That Elusive "Swirly" Bokeh

[eddie]

nope. i do not mind at all. thanks for all the help and info.

eddie

[Erich Hoeber]

What Jim said. Here's a 5" petzval on 4x5:

[Jim Galli]

What Jim said. Here's a 5" petzval on 4x5:

Erich, those are spectacular. Personally I go for the shorter lens and feel the vignette just adds to the character.

[Neil Purling]

I note that the Vitax, while it has the bokeh... Well it just isn't sharp enough in the centre of the field. Can you vary the central sharpness, or is that just how it always is?

[Ash]

Dammit... now I HAVE to get a swirly-bokeh lens!

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Hi Neil,

"I note that the Vitax, while it has the bokeh... Well it just isn't sharp enough in the centre of the field. Can you vary the central sharpness, or is that just how it always is?"

I have all 3 Vitax and they are brutally sharp in the center at the 0 setting. Dialing up the soft focus setting does induce abberations and changes the focal length quite a bit. The petzval all have a curved depth of field AND a curved depth of focus so the GG has to be in exact register with the film. The 10.5 inch Vitax does NOT cover 8x10 to the corners at inf, just checked.

Good morning people.

[Neil Purling]

I heard that a photographer would ask the outer members of a group shot to step forwards so as to be as sharp as those in the middle. I take it that the zone of sharpness would curve towards the camera in the dge of the field?

[C. D. Keth]

I heard that a photographer would ask the outer members of a group shot to step forwards so as to be as sharp as those in the middle. I take it that the zone of sharpness would curve towards the camera in the dge of the field?

Yup. The curved field will move toward the lens on the edges on both sides of the lens (that is in front of, and behind.)