Are Process Lenses Good for Taking Portraits?

[nick rowan]

Are process/flat field lenses, such as the Schneider G-Claron, Rodenstock Apo-Ro nar (contemporary) or Goerz/Schneider Artar or Red Dot Artar (classic) ok to use for taking portraits, at say 5-10 feet from the camera? I have read and heard that many large format photographers use these lenses in the field for shooting landscapes and scenics--primarily because they are smaller and lighter and thus easier to transport--but am wondering if these same lenses will deliver OPTIMAL results when focused at much closer camera-to-subject distances, such as in a p ortrait situation, in both a studio setting as well as on location. Some people have told me that the flat field lens is designed for producing optimal results ONLY at 1:1 (and moreover, only at f/22); others have told me that this is not t rue, and that a good "copy" or "process" or "flat field" lens--as long as it is of good quality--will work excellently at any focused distance (and at several a peratures of f/22 and smaller). I am more aware of the latter group defending th ese lenses in their use for infinity-work (ie for landscapes, vistas, scenics et c) than for all the focused distances BETWEEN infinity and 1:1, such as would be encountered in a half-figure portrait at 5 feet, for example. To that end, I wo uld be interested in hearing from anyone who has used the process lens for porta iture, not just for scenics. Is the process lens for this use just as good--ie j ust as sharp--as a "standard-design lens", such as the Rodenstock Sironar N or S or the Schneider Apo-Symmar? Or would the "standard-design lens" perform bette r than a flat-field lens for portaiture? Or, on the other hand, would the flat- field lens--precisely because it is optimized for 1:1 work--actually yield SHARP ER pictures than the standard-design lens, at such close distances? Finally, of all the process/flat-field/copy lenses available, which in your opinion do you think are the best (the sharpest, yielding the best tonality etc) or which do yo u like the best--taking into account of course the ultimate subjectivity of all such judgments. I will be using this lens primarily for 4 x 5 work as a long le ns (but possibly for 8 x 10 too) for photographing people--and am considering fo cal lengths of between about 300mm and 480mm.

[jim Ryder]

I have used a 150mm red dot artar to good effect in out door 3/4 portraits on a 4x5. Mine is extremely sharp with not too much contrast. Nice sharp liquid eyes, nice lines on the skin. These portraits are contact printed or enlarged slightly to 5x7. I would prefer a longer lens to get further away from the subject and to get better draw, but 150 works for now. I also have a nice 150mm 7.7 kodak anastigmat in a shutter which makes nice portraits. Even though uncoated it actually gives a littel more contrast and is almost just as sharp. The artar's strength is its sharpness which may or may not be a plus when attempting flattering commercial portraiture. But to capture the lines of emerging maturity it works well. I have no experience with top of the line modern optics to compare this to. If state of the art definition and sharpness is important to you and it sounds like it is you may want the more expensive lens. However, if there is any place where a picture can be too sharp, it is probably portraiture. Someone may want a sharper portrait than what an artar can deliver but I don't know who. Especially since very few portraits are enlarged very much.

[Doug Paramore]

Nick, The process lenses should exhibit excellent sharpness at portrait distances of five to ten feet even at larger aperatures. However, unless you really enjoy retouching I can't see why you want critical sharpness unless you are doing research on skin problems. Sharp lenses and large format negs are an awful combination for portraiture. At best, you could use a soft focus filter and take a little of the edge off, but that combination does not give the glow to skin tones that a softer focus lens if capable of. If you are going to use the lens promarily for portraits, why not get one of the variable sharpness lenses made for protraits. Just about any of the process lenses are sharp at closer ranges...they were made for reproduction of tiny letters and images in the printing industry. The Artars work well for scenics as do some of the other process lenses, but you need to do some testing. Some will have a focus shift at medium to long distances because they are optimized at close distances. It is not my intention to tell you what to use for portraits, but I sincerely believe that exteme sharpness is not the way to go. No one likes to see an image of themselves with every little flaw razor sharp. There is a difference in razor sharpness caused by the lens and the illusion of sharpness brought about by proper lighting and contrast. Good shooting, Doug

[nick rowan]

Jim,

Thank you for your early reply Jim--I would be interested, of course, in hearing from anybody else... In response to your answer, I should elaborate on my original question by saying that I am planning to make 20x black-and-white fibre enlargements from 4 x 5 black-and-white negatives--so that is one reason why SHARPNESS is so critical in my lens selection. Secondly, perhaps contrary to "traditional" portrait aesthetics, I am going for a very "harsh" or "clinical" or relatively "unflattering" effect in these portraits, so I would like to get a lens that will provide enough contrast or "punch". Are the older- design Artars and Red Dot Artars--as well as the newer G-Clarons and Apo-Ronars for that matter--noticeably lower in contrast (due to their single-as-opposed-to-multi-coating) than a multi-coated lens, such that these lenses would not be appropriate for my needs? Or do you feel this can be compensated for in the film/print processing? But these issues of lens coating and contrast aside, I am still interested in general whether the flat-field lens can perform just as well or is just as appropriately equipped as the normal-design lens for shooting half or quarter-figure portraits.

[C.W. Dean]

Speaking as a professional portrait photographer, I can verify that optically these process lenses will make fine images at the distances you mention but for my purposes, they are much too sharp and worse much too slow. I have used up to 24" Artars for portraits both commercially and experimentally with success. The bulk of my work is sold to individuals and they dislike sharp, sharp details especially skin blemishes and flaws which are rendered in minute detail by the process lenses. Also, consider that most are no faster than f:9, then figure how much light you need to expose at f:9 knowing that you'll probably want to stop down a bit. I guess my point is that they are fine lenses but you need a lot of light, a lot of working space, a lot of bellows, and subjects who won't complain about the razor sharp detail.

[nick rowan]

Doug,

Thanks alot for your reply.

I should have mentioned in my original question that sharpness is so critical in my lens selection because 1) I am making 20x mural-size fibre-based enlargements from 4 x 5 negatives and 2) deliberately going for a "non-traditional" harsh or clinical look in my portraits, with as much "unflattering" clarity and detail as possible. In addition to sharpness, I would like to get a lens that has adequate contrast or "punch". Do you think that the older non-coated or single-coated Artar or Red Dot Artar lenses--as well as the contemporary single-coated G-Claron or Apo-Ronar lenses--have enough CONTRAST to provide the result I am looking for? Or do you think that this lack of contrast--if there is one--could be made up completely in the film or paper processing (B/W)?

But getting back to the thrust of my original question--if you are saying that process lenses are perfectly fine for making portraits, why would photographers NOT use these lenses over "normal-design" lenses in these situations, given the fact that they are so much smaller, lighter, and less expensive? Or put a little differently, is there ever a time when a photographer would OPT DELIBERATELY to use a process lens for shooting a portrait, OVER using a normal-design lens? For the particular unique "look" or "effect" that it might yield, in contrast to the regular design? And if this is the case, exactly what might this AESTHETIC difference be between the pictures that these two types of lenses produce? (I have noticed a certain understandable "flattening" of space or volume so far in the 305 mm G- Claron I rented for my 4 x 5, but maybe I'm wrong about that.) Does the process/flat field/copy lens yield a different look than the normal-design lens, and if so can you describe or define what that look might be? Per your reply, would the process lens actually produce images SHARPER than normal design lenses--and thus would this lens be actually be BETTER SUITED than the normal design lens for making billboard-sized enlargements, as I am doing?

Your answers to as many of these questions as possible would be greatly appreciated--

Thanks alot.



Nick

[Ellis Vener]

I should think that your lighting will play a bigger part in the equation than t he lens choice (if you are choosing from modern lenses).

[The Masked Informer]

Process lenses are useless for portraiture, they're far too sharp! :-)

[jim Ryder]

Because you are working on the margin, I now believe you need the best, multicoated modern lens you can afford. For what ever reason, whether it is sharpness, contrast or draw your extreme application and expectation call for the best. No compromise no fear. I do notice that my artar is not as contrasty as other lenses I own. For your demand to capture skin tones in all their beauty I think contrast will be of utmost importance. It may be possible to adjust in the processing, but if the lens doesn't caputre the range it is gone. In your case I am surprised you are not moving up to 8x10 and greatly simplifying your problems. The magnification will be 1/2, resolution and tonal range greater and with an even larger camera your subjects may respond even better. If you have not already, look at Avedon's portraits, In the American West (I believe) which are also greatly enlarged. He used 8x10 and a very long lens. Learn how he did made these impeccable images.

[Pete Andrews]

With process lenses, we are talking about lenses made to the very highest standards. They are computed for higher colour correction than all but the most exotic of "normal" lenses, and for the very minimum of geometrical distortion. They are only cheap on the secondhand market because of this sort of snobbery. The cost new is what one would expect to pay for optics of the highest commercial quality. Neither is it true that they are more prone to flare. Their narrow acceptance angle probably makes them less susceptible to flare than many multi-coated general-purpose lenses. Besides, Nikkor have supplied all their process lenses with multi-coating for many years.

Put aside your glass prejudices and think about it. Until very recently, every image destined for reproduction, even at poster size, had to pass through one or more of these process lenses on its way to the printing press.