DIY soft focus

[Peter De Smidt]

The HP5 will help, that's for sure.

Sorry about the detour, Michael. I'm looking forward to seeing some photos with your DIY lens!

[mdarnton]

Michael, was your intent for others to share their DIY results as well, or do you prefer to have this thread to share your own results?

No, go ahead. No problem.

I started this thread because the idea of being able to go out and buy the specific pieces to assemble a definite modern product rather than salvaging would provide repeatability, but I don't mind other ideas

[Jim Galli]

Here is one from the session with the binocular doublet.

Model A Woody at the Mizpah

The focal length seemed to be about 8 inch so I chose 5X7. Perhaps a little too weak off center, it might be a good choice with 4X5. Even better since there's 2, maybe I should split the 57 frame and do stereo 3.5X5's with the 2 lenses.

[cowanw]

I'm looking forward to this discussion. I've explored SF in all formats. In LF all attempts have led me back to the same solution. My experience is different from yours in that the DIY solutions are fun to explore but never satisfy me.

Can anyone tell me what this was made with:
- Softar filter
- Duto filter
- Fujinon SF
- Imagon
- other antique SF-type lens


Attachment 150213

I will guess a Velostigmat with SF adjustment

[Jim Galli]

I'm looking forward to this discussion. I've explored SF in all formats. In LF all attempts have led me back to the same solution. My experience is different from yours in that the DIY solutions are fun to explore but never satisfy me.

Can anyone tell me what this was made with:
- Softar filter
- Duto filter
- Fujinon SF
- Imagon
- other antique SF-type lens


... but for some reason I can't seem to upload a pic. I'll keep trying.

Okay... figured that out, thanks to the thread in the Feedback section. Obviously I don't post enough pics to remember how to do it!

Apologies, I think this image started as a scan of a contact print.

Attachment 150213

I will guess a Velostigmat with SF adjustment

Confused. A search seems to indicate that image was in the fuji soft focus thread posted by BrianShaw

[BrianShaw]

That looks like a normal lens stopped down a bit with Julia Margaret Cameron-style missed (front) focus to me rather than any of the choices you offered, but it's not really the kind of subject that shows off soft focus well. It doesn't have the ethereal look that I am searching for, at any rate.

What kind of results do you like that you are not getting?

That's not the answer but I appreciate the comparison to JMC. That is a style I quite enjoy but not the look I particularly want to achieve in my work. The problem I always have in these SF discussions is the diversity of opinion on what the correct SF look is, etc. What I'm looking for is almost exclusively is to just "break the edges" on portraits.

In 35mm and MF I tend to like the looks from a duto. I have almost every SF filter ever made and have done comparisons. Duto is my favorite and Tiffen SoftFX1 are the only ones I use. The others were interesting for experimentation and comparison, though.

For that one, I used a Fujinon SF with yellow disk and I recall it being almost wide open. I think the film was Bergger 200. I thought I focused good and tried to do so... but with that little DOF it doesn't surprise me that I missed the mark a bit.

I would love to use SF for the ethereal in images other than portraits. As example, the works of David Hamilton are the look I'd like to achieve. Maybe he sometimes has too much glow for my taste, but that's the best examples I can think of.

[BrianShaw]

Confused. A search seems to indicate that image was in the fuji soft focus thread posted by BrianShaw

You shouldn't be confused. You did some sleuthing and found the answer. Good work! But I'm confused by your confusion.

[mdarnton]

Ah, well that unfocused look, with nothing added, is exactly why my Fujinon is in pieces in front of me right now-- being unable to do more than this, making me think I need to clean my glasses:


Dan K
by Michael Darnton, on Flickr

[Jim Galli]

You shouldn't be confused. You did some sleuthing and found the answer. Good work! But I'm confused by your confusion.

Easily confused these days. I probably spoiled everone's fun. Sorry.

[BrianShaw]

Ah, well that unfocused look, with nothing added, is exactly why my Fujinon is in pieces in front of me right now.

So that's a good way of saying what troubles me. I can't seem to find consensus on what is perceived as the unfocused look versus the soft focus look. I have my idea but everyone else has theirs. In the contact print that image looks soft, not unfocused. But just saying that doesn't make it so. You may look at the neg and the contact print and still think it is a Julia Margaret Cameron-style inability to focus.

And not to insult anyone (intentionally)... the supershallow unfocused images from makeshift or primitive lenses just don't do a thing for me. Not even from a fun experimental perspective. Sometimes it is so sad to be me.

I only wish that I were a more avid scanner to put a few more images into the discussion. I could chat about this until the cows come home. One day I'd like to not only figure out what is SF and what isn't SF... and maybe come up with a solution that more people will like than dislike. For now, though, the Fujinon meets my LF SF needs and some folks actually are complimentary about the resulting images.