soft focus lens used by Hitchcock?

[gbogatko]

I've been watching Vertigo. Many scenes shot with a SF lens.
Lots of other of his films have similar scenes.

Anyone have a clue what maker/size/focal length?

George

[Mark Woods]

Hello George, because of the problems of matching lenses, the soft images you see (generally on the women) are probably made with a Mitchell Diffusion or a net in front of the lens. The Mitchell diffusion are made by Panchro Mirror and Tiffen makes a similar filter called the Classic Soft.

[goamules]

I think Wollensak made the Veritgo along with the Verito, Versar, Velostimat, etc.

[goamules]

Hello George, because of the problems of matching lenses, the soft images you see (generally on the women) are probably made with a Mitchell Diffusion or a net in front of the lens. The Mitchell diffusion are made by Panchro Mirror and Tiffen makes a similar filter called the Classic Soft.

Mark, do you have any written information that studios used this? There were soft focus cine lens.

[Jody_S]

I think Wollensak made the Veritgo along with the Verito, Versar, Velostimat, etc.

So who made the Avian?

[goamules]

The Birds.

[dsphotog]

The Birds.

The Birds made something soft, but it wasn't a lens.

[Mark Woods]

In the S3D workshop presented by Sony, the instructor went into some detail about matching lenses. For example, no zooms were used in the shot, although they might be used as a prime. Also, they were very large and not of the best quality. The primes had to be carefully matched and the soft focus lenses would be even more difficult. The diffusion was usually the go to solution. I had the good fortune to meet and work with quite a few of the "classic" cinematographers. A whole different bred from today's Cinematographers.

[gbogatko]

Thanks Mark! That makes sense.

[Leszek Vogt]

Diffusion can also be accomplished by using (true) Dior stocking and by placing it at the back of the lens....and several cinematographers used this technique. Not sure what was done on Hitch's set.

Les

[Leszek Vogt]

Here is the excerpt of Bogdanovich interviewing Hitch in '63 (about Vertigo).

Now, as soon as she comes out, he sees a ghost - he sees the other woman. That's why I played her in a green light. You see, in the earlier part - which is purely in the mind of Stewart -- when he is watching this girl go from place to place, when she is really faking, behaving like a woman of the past - in order to get this slightly subtle quality of a dreamlike nature although it was bright sunshine, I hot the film through a fog filter and I got a green effect - fog over bright sunshine. That's why, when she comes out of the bathroom, I played her in the green light. That's why I chose the Empire Hotel in Post Street - because it had a green neon sign outside the window. I wanted to establish that green light flashing all the time. So that when we need it, we've got it. I slid the soft, fog lens over, and as she came forward, for a moment he got the image of the past. Then as her face came up to him, I slipped the soft effect away, and he came back to reality. She had come back from the dead, and he felt it, and knew it, and probably was even bewildered - until he saw the locket - and then he knew he had been tricked.

Les

[Mark Sawyer]

In the S3D workshop presented by Sony, the instructor went into some detail about matching lenses. For example, no zooms were used in the shot, although they might be used as a prime. Also, they were very large and not of the best quality. The primes had to be carefully matched and the soft focus lenses would be even more difficult. The diffusion was usually the go to solution...

Mark, could you tell us what characteristics they were matching? Diffusion screens would lower the contrast more than going to a soft lens.

[Mark Woods]

Nets BTL were not used much with the old Baltars since the entire lens rotated when focused. Any highlight would have a star appearance that would rotate as the lens was focused. The Fogal was the popular choice in the 80's when many Cinematographers (including me) used them. One had to pay attention to the weave when placing them on the rear element to achieve the placement of the highlight one desired. I still believe the Mitchell/Panchro diffusion was used. Tiffen makes a version called the Classic Soft filter.

[Leszek Vogt]

Hmmm, can't say for certain, and with ll due respect, but I'd guess that H&H filter was used.

Les

[Mark Woods]

Hello Mark,

Diffusion filters I've described do not lower the contrast, only the acuity if the image. H&H filters by Hank Sr. were quite good, but to my knowledge didn't include the "pure" diffusion as opposed to the fogs he produced.