Lenses samples gallery???

[Professional]

Hi all,

I love to come here to read more about LF and see works done in this field, and even i am still not using LF much yet but i always know and believe that it is a blowing mind format, so i will keep read about it until i do shoot LF more often.

Now, i wish if there is a section here just for lenses, and posting samples/images done by each lenses can be chosen for that, mostly i am interested in 3 lenses, SA XL 72, 90, and Schn. 210, anything else will be a great job, so Why not having this section here? I keep watching those images sections and for many images there i keep asking myself which lens was used for that, so it will make it more easier and even better category if lenses can have their own gallery section as i saw it on one forum of digital.

If it can be done that will be great, no rush, whenever someone can have or did shoot by a certain lens then he/she can post on that thread of lens gallery if available.

We can discuss it here if it is worthy or not, but to me it will make me spend more time on lenses section than the other images type of photography due to that i would like to see what the lenses i have/would like to buy can do for different applications.

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW, I have never found that web sized samples of film lenses were of any use-for one because the neg or print has to be scanned and therefore the quality of the scan and scanner and secondly the limited resolution of the web render such samples pretty worthless.

[Professional]

FWIW, I have never found that web sized samples of film lenses were of any use-for one because the neg or print has to be scanned and therefore the quality of the scan and scanner and secondly the limited resolution of the web render such samples pretty worthless.

That is still fine for me, digital is not better in this case, we all rezised full resolution digital shots to meet forums rules, 72dpi/ppi with 700-1200px is like killing digital resolution for current cameras even mobiles, so it is not a big deal to scan film, i am not talking about IQ or resolution, i just care about how it is done with exposure and DoF and compositions.

[vinny]

Flickr.com. Search your lens.

[Professional]

Flickr.com. Search your lens.

Sure i can, but would like to see those images which are not on flickr itself too ;)

[Emil Schildt]

well - just make the thread! a thread where an image of the lens used and described together with examples of images taken with that lens...

Petzvals - modern - maniscus types and so on... I think it could be a great thread!

[Ken Lee]

To compare a variety of lenses it's important shoot a controlled scene. Otherwise, we're comparing apples and oranges as they say.

For a superb example of this sort of test see Armin Seeholzer's Bokeh LF test (https://plus.google.com/photos/108681026376295503228/albums/5704632272351387937?banner=pwa).

For a less rigorous comparison, you might find this article (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/lenses/#lensGalleries) interesting.

[Professional]

well - just make the thread! a thread where an image of the lens used and described together with examples of images taken with that lens...

Petzvals - modern - maniscus types and so on... I think it could be a great thread!

Yes, just images/shots taken by the lens mentioned on the title of each thread, nothing complicated, just posting the image, and it is up to members to mention the body as well or film used, that will be perfect, if not doesn't matter, it least i want to see the images taken by the lens.


To compare a variety of lenses it's important shoot a controlled scene. Otherwise, we're comparing apples and oranges as they say.

For a superb example of this sort of test see Armin Seeholzer's Bokeh LF test (https://plus.google.com/photos/108681026376295503228/albums/5704632272351387937?banner=pwa).

For a less rigorous comparison, you might find this article (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/lenses/#lensGalleries) interesting.

Didn't ask for comparison, it is just shots done or taken by the lens, can be used as a reference to a point, at least if i have a lens or looking for a specific lens samples then i can go to that thread and watch all the photos taken by that lens, so i can have idea what i can see or expect from that lens, if that is worthless then i am sorry to talk about it or start a thread about it.

[Kodachrome25]

so Why not having this section here?

Because it is *kind of* not the most important thing to spend time on...

If you want to figure out what a LF lens will look like in a given scene, you can just use this conversion chart and then look for equivalent lenses even though the aspect ratio will be taller in landscape orientation than a 35mm equivalent, shorter in portrait orientation. Otherwise, web shots will only tell you so much. You can also peruse the image sharing section for lots of images shot with 90's and 210's, I'm sure some 72's will pop up too.

For what it is worth, I use an app called Viewfinder Pro on my iPhone to pre-visualize what a given lens will do to a scene, film makers use this app a LOT to help craft scenes, I find it to be one heck of a time saver. I tend to be very precise in my framing and do not like to crop much so I use this app a ton.

106215

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...] For what it is worth, I use an app called Viewfinder Pro on my iPhone to pre-visualize what a given lens will do to a scene, film makers use this app a LOT to help craft scenes, I find it to be one heck of a time saver. I tend to be very precise in my framing and do not like to crop much so I use this app a ton.

I find that (italicized) rather incredible. Film makers know lenses very well. Besides, can that app show the aberrations, distortion, bokeh and so-forth of any lens at all?

One does not know how a lens will render until he uses it.

[Kodachrome25]

I find that (italicized) rather incredible. Film makers know lenses very well. Besides, can that app show the aberrations, distortion, bokeh and so-forth of any lens at all?

One does not know how a lens will render until he uses it.

It has nothing to do with rendering, it's all about framing. This improves on a crop card by orders of magnitude, I am a precise framer and often working in quickly changing conditions, hanging my ass out on cliff faces, etc, this app is simply amazing for getting the work done.

I know my lenses pretty well too now, but sometimes I know it is going to be close and the app helps me quickly make the decision of what lens to use. It's like any other tool, sometimes I need it, sometimes I don't. When I do need it, it's simply fantastic.

[BradS]

Supposing for a moment that there exists some perceptible difference between results from two modern lenses of the same focal length, due to design or manufacturer for example, I am having difficulty thinking of any meaningful way that one could separate the effect due to lens design say, and the combined effects due to: lighting, exposure, film development, printing, scanning, post processing and as already mentioned, most significantly, photographer. I mean, yeah, if one designed an experiment, maybe....but in a bunch of random photos from a variety of photographers...all scanned and posted to an internet forum....I think it not possible. There are just too many variables.

[Professional]

As expected, didn't want it to go further far with all analysis, all what i was asking is to post samples regardless of all variables, if it is hard to do then i apologize to start it again, i didn't think it will be like that.

[VictoriaPerelet]

If you want resolution or coverage charts - Schneider has published all numbers. "Lens comparison" in that sense is thing of 50's. But you can always take PhaseOne scan back and do it again (I may have files somewhere).

There's very unque property of XL lenses, which is very specific to LF - ample movements and very unique perspective. No other lens/camera type (with exception of digital panorama) can repeat images made with those lenses, matter of fact is not every LF camera has enough of mechanical movements to utilize image circle.

As, of samples google is your friend:


http://www.google.com/search?q=largeformatphotography+%22Image+Sharing+%26+Discussion%22+schneider+xl+72mm&source=lnms&tbm=isch

Most of my 4x5 work is done with 90mm, 72mm and 47mm XL - I posted in picture threads (warning lots of nudes there) and published in View Camera and other publications.

[BradS]

As expected, didn't want it to go further far with all analysis, all what i was asking is to post samples regardless of all variables, if it is hard to do then i apologize to start it again, i didn't think it will be like that.


It's not at all hard to do. As already pointed out, you can do it yourself. Just start an appropriately titled thread in the image sharing area. I'm sure people will participate. Go for it!

I think people, myself included, are just trying to discover what the point would be?

[Professional]

If you want resolution or coverage charts - Schneider has published all numbers. "Lens comparison" in that sense is thing of 50's. But you can always take PhaseOne scan back and do it again (I may have files somewhere).

There's very unque property of XL lenses, which is very specific to LF - ample movements and very unique perspective. No other lens/camera type (with exception of digital panorama) can repeat images made with those lenses, matter of fact is not every LF has enough of mechanical movements to utilize image circle.

As, of samples google is your friend:


http://www.google.com/search?q=largeformatphotography+%22Image+Sharing+%26+Discussion%22+schneider+xl+72mm&source=lnms&tbm=isch

Most of my 4x5 work is done with 90mm, 72mm and 47mm XL - I posted in picture threads (warning lots of nudes there) and published in View Camera and other publications.

Well, i didn't ask about resolution or coverage, also good you mentioned it, i like to see movements done, there is also panoramas, so many things can be seen from photographers that can't expect from just a chart or knowing the resolution specifications.


It's not at all hard to do. As already pointed out, you can do it yourself. Just start an appropriately titled thread in the image sharing area. I'm sure people will participate. Go for it!

I think people, myself included, are just trying to discover what the point would be?

I did already, i started with one lens, i can start another threads of different lenses but then maybe it will be too much or against the rules here to start many threads from one member.

Anyway, i am not in rush, i don't expect to start that sample/gallery lens thread to be filled with 10 pages in 1-2 days, people can their time, also it is open for future shots, it is not for a period of time or has a deadline time, but if people don't want to post their works it is understandable.

[DannL]

I am in favor of a thread dedicated to examples from different lenses. Though I have no interest in modern lenses, I do have interest in vintage lenses that have "character". Characteristics such as barrel distortion, wide angle distortion, the out-of-focus character, field flatness, vignetting, etc. These can be ascertained visually from a web image. The way I look at it . . . If a photographer can make "that image" with "those characteristics" because a specific lens was used. . . then that information is of value to me.

I think if would be helpful as a rule, that if one is to post an image to the forum, as a minimum they should post the details about how that image was created.

[Corran]

I have tags on my blog that I add whenever I use a certain lens. It helps me look at what I've done with said lenses. It would be kind of cool if you could "tag" a post here with a variety of lenses - same as the Rangefinder Forum does in their gallery? Then a database could be brought up with examples from XYZ lenses. Of course it's imperfect - varying subjects, apertures, film, light, location, etc. etc., but it could still be helpful, especially for less common lenses and examples that might be buried in an unrelated thread. And many times the images are linked from Flickr that will bring up high-rez images to study.

You can kind of do this with searching, if the poster added the relevant information, but that's a pain.

[Professional]

I am in favor of a thread dedicated to examples from different lenses. Though I have no interest in modern lenses, I do have interest in vintage lenses that have "character". Characteristics such as barrel distortion, wide angle distortion, the out-of-focus character, field flatness, vignetting, etc. These can be ascertained visually from a web image. The way I look at it . . . If a photographer can make "that image" with "those characteristics" because a specific lens was used. . . then that information is of value to me.

Well, when i said lens means old and new or modern, i have 2 new or modern lenses but also have 2 or 3 old lenses if they are really old or vintage as you called it, so i never mentioned it must be a modern lens, in fact i was or would like to start a thread of lens that i think it is a vintage or old one, so i didn't ask about one type or model of lens, anyone can start a dedicated thread of any lens they want, old or new doesn't matter as long there are people using it.


I have tags on my blog that I add whenever I use a certain lens. It helps me look at what I've done with said lenses. It would be kind of cool if you could "tag" a post here with a variety of lenses - same as the Rangefinder Forum does in their gallery? Then a database could be brought up with examples from XYZ lenses. Of course it's imperfect - varying subjects, apertures, film, light, location, etc. etc., but it could still be helpful, especially for less common lenses and examples that might be buried in an unrelated thread. And many times the images are linked from Flickr that will bring up high-rez images to study.

You can kind of do this with searching, if the poster added the relevant information, but that's a pain.

And that is why i liked it to be a thread, so i can find all in one place rather than i look on flickr and then on this forum here and then another forum and so on, and i asked here because i am sure this site has more LF users than any another sites, and maybe there are photos posted here since years and i don't find it, it is difficult for me to open each images section threads to look for a certain lens and looking into hundreds of pages, but when a thread about a lens is there then it is easy for me to view all the images/pages of that lens in one thread.

[Leszek Vogt]

I'm in agreement that such would be useful, particularly in a chart and being able to call out image/es, particular F-stop, sweet spot, etc. Sure, those characterizations can be annotated....or go-to details. Besides framing, one can also look @ the rendition of such lens, particularly when purchasing (XXX mm).....a lens that's rare and v. few people have. On the other side of this coin, there maybe a stampede here from apug. Who knows what the effects would be ? Anyway, if it was well orchestrated/designed....it would be useful (maybe not to everyone).

Les

[Emil Schildt]

I don't care much about modern lenses - sharp is overrated... ( :) )

But I get lots of questions on older ones, and it is strange we have a "soft focus lens" thread - a "petzval thread" a "Heliar" thread and more, but not a plasticca/landscape/zeiss/RR and so on thread....

And in these threads is is somehow taken for granted all members knows how to recognize these lenses..

I'd like a thread as suggested. (it also would be nice and easy to point my students to, when they ask, in stead of having them use lots of time searching by them selves...)

[tgtaylor]

Sounds like a good idea to me so I actually started it by posting an image shot with a 250mm Rodenstock Imagon. It will be interesting seeing other images taken with interesting (subjective, I know) lens.

Thomas

[Professional]

Sounds like a good idea to me so I actually started it by posting an image shot with a 250mm Rodenstock Imagon. It will be interesting seeing other images taken with interesting (subjective, I know) lens.

Thomas

Thank you very much for started that thread, i was thinking about one of those 200s focal length lenses, and you started one, but i suggest if you rename that thread to be the name of that lens so it will have only that lens shots rather than many different lenses, this will be more arrangement for me and i can click on the name of lens thread to enjoy only that lens images than having all different lenses on one thread, and i replied that if that can be under sub-forum so it will not conflict/interfere with photography types categories.

[DannL]

The only draw back I see to "one thread per lens" is that most folks will not start a new thread for their unique lens. All my lenses for example are somewhat rare, and to start a thread for these specific lenses would be . . . pointless, for lack of a better word.

[Professional]

The only draw back I see to "one thread per lens" is that most folks will not start a new thread for their unique lens. All my lenses for example are somewhat rare, and to start a thread for these specific lenses would be . . . pointless, for lack of a better word.


hmmm, a valid point.

Then how about collection those rare lens in one thread and call it : "Rare vintage lens gallery images"? This way those rare lens images from any member can be posted there, and keep other popular lenses on their own thread, i know there lenses are less popular maybe or hard to find or less used, it is ok to be on their own thread, what do you think?

[DannL]

hmmm, a valid point.

Then how about collection those rare lens in one thread and call it : "Rare vintage lens gallery images"? This way those rare lens images from any member can be posted there, and keep other popular lenses on their own thread, i know there lenses are less popular maybe or hard to find or less used, it is ok to be on their own thread, what do you think?

Things are looking better already . . . :-) I'll gladly begin a vintage lens thread, if nobody else volunteers. But, I will wait until all the suggestions have been submitted.

[Professional]

Things are looking better already . . . :-)

Fair enough, if that thread is already available then keep it as it is and move on, no need to start another one if there is one already as you said, it is just there are another lenses are newer or modern or not rare and easy to find and sold a lot or used a lot, but anyway, i am really not sure if this lens thread was a good idea from beginning.

[Kirk Gittings]

It has nothing to do with rendering, it's all about framing. This improves on a crop card by orders of magnitude, I am a precise framer and often working in quickly changing conditions, hanging my ass out on cliff faces, etc, this app is simply amazing for getting the work done.

I know my lenses pretty well too now, but sometimes I know it is going to be close and the app helps me quickly make the decision of what lens to use. It's like any other tool, sometimes I need it, sometimes I don't. When I do need it, it's simply fantastic.

How does it handle wide lenses?

[Kodachrome25]

How does it handle wide lenses?

A 90 somewhat / barely, but I rarely shoot even that wide with 4x5 unless it is with my 6x12 back. Wider than 90 can be had with one of those lens adapter thingies. I have the frame lines for my 65 but it is more of a guessing game so it is less about precise framing with that one and more along the lines of deciding if I should go uber wide or not by moving it around back and forth.

Most of my LF shots tend to be between 135-350...

[DrTang]

Been trying to do just that - mostly with my old lenses

shooting polaroids - wait..fujis - from my various lenses

unfortunately - the results are ...um.. not too useful - everything looks pretty much the same

because I am testing 5x7 and 8x10 lenses by taking a small chunk out of the middle of them.. I have no idea how the whole scene would be rendered

plus I am testing on a flower (38 bucks of fake flowers) motif, instead of human(s).. and in color... the situation is nothing like 'what I need it for'

however..it is kind of reassuring that my 8x10 with sinar shutter, with a 4x5 back.. further reduced to whatever fuji instant film size is - with strobe - set up works perfect

I really need to get the whole get-up into a studio situation and shoot a model with the 5 or 6 lenses at various apertures - on film

[polyglot]

While I'm sure we can all agree that such example threads are very unscientific and prone to the collection of low-quality data, the idea still has a lot of merit. For example, the dyxum (Sony/Minolta DSLR) forum has a lens database with example images thread for every supported lens in that system. People post good examples including per-pixel crops and they are actually pretty valuable in making both subjective and objective assessments of the relative merits of various lenses. And that's in a system where EVERY lens is aiming to be "sharp", not that they all succeed.

In LF where we have some crazy old lenses with very specific defects that people are looking for, I can imagine that samples from specific lens models would be very useful. There are so many different ways to make a soft focus lens and they all look kind of different that comparisons, even indirectly, would be valuable. And there are people here who own quite a range of lenses that could post quite direct comparisons.

The hard part is of course the cat herding. Some poor moderator needs to make sure all the necessary threads are created and/or prevent prevent people from creating duplicate threads due to laziness in searching.

[Kirk Gittings]

The difference is that everything we put up has to be run trough a scanner and the quality of the scan has as much or more to do with the posted image than the original. I don't get the usefulness of this. Yes a Petzval will look a lot different than a Dagor, but how different will 5 modern 90mm lenses look?

Heck it doesn't hurt anything to do it-go for it.

[polyglot]

Yes a Petzval will look a lot different than a Dagor

Precisely. And most people won't know what the difference is unless they see a couple of example images side-by-side.


but how different will 5 modern 90mm lenses look?

Probably not visibly different at all. But then, I don't imagine people will bother uploading examples from five different modern lenses unless they're trying to show the difference between an APO and plain lens or something. Mostly I would expect it's the people shooting Petzvals and Veritos and worse who will populate these threads.

[Corran]

There's no doubt that scanning makes a big impact, especially when only a few images at best are scanned with a drum scanner and only some others with a high-end flatbed, but short of inspecting 5 negatives on a light table with a 20x loupe directly there isn't really a good alternative. It would certainly be the same story with 5 wet-prints made from various enlarger and enlarger lenses, not to mention differing papers. It's certainly more useful for vintage and/or rare lenses.

[Professional]

Just start the thread and post and let's see how it will go, i started 2, i can do more, but anyone can choose a lens he/she think it may have more posts and hope it will keep going.

[Tim Meisburger]

I started one for soft focus lenses.

[Professional]

I started one for soft focus lenses.

Where it is?

SO that what was my point, if the sub section was there then i can find any lens thread topic easily rather than i search and not sure with thread it is, i saw different soft focus lenses threads, and if you didn't tell me you started then i will never know.

[rdenney]

There is already a subforum for images. If a thread is popular, it will always be on the first page. If not, it is just a quick search away. If it is important to you, then bookmark it. You know the thread started as readily as anyone knew this thread started.

Most have not understood what I perceive as the purpose of the proposal. Let's say I'm pondering a 72mm Schneider Super Angulon XL. I could just go buy it, but it's expensive even used. My question, though, is not whether it's sharp (I'll take that on faith) or whether it has coverage (which Schneider is happy to tell me). The question is: What are the artistic possibilities of such a lens? And the only way to get an idea of that is to see what artists do with it.

That is the purpose of the request, as I see it. No comparisons, no judgments, not about aberrations or bokeh or resolution or whatever, just examples of compositions made possible by that lens, to help people visualize its application and understand whether that sort of a lens is a valid choice for them. I don't see this as needing a thread for every specific version of the Rapid Rectilinear or vintage Protar. But rather for the sorts of lenses photographers might have easy access to in the new and used market.

But the way such ideas are put into into motion is not by someone making a post that says, "Somebody ought to...". But rather by someone posting a thread. If the idea sticks and has merit, and people start complaining because they can't see them, and we have enough examples to be worth the screen space, we'll consider making them stickies. But the idea has to prove itself first. I'd rather argue for making a good idea a sticky than for unsticking one that didn't work out, at the expense of those few who want it to remain.

I started a thread several years ago for ultra-wides, with the requirement that it include images that are 50 or 60% of the format diagonal, or less. Several thought it a great idea, but after ten posts it was done. The image threads that persist seem to be focused on subjects rather than equipment. But it's worth a try.

Rick "looking forward to the images" Denney

[vinny]

I started one for soft focus lenses. which one?
this one?: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?42963-post-quot-in-Galli-style-quot&highlight=post+petzvals
or this one?:http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?47181-please-post-your-petzval-shots&highlight=post+petzvals
or this one?:http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?25518-Verito-Picture-Post&highlight=post+petzvals

[VictoriaPerelet]

....My question, though, is not whether it's sharp (I'll take that on faith) or whether it has coverage (which Schneider is happy to tell me). The question is: What are the artistic possibilities of such a lens? And the only way to get an idea of that is to see what artists do with it...


Rick, I very agree with your point. Ideally will be to have feature on website where every image submitted can have additional attributes aka camera, lens, exposure, film, cropped or not, etc. In that case when somebody submits in to "monthly portraits", "on water edge" etc techical attributes can be seachable.

Having threads per lens, can cause a lot of unnessesary reposts (I can fill up pages of Shneider XL wides:) threads), also threads get lost, plus subjects can be different, most people associate XL wides with architecture, I use them for portraits.

At minimum if people add tech info to posts in plain text one can use primitive google image search.

[Professional]

Rick, I very agree with your point. Ideally will be to have feature on website where every image submitted can have additional attributes aka camera, lens, exposure, film, cropped or not, etc. In that case when somebody submits in to "monthly portraits", "on water edge" etc techical attributes can be seachable.

Having threads per lens, can cause a lot of unnessesary reposts (I can fill up pages of Shneider XL wides:) threads), also threads get lost, plus subjects can be different, most people associate XL wides with architecture, I use them for portraits.

At minimum if people add tech info to posts in plain text one can use primitive google image search.

In fact you gave another reason of that idea i asked about lenses threads, i asked about examples and samples or say posting images from that particular lens, i never ask to have comparisons or show sharpness or lens design and such, it is just to show each lens what can do regardless of what process you did, and you said one lens can be used for landscape and another one can use it for portraits, so this is one main idea, why you think this lens gallery must be so deep scientific or so detailed?

Well, i have a big feeling that it wasn't clear of what i ask about, i really don't know how i can make it more clear or explain it, but hope one day someone can get my exact point behind that request or wish.

The only gallery i saw that is exactly what i was looking for is that Petzval images thread, it is about Petzval lenses, so i asked about another lenses, if can't make each one by one of lens name then why not make as type of lenses for example or lens model series such as Graphlex, XL SA, APO Sironar, or focal length such as post your 90mm images gallery....etc.

Again, i wasn't ask about lens specification when posting there, it is just to see different lenses or any lens what it can shoot and how it will be, for example, if i shoot portraits, i would like to know how that 135mm do it than 210 or 350 and such, or if i have few lenses, it will be great to see many works of different members done by these lenses, here i can see more images of different lenses than flickr, if members are interested in, but if you think that what i was looking for is to make judgments on lenses or to tell why to use this lens or that and when then it isn't.

Anyway, if it is really not that much clear of what i look for then no need to discuss it further and not need to start anything, just keep going going as you never heard about this thread.

[Tim Meisburger]

Wow! People really have problems understanding this concept. Its not that you post every image you ever shot with a particular lens in a particular thread. It is that you post one or a few images that you regard as demonstrating the essential characteristic of the lens. Buttery bokeh, rounded, sharp, contrasty, flat. I started one for soft focus lenses because I thought it would be interesting to compare what people thought the defining attribute of each lens. I definitely see a difference between my Heliar and Cooke Portrait Anastigmat, and my 3b, and the 6d I used to have (and never should have sold!)

By the way, the thread I started is here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?109110-Soft-Focus-Lens-Examples, but since nobody added to it, perhaps its unnecessary, or I should just have done one thread for one lens.

[Professional]

Wow! People really have problems understanding this concept. Its not that you post every image you ever shot with a particular lens in a particular thread. It is that you post one or a few images that you regard as demonstrating the essential characteristic of the lens. Buttery bokeh, rounded, sharp, contrasty, flat. I started one for soft focus lenses because I thought it would be interesting to compare what people thought the defining attribute of each lens. I definitely see a difference between my Heliar and Cooke Portrait Anastigmat, and my 3b, and the 6d I used to have (and never should have sold!)

By the way, the thread I started is here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?109110-Soft-Focus-Lens-Examples, but since nobody added to it, perhaps its unnecessary, or I should just have done one thread for one lens.

Exactly, and you did a great job starting one, and it is as simple as you said, just post one or 2, not in rush, and anyone can post, i don't think one lens is used or owned by one member in the world, so sure there are members having same lens of any thread started for lenses, if i have a soft focus lens and did shoot something then i will post in your thread for sure.

Nice portraits, i may use my daughters for portraits one day soon.

[rdenney]

If you own a lens, Professional, then make some photos with it, start a thread with the title "Post your images made using _________ lens", include your own photos to get it started, and see where it goes.

Be a doer.

Rick "no permission or discussion required" Denney

[DrTang]

The second most useful, for me anyway, would be several photos with the same lens and same subject and lighting - at differrent apertures

the first best would be that - with different lenses


I saw something like that over in the Rangefinder Forum where someone had shot all 50mm lenses - both M mount and leica screw - open and like f8 or something - same lighting/same subject/same distance

and man oh man - you can really see the differences between lenses


that would be helpful

[Tim Meisburger]

Thats what I tried to do at the thread linked above. Tried again today but got a weird light leak in my new guillotine shutter.

[DrTang]

Yeah...that's pretty excellent

I'm "PLANNING" on doing the same with 4 or 5 lenses

I tried in my house with flowers...on instant film..but that is an unrealistic test... so now I'm looking to rent out a studio for the afternoon and test the lenses - - then I figured - if I'm going to waste all that time and money (like 20+ sheets of 5x7..plus rental fee) I might as well go the whole 9 yards and get a couple models and maybe end up with something interesting

so.. that'll take a bit to set up



Thats what I tried to do at the thread linked above. Tried again today but got a weird light leak in my new guillotine shutter.

[Professional]

I will post from all my lenses for sure once i will use them, just for now i am away from shooting film, but i need to get my mood back for photography, i now just shoot sports [soccer in one season and Marathon once per year] to get paid, so that i left shooting anything else whether in digital or shooting film, but hope by the end of this year near the Christmas or new year or even in January i will shoot with film.

The main reason is that i hate my job so i always get back home afternoon tired and not in mood, and in weekend i sleep long and wake up to read articles here and watching photos and submit something, and mostly busy with family, and worse is that most of soccer games are in weekends, so things keeping me away from doing photography for fun.

I started 2 threads, but it doesn't mean i have to post first, but now i think i have a reason or a motivation now to shoot and post there for you.

[Kodachrome25]

I saw something like that over in the Rangefinder Forum where someone had shot all 50mm lenses - both M mount and leica screw - open and like f8 or something - same lighting/same subject/same distance

and man oh man - you can really see the differences between lenses

Yeah, but isn't that with an M9? One could just blast away for a couple hours and get it all done, not so easy or economical with 4x5 sheet film.

I dunno man, I mean...other than the swirly bokeh lenses of which I own none, just how informative are low res scans of several different viewpoints from the same lens going to be? Would it not be better to just pick great glass with a stellar reputation and get on with making photographs?

This took me all of one minute and tells me all I would *ever* need to know:

Schneider 72mm XL: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Schneider%2072mm%20XL

Nikkor SW 90mm 4.5: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Nikkor%20SW%2090mm%20F4.5

Schneider 210mm 5.6: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Schneider%20210mm%205.6

Done, what more do you need? Otherwise it is FAR too subjective, get the lenses and make your own call. What is more important here, great test results or great photographs?

[DrTang]

other than the swirly bokeh lenses of which I own none, just how informative are low res scans of several different viewpoints from the same lens going to be? Would it not be better to just pick great glass with a stellar reputation and get on with making photographs?


with the lenses I'm interested in/have... I'm interested in the renderings at various f-stops (as it seems to change as you stop down) - so I can find MY 'sweet spot' with the lens.. mind you these are older lenses..a couple heliars, a couple wollensaks, a Hemi-anastigmat

when I set up for a shoot.. I want as many things 'locked down' as possible as I'm already scatterer brained as it is - so the lighting and fstop and filter (if it turns out I like that) I want to have known going in

such as: female model/300mm heliar/ full length distance = f8
male model/ 400mm hemi-anastigmat/ head and shoulders = f16



that kind of thing


I think the scans would really tell as well..just look at the Tonopah comparisons that Galli does with different lenses - you can tell the differences between them pretty much - this would be a little more precise is all


I'm thinking i might take 3 or 4 hours of shooting to compare 4 or 5 lenses at maybe 3 different apetures - incl setting up & breaking down

[Kodachrome25]

Well of course, it's super easy to spot the differences even with web images with those more character centric lenses, like comparing an old Summarit, collapsable 50 or a version 1,2,3 and 4 35 Summicron, pretty noticeable difference. But the more modern and technically corrected ones that the OP mentioned? Not so easy to compare, they are all really good and there are way too many variables to come to any more of a conclusion than if one just looks at the links I gave above...at least in my opinion.

[BradS]

I think I finally get it...the op is saying "I have this 127mm Ektar and I'm looking for some inspiration, so I wanna see photo you all have made with your 127mm Ektar".

[Kodachrome25]

I think I finally get it...the op is saying "I have this 127mm Ektar and I'm looking for some inspiration, so I wanna see photo you all have made with your 127mm Ektar".

This actually gives me a good idea...

I think from here on out, when and if I decide to post new photos, I will make a point of not saying what camera, lens or film I used, only roughly where it is at and what I feel about the photo, fun little details like being chased by a dog or something....because if the photo is good, then none of the other crap really matters.

It should inspire you to go out with *your* camera, lens and film and make *your* photos, not someone else's....

[BradS]

....because if the photo is good, then none of the other crap really matters....


and here you've hit upon the heart of the matter....
Interestingly, the converse is also true. That is...
if the the lens / camera / film used matters, then the photo is not really that good. :eek:

(I'm gonna go put on my teflon coated, asbestos lined flack jacket now, as I am sure to get major ration of shit from the blury photo crew).

[William Whitaker]

Wow! People really have problems understanding this concept. Its not that you post every image you ever shot with a particular lens in a particular thread. It is that you post one or a few images that you regard as demonstrating the essential characteristic of the lens.

I have a page devoted to the Wollensak Verito demonstrating its characteristics on my website (http://wfwhitaker.com/tech/verito.htm). The page may be old, but so is the lens. :rolleyes:

I look forward to the day when I can make some similar reviews of other lenses in the vault.

[Tim Meisburger]

Thanks Will. That is really interesting. Brad, no need for teflon. I agree you are much more likely to see noticeable differences in rendering in old lenses than modern ones. In modern lenses the number of leaves in the shutter may have more influence of rendering than the lens elements :)

[Corran]

This website is primarily a place of learning and discussing of photographic techniques. I think we'd all agree that plastering the film and lens used on a gallery wall next to a work is probably not the way to showcase the image, but on this forum, if one is looking for a certain characteristic or just learning about what different focal lengths look like, that info is highly relevant.

[Kodachrome25]

if one is looking for a certain characteristic or just learning about what different focal lengths look like, that info is highly relevant.

One of the problems with this is that the search feature on Vbulletin is so-so on a good day and lousy otherwise. So it is a lot easier to just go over to Flickr and type in the search because the shots have been tagged. With modern lenses, about the only thing you are going to see is angle of view, distortion and maybe bokeh on say, a 210 shot wide open close up.

I just don't think there is much to learn from this, you need to do your own work to know what is possible with a lens. When I started looking for a Nikkor 90mm F8, I did not have to look for shots from the lens, I had already owned a 90 Caltar and before I got that one, I looked at about two dozen shots on Flickr for maybe 10 minutes and that told me all I needed to know. If the gallery starts flooding with tester-bating, I am probably going to stop looking at the images, it will be a mess...

[StoneNYC]

If you want resolution or coverage charts - Schneider has published all numbers. "Lens comparison" in that sense is thing of 50's. But you can always take PhaseOne scan back and do it again (I may have files somewhere).

There's very unque property of XL lenses, which is very specific to LF - ample movements and very unique perspective. No other lens/camera type (with exception of digital panorama) can repeat images made with those lenses, matter of fact is not every LF camera has enough of mechanical movements to utilize image circle.

As, of samples google is your friend:


http://www.google.com/search?q=largeformatphotography+%22Image+Sharing+%26+Discussion%22+schneider+xl+72mm&source=lnms&tbm=isch

Most of my 4x5 work is done with 90mm, 72mm and 47mm XL - I posted in picture threads (warning lots of nudes there) and published in View Camera and other publications.

What is "picture threads"? and why haven't I seen you post in the "nudes" thread? :)

[Professional]

Well, in digital forum, people keep posting even they know their lenses and they shoot a lot with it, it is about shoot and post, not about why you post and no need to post because you can find pics on flickr, and no what, about 85% of their posts on that forum or lenses thread are uploaded on flickr, so why they did that if it is already in flickr? It is to share and enjoy, if someone don't need that thread or don't want to visit at least others will, so no need to stop something because someone don't want to.

Again, anyone can start a thread of a lens they want, it is not obligate on few lenses, and it was my wish, if people here think it is worthless then doesn't matter, i just asked about it and no harm if it didn't happen.

Thanks all.

[Kodachrome25]

You just need to get out and shoot, I am going to bed now, did a time exposure for a project with a temperature of 3F, Brrr...sure feels different at night with no sun on you..:-)

There are lots of threads in the gallery section in which people shoot and then post like you say, but they don't go completely nuts filling the web with it like the digital folks do, 4x5 is $1-3 per shot and it has to be scanned. Generally speaking, people on this forum post images in sections that have to do with what the photograph is about, not what it was taken with with a few exceptions like the use of infrared films, etc.


I keep watching those images sections and for many images there i keep asking myself which lens was used for that, so it will make it more easier and even better category if lenses can have their own gallery section as i saw it on one forum of digital.

Why? Isn't it more important to take note of the light, the tones, the composition and the talent behind the shot? I think it is pretty safe to say when a wide, normal or a bit of a telephoto lens was used, well the differences are obvious then, right? Do you see what I am getting at here.....?....I am trying to say that you should get off of the forums and get out the door and go make images. One very, very sad thing about the internet is that it makes people dream more than they ever have and live less than they ever have, their whole world becomes the internet....digital this, gadget that, a virtual life with no real tactile substance.

You can do what ever you want, start what ever thread you want, but at the end of the day......you have one life sir, live it for real...not always on the internet pouring over photos that people post because they want to hear that feel good commentary.

[Professional]

You just need to get out and shoot, I am going to bed now, did a time exposure for a project with a temperature of 3F, Brrr...sure feels different at night with no sun on you..:-)

There are lots of threads in the gallery section in which people shoot and then post like you say, but they don't go completely nuts filling the web with it like the digital folks do, 4x5 is $1-3 per shot and it has to be scanned. Generally speaking, people on this forum post images in sections that have to do with what the photograph is about, not what it was taken with with a few exceptions like the use of infrared films, etc.



Why? Isn't it more important to take note of the light, the tones, the composition and the talent behind the shot? I think it is pretty safe to say when a wide, normal or a bit of a telephoto lens was used, well the differences are obvious then, right? Do you see what I am getting at here.....?....I am trying to say that you should get off of the forums and get out the door and go make images. One very, very sad thing about the internet is that it makes people dream more than they ever have and live less than they ever have, their whole world becomes the internet....digital this, gadget that, a virtual life with no real tactile substance.

You can do what ever you want, start what ever thread you want, but at the end of the day......you have one life sir, live it for real...not always on the internet pouring over photos that people post because they want to hear that feel good commentary.

Good night Sir and sweet dreams!!!

[fecaleagle]

I did not read through this thread in its entirety, and I know you're after the "artistic" qualities of lenses as opposed to detail rendition/sharpness, but I always found the following article interesting: http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/test/BigMash210.html

Seems like images of the same scene do the best job of showcasing the differences among a set of lenses, but I support the idea of posting lens details along with any posted image for the sake of associating characteristics with a lens maker/model.

-William

[StoneNYC]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought that maybe it would be pictures of lenses...

Why not start posting images of the lenses themselves, and then associated with a single image that you took with it to show the qualities.

Then people will get to see some really unique old and hard to find lenses and be able to see what they look like. I think that would be kind of interesting.

But I also agree that you should really just get out and shoot.

[Professional]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought that maybe it would be pictures of lenses...

Why not start posting images of the lenses themselves, and then associated with a single image that you took with it to show the qualities.

Then people will get to see some really unique old and hard to find lenses and be able to see what they look like. I think that would be kind of interesting.

But I also agree that you should really just get out and shoot.

Great idea, we will have time to go out and shoot or even shoot inside [interior], but no one need to wait others to go out to post, i may take long time to go out to shoot due to my situations then why people stop posting then, i am not the only one will post on lenses threads.

Also i like the idea of posting the lenses themselves pictures, i am going to do that very soon with 2 threads i started, and hope it may help, but i didn't see others started another threads for lenses they are interested in or would like to post within, so i feel like it is only me who will start threads, there is one of Petzval and it is going great, so it wasn't that difficult to start another lens thread, but sound there is something missing members here didn't understand yet.

[StoneNYC]

Great idea, we will have time to go out and shoot or even shoot inside [interior], but no one need to wait others to go out to post, i may take long time to go out to shoot due to my situations then why people stop posting then, i am not the only one will post on lenses threads.

Also i like the idea of posting the lenses themselves pictures, i am going to do that very soon with 2 threads i started, and hope it may help, but i didn't see others started another threads for lenses they are interested in or would like to post within, so i feel like it is only me who will start threads, there is one of Petzval and it is going great, so it wasn't that difficult to start another lens thread, but sound there is something missing members here didn't understand yet.

Why start a new thread, this thread is here right now, why not just start posting images now, here... :)

[Professional]

Why start a new thread, this thread is here right now, why not just start posting images now, here... :)

No, this thread here is to discuss about if starting a lens gallery is a good idea and how to start and what to post or suggestions and such......, then when the idea is there and it is worthy then we start threads in Images sharing section, here it will be very general about all lenses because it is not specified, but there we can choose name of lens or type or model for lenses, this will make it better, for example Graphlex lenses thread, Petzval lens thread which is availble long time ago, Kodak Ektar 135mm, Schneider SA 90mm, Cookce, Fujinon W model....etc

[StoneNYC]

No, this thread here is to discuss about if starting a lens gallery is a good idea and how to start and what to post or suggestions and such......, then when the idea is there and it is worthy then we start threads in Images sharing section, here it will be very general about all lenses because it is not specified, but there we can choose name of lens or type or model for lenses, this will make it better, for example Graphlex lenses thread, Petzval lens thread which is availble long time ago, Kodak Ektar 135mm, Schneider SA 90mm, Cookce, Fujinon W model....etc

Oh I see, so you're saying that you want to start a gallery, not a photo thread, are there galleries here on LFF?? I only thought they were photo threads? I thought only APUG had galleries.

Please forgive my ignorance, I mostly only access through my phone, so I don't get to see the full website often, but that's mostly because 1. I am not near a computer often, and 2. because I find the site very difficult to navigate and it's just much easier using my Tapatalk app

[Professional]

Oh I see, so you're saying that you want to start a gallery, not a photo thread, are there galleries here on LFF?? I only thought they were photo threads? I thought only APUG had galleries.

Please forgive my ignorance, I mostly only access through my phone, so I don't get to see the full website often, but that's mostly because 1. I am not near a computer often, and 2. because I find the site very difficult to navigate and it's just much easier using my Tapatalk app

It is ok, no porblem there and no need to ask for forgiveness, i may have problem to explain/clarify my points sometimes.

Well, yes, gallery of lens mentioned to be the thread about it or thread title, so if i enter that lens thread then i know that all images/photos posted there are from that lens, and here i will not care much about which camera used, if the members mentioned the camera type and film and developer those will be a big plus or bonus.