135mm to 180mm SOFT FOCUS LENS To Cover 4 X 5 For Pictorial

[Johnny Reno]

I want to do soft focus B&W infrared pictorial on 4 x 5. I would like to do it on a Crown Graphic. I love the Rodenstock Imagon and may have to settle for a 250mm to cover 4 x 5. But what I really want is 135mm to 150mm. I know there are short SF lenses but this must cover 4 x 5. I don't have a Speed Graphic but could get one if the lens was only available in barrel. I need the lens to be able to be quite syrupy soft. Don't recommend medium format because I'm not going there. Any help appreciated. Thanks. Johnny Reno

[Taija71A]

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Johnny, in this focal length... I would seriously take a look at the Fujinon 180mm f/5.6 SF (Soft Focus) Lens (3E/3G). This lens will definitely cover 4x5 for you (I.C. 200mm). *However, results do differ... From what can be obtained with a Rodenstock Imagon.

Although, I 'personally' prefer the look of the Fuji 180 SF over say a 250 Imagon (as the Rodenstock Imagon 200mm will not cover 4x5 @ Infinity)... I would not call it 'Syrupy Soft' -- But rather 'Buttery SMOOTH!!!'

Therefore, please be guided accordingly! :)


http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/fujinon_1.html

http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/35.html

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Yamasaki, also of course made a couple of Soft Focus 'Triplets' under the "Congo" name (150mm and 200mm f/4).
But, as I have never personally used these lenses... I thus cannot comment on them any further.
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In Barrel Mount, there is also the Wollaston (Single Meniscus) 135mm and 190mm Lenses. Perhaps, these too may be suitable for your needs. Then again... There is always 'DIY' ? :D

http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Lenses.html

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Best Regards,

-Tim.
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[Alan Gales]

Fujinon made a 180mm soft focus lens. It uses strainers like the Imagon but is designed a little differently. I have never used one and don't know much about it.

[Amedeus]

As others have said ... Imagon 200mm, Fuji 180mm ... adding to this Kalosat 1A, 171.5mm and covers 4x5. My Eidoscope #5 (150mm) doesn't cover 4x5, the #4 (190mm) barely covers 4x5 with vignetting. All SF lenses I have with a shorter focal than 180mm don't cover 4x5 ... definitely MF format and that is where I use them.

YMMV

[jp]

Jim Galli has sold a bunch of short focal length meniscus lenses that cover 4x5.

The Fuji isn't very soft.

Reinhold makes shorter lenses but you'll need a speed graphic or cobble it to a big shutter. I'm a big fan of his 190.

You could also take the elements off a lens+shutter you already down, and stick a magnifying glass behind the shutter with tape and cardboard.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Fujinon made a 180mm soft focus lens. It uses strainers like the Imagon but is designed a little differently. I have never used one and don't know much about it.

The Fujinon is only a little painful to work with because one has to unscrew the front lens to put the sieve between the lenses. (You can shoot without a sieve.) For the Imagon, you just push the sieve into the front.

[Taija71A]

Jim Galli has sold a bunch of short focal length meniscus lenses that cover 4x5.

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Good Point! :D

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[Alan Gales]

The Fujinon is only a little painful to work with because one has to unscrew the front lens to put the sieve between the lenses. (You can shoot without a sieve.) For the Imagon, you just push the sieve into the front.

Ok. The Fuji is kind of like the Mamiya Soft focus lenses for the RB and RZ.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Ok. The Fuji is kind of like the Mamiya Soft focus lenses for the RB and RZ.

I should have added that correct use of the Fujinon is to focus with the strainer in-place and at the chosen F-stop lest focus shift a great deal. So the placing of the sieve behind the front cluster is no big deal.

[Mark Sawyer]

There are lots of good options.. One of the best would be to find an f/4.5 Tessar in a shutter and space the front element forward, simulating the diffusion on the Wollensak Velostigmat Series II. Jim Galli's thread on it:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?107284-Modifying-a-Wollensak-Velostigmat-7-1-2-quot-for-Soft-Focus

My old thread on uncorking the Velostigmat:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?57385-Velostigmat-Series-II-Info-and-Images