I have several soft focus lenses, but none in shutter, and none light enough I would carry them around with my 4x5. I've read up on the fujinon and imagon, and neither seems like what I'm looking for. Any suggestions as to what I could or should be looking for?
Tim, I have 2 early 1900's Cooke converted to work with Copal 3 by SK Grimes. One is a 7.5 Series II with soft focus control (non-knuckler, you just unscrew the back elements out) and the other is a 8.5" Series IV without such control. I actually like the 7.5 at its "sharpest" setting, which is just a tad softer than the 8.5. The bokeh is extremely creamy on both lens. With the conversion, I only use the apertures on the lenses.
The lens themselves are tiny, smaller than the equivalent focal length Plasmat, but Copal 3 is large of course. The whole thing is still fairly small though. No worse than my 150mm Fuji/5.6 I would guess.
Since I have gotten a Cooke PS945, I am having the 7.5" converted to Hassy to be used on my 203FE. It's being done now so not sure how that will look.
Thanks Richard. That sounds interesting. I'll keep my eyes out for a similar lens. (I have a Cooke knuckler, but there is no way I would ever walk around with it, as it weighs something like five kilos).
Jim Galli sometimes sell something in a small shutter, or makes them on request.
Ever consider soft focus filters?
One of these.Originally Posted by jp
Dan, That sure looks sweet, and I have a three I could screw it into, but unfortunately thats a little steep for me!
Brian, I have considered filters. I know I guy that used to do some pretty nice stuff wit a black stocking, and maybe I should give that a try, but seems more diffusion than soft (if that makes sense).
Jim, something like that might be good, but I would be more interested in the 150-210 range. Maybe a 180.
"Send money," my song.
I know what you mean, and yes a "SF" filter is diffusion rather than softness. For LF ive used the Fujinon and been very happy with it. I like very small amounts of softness and can get that, or if desire is to go crazy with lots of softness can do that too. Mostly I just want to "break the edge". In 35 mm format I've wasted a lot of money on diffusion filters trying to find one I like. DUTO seems best to me for small levels of diffusion and a softfocus-ish look.
Recently I looked at a bunch of soft focus filters. Like Brian, a Heliopan Duto was my favorite, but all of this depends heavily on format, enlargement size, lighting, subject....
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
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