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Thread: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

  1. #1
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    I have a beat up old knuckler I picked up on a recent trip. Its missing the front ring that normally has the focal length and name, but I think it is a Series II. I could just experiment with it to see what it does, but I'm out of fixer

    So, a few questions:

    - I'm not sure which direction to turn the ring for soft focus. Turning one direction moves the front element closer to the rear, while the other direction moves it away from the rear element. I cannot see the softness in the ground glass. Should I be able to? (I have not used a loupe yet)

    - Turned all the way in one direction the focal length is about 9", while the other way its 11 1/2". Is that normal, or is something put together wrong?

    - is the softness dependent or independent of aperture? I mean, if I stop it down with the softness on maximum, will it be sharp, or still diffused?

    Thanks for your help

  2. #2
    multiplex
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    hi tim

    i have never used a cooke knuckler ... maybe this link might be of some help
    http://www.antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenses2.html

    good luck!
    john

  3. #3
    indecent exposure cosmicexplosion's Avatar
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    craig tuffin from this forum uses one...
    through a glass darkly...

  4. #4
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Thanks John. I looked at that earlier. It is primarily testimonials and lens information, rather than instructions.

    Cheers, Tim

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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Hi Tim.

    An image of your lens would help determing what type it is...

    I have two. When I hold the lens, pointing away from me, the soft focus turn is anti clock wise - (left turn) - sharp is clock wise.

    iirc, when I see my image on the matt screen, I can see the softness, bu tmore suttle than onother SF lenses.
    And again iirc, I think it is correct that the FL changes turning the soft focus. So chose the SF first - then focus.

    In my ecperience the amount of soft focus is bigger on the negative than you'd think.

    Also the direction of the light is of importance - backlight makes glowing whites...

    I have a couple of examples. See attach.

    Have fun and try it soon. rather addictive!!

    BTW: the amount of softness is biggest on full aperture.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails cooke-14-01.jpg   cooke01.jpg  

  6. #6

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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Yeah. A picture and some measurements of the size of the actual lens. Flange. Etc etc will help to determine which u have.

    We know it is probably a 9 Inch lens or thereabouts.

    I have several different series to compare to and Have handled pretty much all of the "regular" offerings from Cooke. So I hope to be able to help u.

    Generally it takes lots of practice to see softness on many of the "sf" lenses. As a general rule any lens that has a mechanical softness dial I do not consider "true" sf lenses. BUT anyway with the mechanically adjusted lenses it is very hard to see the softness. Without lots of practice. Also subject matter comes into play.

    Eddie
    My YouTube Channel has many interesting videos on Soft Focus Lenses and Wood Cameras. Check it out.

    My YouTube videos
    oldstyleportraits.com
    photo.net gallery

  7. #7
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Thank you Emil. That's very helpful. I'll try to post a picture of the lens tomorrow, and buy some fixer so I can start using it! I like the backlight effect of these soft-focus lenses. If you had to choose between the Cooke, and a Universal Heliar, which would you prefer? Or are they so different I should keep both..

    Cheers, Tim

  8. #8

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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Meisburger View Post
    Thank you Emil. That's very helpful. I'll try to post a picture of the lens tomorrow, and buy some fixer so I can start using it! I like the backlight effect of these soft-focus lenses. If you had to choose between the Cooke, and a Universal Heliar, which would you prefer? Or are they so different I should keep both..

    Cheers, Tim
    Arck....

    would I keep my father or my mother?

    I'd keep them both. The ones I have I will never sell.
    I love them both, even though they are similar (as far as I know) in the soft focusing.

    And then I'd go look for more exotic sf lenses .... plasticca ex.

  9. #9
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Emil, that's what I thought you would say!

    Eddie, I went and got the lens and a loupe and was finally able to decipher what is written int he black band. It says:
    Cooke Portrait Anastigmat No. 415841 10 ½ Inch 270mm Series II E f4.5, so now I know. Why don't you like the lenses with mechanical softening? What would be better?

    Here is a cell phone picture.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #10
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: How to use a Cooke Soft Focus Portrait Anastigmat (knuckler)

    Interesting. Now that I know what the lens is I googled it and came up with this LFP thread from 2010: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...mat-4-5-10-5in. The lens is the same, and the serial number is just three off from mine! Condition is quite different, of course, as mine came from a country where it was probably in daily use until a few years ago.

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