Saw this image somewhere on the web. Love it. Assuming it's 4x5 minimum, if not 8x10, with the wacked background. Any thoughts on what lens approximately would give this effect? Xenotar 150 2.8? Komura 152? It feels wide-angle, like a 90 or 75 on 4x5, but can't imagine that fast a lens, unless it was just the background content in the scene that's tricking me. Thanks.
Looks more like a mirror lens and small format.
Ian
I don't have any idea specifically which lens, but this is generally an effect associated with Petzval lenses.
I doubt that it is a mirror lens because mirror lenses tend to show "doughnuts" in the out of focus areas, rather than a "ellipses", on the spot points.
You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~ Mark Twain
I've seen a few images posted around the net with that general "look" that weren't petzvals and the common feature was fast lens shot wide open
the photographer seems to have picked a background that accentuates the aberration
and I'm guessing that it's cropped because the background distortions don't seem to be centred around the middle of the image
do you remember where you found it? if so, it might be possible to track it back to source ???
Kodak Aerial Ektar 178 f2.5
My personal opinion is I don't like the bokeh with the discs. Other's do though. Subjective opinion. That's the Kodak's signature though.
Im with Jim on this one, 178 Areo Ektar wide open on 4X5. What does Jim win?
I am curious why you think a wide angle lens would achieve this effect.Originally Posted by marktucker
I ask because a 90mm or 75mm would have the subject and background pretty much in focus. Whereas here the background is out of focus. This means a telephoto / long focal length lens was used. Since many 4x5 photographers like the very fast (?f/2.8?) Aero Ektar lenses, that is what I suspect made this.
I will have to experiment with a similar setup with my 300mm f/5.6 Rodenstock Sironar-N to see what kind of swirly background it gets, if any.
›
BTW, you can make a swirly background happen with your long focal length lenses. Just cut out a pattern then stick it into a filter holder attached to the front of your lens. Shoot wide open. The out of focus highlights will be the pattern that you cut out. Remember to put the pattern in upside down so it will appear right-reading in the final image.
You can use this technique at holidays to create patterns in light sources. For example you could cut out a pumpkin shape then stick it as I described in front of your lens. Photograph some children in the foreground with light sources far in the background. The out of focus light sources will appear as pumpkins.
Remember that the pattern will cut out some light, just like the aperture in your lens does. So you will need to adjust your exposure to compensate for the light loss. One easy way to test the light loss is to use the pattern on a digital camera lens.
Looks like 4x5 with an aero ektar or petzval with a little bit of rise to move the swirl up the photo a little.
I first thought Petzval but Jim may be right about Aero Ektar. It doesn't look wide angle to me.
Of course my opinion is probably the least qualified on here for this subject but that's what it looks like to me.
Thank you all for taking the time.
I owned John Minnicks homemade camera, last year, that had the 178 Kodak Aero on it. Yes a magical lens when shot wide open. Maybe this is the case. I ran the image thru TinEye and found nothing, and the Meta showed nothing either.
Agree that maybe the content of the scene accentuates the circles in back. Felt wide angle maybe to me, due to model being in the bottom of frame. Not sure why I say that, the scene just feels wide angle womp to me, a bit.
Trying desperately to create nearly this effect on 35mm camera format, or even Contax/Mamiya medium format. Not sure it's possible. Thank you.
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