Just jumping on the soft focus band-wagon here... Does anybody knows whether Edward did use Cooke's lens for his early soft focus images? If he does, then I will definitely be getting one of the modern version. I hoped it is as soft though.
Renee
Just jumping on the soft focus band-wagon here... Does anybody knows whether Edward did use Cooke's lens for his early soft focus images? If he does, then I will definitely be getting one of the modern version. I hoped it is as soft though.
Renee
I hope you're sitting down when you see the price for the new Cooke soft focus ?4.5 229mm Portrait lens. It's $3500.00US at Badger when available. I'd play with soft focus or fog filters or scarch-up an old UV filter or panty hose or mesh to get the same or close effects for a lot less. Good Luck nad I hope you win the Lotto.. FWB
Why would you want to buy a new version? I don't mean to impose my ideas, but have you considered a Wallensack Verito? It is a beautiful lens, it marries soft focus with shallow depth of field and as you might know already it does things that a smeared filter won't
An Imagon works beautifully also... There are number of soft focus lens/filters ect. out there and alot can be saved because soft focus lens aren't for every picture.
Cooke's lens is based on the Pinkham-Smith type IV, which I believe was a much later design than Weston's pictorialist days. I think Weston used a Verito.
Why use a modern one? It will come in a modern shutter, and will be in new condition, with modern glass and coatings. Granted, maximum contrast is not the objective of soft-focus photography, and there might be something to the old glass that gave those lenses their distinctive look, but I'd be interested to see what the new ones do. Vaseline, effects filters, and such cannot reproduce the effects of a real soft-focus lens (the Zeiss Softars come closest), and each design has its own look.
I may have missed something, but can't find any reference in the Cooke information about its new 229 that indicates whether the lens will actually be coated, either single or multi.
Hmmm..., may be it won't be.
Renee, Fuji makes two soft focus lenses. A 180 and a 250. Both are three element design, and they have a variable softness feature. You can buy four, or five of them for the same price as the new Cooke. Check with Badgergraphics or Midwest Photo Exchange. Of course, Edward didn't use Fuji lenses. Perhaps that is the reason for the extreme price of the Cooke. A three element lens for $3400?? Give me a break!! P.S. Soft is only important in toilet paper.
The Pinkham-Smith type IV is a highly desirable lens among soft-focus users. Lens & Repro has a 12" in a Studio shutter, in what sounds like so-so condition for $1000:
http://www.lensrepro.com/USED/used-lgf.htm
Soft-focus is a small market, but I bet Cooke will sell some lenses.
Before you spend the $3400.00, play around with these on another lens, Black Toule net, Tiffen black net, Zeiss softars, Gossamer, Tiffen fog 2(frontal light from a softbox), Tiffen 'old style' diffusion fiters, vaseline on glass, and lastly the Wollensak Velostigmat examples of which are around for $200.00-$450.00.
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