Excessively sharp lenses

[E. von Hoegh]

I agreed until I had a 40yo client who thought she looked 16 and was upset at all her wrinkles round her eyes and doing research fond a very specific diffusion filter that would help with that immensely

So, we learn and grow

I use a 16 1/2" Artar as a portrait lens. If the subject doesn't like it, she doesn't have to sit. Of course, I'm no professional so it doesn't matter.

[Terry Hull]

One last question-and thanks again to all of you!

Would a green filter, tone down the lenses a bit in skin tones?

[StoneNYC]

One last question-and thanks again to all of you!

Would a green filter, tone down the lenses a bit in skin tones?

I think green will make people black looking...

[C. D. Keth]

I don't know what you mean by "the lenses" in skin tone. A green filter will make the texture in skin come out stronger and will make people with a red or pink skintone look ruddy. It's something often done on men because it looks quite rugged. On a woman, it's not very flattering. It can be interesting but not something to do if you want the picture to be kind to her.

[gevalia]

Ladies stocking over the lens. An oldie but a goodie.

[paulr]

Just curious, what are these lenses for the Mamiya that are too sharp?

I don't understand the worry about ruining a good filter. If you were going to add hairspray or other goo for softening, wouldn't you use a cheap-o filter?

If you are working digitally, I would absolutely try the myriad tools available in photoshop. If darkroom printing, I'd be curious about what you could in the printing process ... filtering the enlarger lens, stopping it down for diffraction, defocussing it, substituting a non-flat field lens, etc. etc...

[Brian C. Miller]

I suppose this thread should link to this one: Convert normal lenses to soft focus

I was messing around with my Wollensak Versar, and I found that by unscrewing the front element a bit, the image became sharper. So that's one trick that the manufacturer used to create a portrait lens, was to change the distance between the elements a little bit. In this case, the elements were moved a bit closer to each other. I've read on the forum that elements would be unscrewed, to move them farther from each other.

I haven't really messed with the current Photoshop tools. But what's unique about softening at the camera lens is that the highlights bleed into the shadows, whereas when the image is softened in the enlarger, the shadows bleeds into the highlights. That could make for an interesting Heaven and Hell pair of images.

[StoneNYC]

Just curious, what are these lenses for the Mamiya that are too sharp?

I don't understand the worry about ruining a good filter. If you were going to add hairspray or other goo for softening, wouldn't you use a cheap-o filter?

If you are working digitally, I would absolutely try the myriad tools available in photoshop. If darkroom printing, I'd be curious about what you could in the printing process ... filtering the enlarger lens, stopping it down for diffraction, defocussing it, substituting a non-flat field lens, etc. etc...

The 43mm specifically is purportedly like the biogon Leica lens and is essentially perfect sharpness.

But all the Mamiya 7 lenses are SUPER sharp.

I don't own any cheap filters.

I have never tried Vaseline but I still think the idea is ludicrous but I suppose in a pinch its better than nothing.

Sharp lenses are like HD televisions, things are so sharp lines on older women's faces are accentuated and sometimes that can be bad.

To each their own.

[paulr]

TI don't own any cheap filters..

Ok, but with them being cheap and all, you could pick one just to experiment. People don't like cheap filters because they degrade image quality, but this is what you're trying to do. A bit of veiling flare would only help matters.

But all the Mamiya 7 lenses are SUPER sharp.

I'm just curious because I'm waiting for the release of a Schneider small format lens that's based on a 28mm they designed for Mamiya. I'm concerned because the MTF charts of the original lens aren't so impressive. Have you used any of the later model 28s?

[E. von Hoegh]

The 43mm specifically is purportedly like the biogon Leica lens and is essentially perfect sharpness.

But all the Mamiya 7 lenses are SUPER sharp.

I don't own any cheap filters.

I have never tried Vaseline but I still think the idea is ludicrous but I suppose in a pinch its better than nothing.

Sharp lenses are like HD televisions, things are so sharp lines on older women's faces are accentuated and sometimes that can be bad.

To each their own.

Proper lighting (in a studio setting) will take care of this.