Excessively sharp lenses

[Joseph Dickerson]

For portrait work I used to use Zeiss softars. Don't know if they're still available though.

They came in different strengths and had a nice "glow" to them.

For my RB lenses I placed black tule, fabric store ladies hat netting, behind the lens held in place with a cut out rubber lens cap. You can increase the effect by adding more layers.

JD

[C. D. Keth]

Primarily because it has been repeated so often for so long.

BTW, I have first-hand experience that vaseline washes off. My car was vandalized once by some punks (unproven allegation but I stand by it) who smeared vaseline all over my windshield, mirrors, and door handles. Water didn't work well, but Windex amoniated window cleaner and a healthy dose of elbow-grease cut through it.

That is probably all there is to it. Lots of people repeating things they've never tried. I, unfortunately, have lots of experience cleaning vaseline off filters. I've done it for many music videos. For a very kitch-styled B&W feature, I even made a whole set of soft smeary-vignette filters with vaseline. We used those for the whole show even though they had to be stored in a cooler so the vaseline wouldn't run over time. The best cleaning routine I found out was to first rinse with boiling water to remove the bulk of the vaseline and then clean with 99% denatured alcohol you can get at drug stores.

[john borrelli]

For what it's worth here is another vote for Photoshop or similar software. Why?

Because you can soften images you have already taken. What you might find is what you wanted, now that you have it, isn't so great. This is because you are using a high contrast high sharpness outfit, which along with it's portability, are it's strengths. If you want a system that was designed to be soft and fuzzy(when needed) you might need a different camera system. Mamiya tried to do that with the RB and RZ.

Another nice thing about giving photoshop a try is that you can select specific areas you want to be soft in the image.

[John Kasaian]

Someone actually suggested the Vaseline trick to me once as a REAL solution... Wow... Yea I'm going to smear Vaseline on my B+W MRC filter... I think not... Lol

Then use K-Y. Water soluable. OR just get a cheap uncoated filter if you want to slightly degrade your images.

[StoneNYC]

It'll wash right off. It doesn't make a diffusion, though. I don't know why people think that. It makes a straight up directional smear.



Another diffusion to experiment with is hairspray. Spray some into the air and pass a clear filter through the cloud. You'll have to play with how much to spray and how many times to pass the filter through to get different strengths. Getting a light diff is harder to do than a heavy one.

I don't know what Vaseline you use, but mine certainly doesn't "wash right off" it's not at all water based, there's a reason they used it in napalm grenades, because it STICKS

[StoneNYC]

Primarily because it has been repeated so often for so long.

BTW, I have first-hand experience that vaseline washes off. My car was vandalized once by some punks (unproven allegation but I stand by it) who smeared vaseline all over my windshield, mirrors, and door handles. Water didn't work well, but Windex amoniated window cleaner and a healthy dose of elbow-grease cut through it.

This is MRC glass though not car paint... Cleaning that is not easy without scratching it. Lol

[C. D. Keth]

I don't know what Vaseline you use, but mine certainly doesn't "wash right off" it's not at all water based, there's a reason they used it in napalm grenades, because it STICKS

I know it's not water based. That's why I never suggested trying to dissolve it with water.

If you read my post above, I wrote (I'll highlight the important bit for you) "first rinse with boiling water." Boiling water will melt the vaseline into a liquid and mechanically move most of it off of the filter and down the drain. That just leaves you with a little film to cut with a solvent.

[StoneNYC]

I know it's not water based. That's why I never suggested trying to dissolve it with water.

If you read my post above, I wrote (I'll highlight the important bit) "first rinse with boiling water." Boiling water will melt the vaseline into a liquid and mechanically move most of it off of the filter and down the drain. That just leaves you with a little film to cut with a solvent.

Right and you want me to put solvent on my filter though. I guess I'm just skeptical about the idea.

Ok it's an option.

[C. D. Keth]

Right and you want me to put solvent on my filter though. I guess I'm just skeptical about the idea.

Ok it's an option.

Yeah, a solvent. What do you think lens fluid is?

I have usually done it with 6x6 movie camera filters (a flat, the cheapest thing you can buy in that size, costs $250) and I didn't get charged a single penny of L&D. It's glass and metal. Unless I am forgetting a lot about high school chemistry, neither of those are alcohol soluble.

[StoneNYC]

I have usually done it with 6x6 movie camera filters (a flat, the cheapest thing you can buy in that size costs $250) and I didn't get charged a single penny of L&D. It's glass and metal. Unless I am forgetting a lot about high school chemistry, neither of those are alcohol soluble. On a daily basis I handle a camera that costs as much as your house and lenses that cost more than your car. My point is I'm not just talking out of my ass.

I know you aren't as you spoke of actually doing it unlike most that talk of theory. I respect your knowledge I just also recognize the quality needed for motion is less than stills.

I also work in the movie industry so I've seen some pretty crazy things, I just don't see Vaseline as an alternative to like a Hollywood Black Magic filter at 2 stops or some other alternative. My lenses are in the $2,000 range which is sadly as much as my car LOL my house is $300,000. So you must be using Panavision type cameras, I don't think even the RED cameras go for that much, and with the availability of 4K Canon cameras now, it's an interesting new ballgame...

I just don't like the Vaseline trick, too messy, I would try the stocking trick. But would just buy a filter as a first option, that's why they make them

I didn't mean to insult you BTW you were offering advice, I was just saying it wouldn't be my first choice is all.