Kodak 405 Portrait user focus tips wanted

[Tin Can]

Tomorrow, I have my first serious attempt at shooting people portraits with Kodak 405.

I have shot it some, I HAVE read everything I can find about it, both Kodak's tip and internet users.

Any actual users have any good advice for tomorrow?

Studio setting, Packard shutter with synced strobes, 8x10 chest up and close.

10 sheets are going to get done with 3 sitters in 2 sessions.

[Alan Gales]

Randy, you need to really stop that lens down or your focus will come out soft.

[mdarnton]

When all else fails, read the instructions?
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/kodak_1.html

[Jim Galli]

Use movements to get both eyes in the same plane. Roll it forward until a contrast line definitely goes out of focus. Then roll it back in slowly watching your line get sharp. Sharpest focus is not least fogginess. Don't be fooled by best compromise foggy to sharpness. They are very sharp and soft at the same time. Practice on something in-animate first. A sharp contrast line. Watch it go in and out. People are harder. Good luck.

[Tin Can]

Randy, you need to really stop that lens down or your focus will come out soft.

I am laughing, isn't that the point?

Sure looks great wide open on GG with my plastic head! Plastica never looked so good.

Seriously that is part of the question, which aperture do people like? Which focus point, how much back focus, etc.

This is a test tomorrow and my sitters are patient fellow photographers, but they shoot 35mm and I would like to get something favorable to somebody...

Or do I just shoot every combination and burn $500 in film.

I'm here to hedge my bets.

[Tin Can]

When all else fails, read the instructions?
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/kodak_1.html

Michael I read that 10 times,

[Tin Can]

Use movements to get both eyes in the same plane. Roll it forward until a contrast line definitely goes out of focus. Then roll it back in slowly watching your line get sharp. Sharpest focus is not least fogginess. Don't be fooled by best compromise foggy to sharpness. They are very sharp and soft at the same time. Practice on something in-animate first. A sharp contrast line. Watch it go in and out. People are harder. Good luck.

Jim that's good advice and iI'm practising on a plastic and realistic head right nowand have been for some time. Now it's time for real people!

[Alan Gales]

I am laughing, isn't that the point?

Sure looks great wide open on GG with my plastic head! Plastica never looked so good.

Seriously that is part of the question, which aperture do people like? Which focus point, how much back focus, etc.

This is a test tomorrow and my sitters are patient fellow photographers, but they shoot 35mm and I would like to get something favorable to somebody...

Or do I just shoot every combination and burn $500 in film.

I'm here to hedge my bets.

Sorry but I just couldn't help myself. ;)

I know what you are talking about. I picked up a 305mm Kodak Portrait lens on an old tailboard camera cheap. From what I have read there is a learning curve to get what you want and that means burning film. I haven't used mine yet. The shutter needs a CLA real bad. The lens will fit my Ilex #5 shutter for my 14" Commercial Ekter. I'm planning on trying it with that shutter to see if I like it or not.

[Tin Can]

Sorry but I just couldn't help myself. ;)

I know what you are talking about. I picked up a 305mm Kodak Portrait lens on an old tailboard camera cheap. From what I have read there is a learning curve to get what you want and that means burning film. I haven't used mine yet. The shutter needs a CLA real bad. The lens will fit my Ilex #5 shutter for my 14" Commercial Ekter. I'm planning on trying it with that shutter to see if I like it or not.

Yep the 305 and 14" Ektar can share a shutter. However my Packard's are now more reliable. They were also a learning curve.

[blueribbontea]

Just used a 305 today. I really like f8 and it is a good stop to focus with. I followed the manual instructions with moving the focus to the nearest part of the subject. And it was true, nothing closer to the camera than that point was at all sharp. Using the camera movements would have been very helpful but we were just getting an old Century studio back into operation and so didn't have time to mess with that. I had just got a big Packard shutter working again. This is going to be a fun lens. Good luck Randy.

[Tin Can]

Just used a 305 today. I really like f8 and it is a good stop to focus with. I followed the manual instructions with moving the focus to the nearest part of the subject. And it was true, nothing closer to the camera than that point was at all sharp. Using the camera movements would have been very helpful but we were just getting an old Century studio back into operation and so didn't have time to mess with that. I had just got a big Packard shutter working again. This is going to be a fun lens. Good luck Randy.

Thanks Bill. I think some have said the nose is too far front and looks odd out of focus.

I'll try some variations.

BTW, I cannot post any of the results as the subjects don't want any digital record. They get prints, I get sitters. TFP

[Tin Can]

Thanks everyone. I just had the jitters, I hate to disappoint my sitters.

[Emil Schildt]

have not used mine 305 enough... (too many lenses - too little time)
But I have always with SF lenses thought, the lightning to be important... back lightning seems to enhance the feeling of SF - the light almost explode in small highlight areas...

here are two examples..

[cowanw]

It may be to late now but if you have an older mag lite with a bulb, small is easier, you can unscrew the top and go bare bulb next to the subject part, say an eye, and get a clear sense of what is happening, when you focus.

[jp]

The rack out slightly or focus on the nose if you can works for me with the 305. I suspect the 405 will be similar. Try some different apertures. Glow on the groundglass looks different than a reflective print.

[Tin Can]

More good tips.

How about optimal aperture vs DOF vs blur?

Ist man is up at 1 pm, then I will be busy. Man and woman at 5pm.

I'm a recent convert to stand development. :) It's faster...

[jp]

Tips are no replacement for experience. Shoot lots of film and try lots of things.

[Harold_4074]

Presumably too late to be of use, but:

In addition to the overall softness, diffusion increases radially from the optical axis. This means that in typical portrait composition, the lens axis is pointing well below the collar, and "best focus" on the eyes may result in an unexpected amount of crispness lower down in the frame. The solution is to center the lens on the film, center the eyes in the frame and focus on the catchlights. Then, move the lens to compose.

How much this matters depends partly on how close the lens is to the subject, but I have observed the effect with a number of soft-focus lenses, including the 305 and 405 Kodak Portraits.

[Tin Can]

Presumably too late to be of use, but:

In addition to the overall softness, diffusion increases radially from the optical axis. This means that in typical portrait composition, the lens axis is pointing well below the collar, and "best focus" on the eyes may result in an unexpected amount of crispness lower down in the frame. The solution is to center the lens on the film, center the eyes in the frame and focus on the catchlights. Then, move the lens to compose.

How much this matters depends partly on how close the lens is to the subject, but I have observed the effect with a number of soft-focus lenses, including the 305 and 405 Kodak Portraits.

Good tip. I shot 4 old young friends today and they will return next week for contacts and all have promised to sit again. They will regardless of how badly I did.

So this tip will be implemented. Thanks Harold!

[brucetaylor]

Great tip, Harold. I have only made a couple of exposures with my Kodak 405mm Portrait. I was surprised to find I blew the focus until I read the 305mm manual and discovered the lack of DOF in front of the focus plane. I think I get that now (mistakes have a way of teaching like none other). Second problem was the focus was best in the center of the frame, and that's not where the eyes were-- so thanks for that tip. I am looking forward to figuring this out in practice.