft focus lens used by Hitchcock?

[gbogatko]

I've been watching Vertigo. Many scenes shot with a SF lens.
Lots of other of his films have similar scenes.

Anyone have a clue what maker/size/focal length?

George

[Mark Woods]

Hello George, because of the problems of matching lenses, the soft images you see (generally on the women) are probably made with a Mitchell Diffusion or a net in front of the lens. The Mitchell diffusion are made by Panchro Mirror and Tiffen makes a similar filter called the Classic Soft.

[goamules]

I think Wollensak made the Veritgo along with the Verito, Versar, Velostimat, etc.

[goamules]

Hello George, because of the problems of matching lenses, the soft images you see (generally on the women) are probably made with a Mitchell Diffusion or a net in front of the lens. The Mitchell diffusion are made by Panchro Mirror and Tiffen makes a similar filter called the Classic Soft.

Mark, do you have any written information that studios used this? There were soft focus cine lens.

[Jody_S]

I think Wollensak made the Veritgo along with the Verito, Versar, Velostimat, etc.

So who made the Avian?

[goamules]

The Birds.

[dsphotog]

The Birds.

The Birds made something soft, but it wasn't a lens.

[Mark Woods]

In the S3D workshop presented by Sony, the instructor went into some detail about matching lenses. For example, no zooms were used in the shot, although they might be used as a prime. Also, they were very large and not of the best quality. The primes had to be carefully matched and the soft focus lenses would be even more difficult. The diffusion was usually the go to solution. I had the good fortune to meet and work with quite a few of the "classic" cinematographers. A whole different bred from today's Cinematographers.

[gbogatko]

Thanks Mark! That makes sense.

[Leszek Vogt]

Diffusion can also be accomplished by using (true) Dior stocking and by placing it at the back of the lens....and several cinematographers used this technique. Not sure what was done on Hitch's set.

Les