LF lenses with cat's eye bokeh?

[StrangleMeRandy]

I know it's not the most popular look, but it's a look "eye" love (ha ha). Are there any large format lenses known for this look?

Sample of the look, from fstoppers:
241499

Reference shot for the catty bokeh of one of my favorite lenses, Minolta's MC Rokkor 50/1.4, from Phillip Reeve:
241500

Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I do like the look! Less the outlined look, mainly the almost halo-like effect of the warping bokeh.

Also, you might find it interesting that the effect is called optical vignetting, the bokeh is physically clipped (from photographylife.com):
241501

If I'm being honest, I would very much like to find a catty 300mm or so, with enough coverage for some movement on 5x7, with a pronounced cat eye sorta look. I do know that 50mm translates to 250mm, not 300mm, on 5x7, but I would like a bit more reach. I recently found out about the Tele Dynar 32cm f/6.3, which apparently covers 8x10, seems nice. Also, I already have a nice Fujinar 25cm f/4.7 which I haven't really tested the bokeh of. I should do that. I would hope a singlecoated tessar might have nice bokeh. Hmm... Pardon my liberal use of the B word...

[Tin Can]

Your links failed

[Mark J]

Cats-eye bokeh IS vignetting.
A big Tessar at full aperture or near full-aperture should work for you. How it's coated won't make any difference.

[Mark J]

If I'm being honest, I would very much like to find a catty 300mm or so, with enough coverage for some movement on 5x7, with a pronounced cat eye sorta look. I do know that 50mm translates to 250mm, not 300mm, on 5x7, but I would like a bit more reach. I recently found out about the Tele Dynar 32cm f/6.3, which apparently covers 8x10, seems nice. Also, I already have a nice Fujinar 25cm f/4.7 which I haven't really tested the bokeh of..
Going to longer focal lengths will not help you to get the cat-eye look ; because the vignetting is most noticeable as you get towards the lens's full coverage angle. The Fujinar however sounds like a good bet - see how that works out.

[Larry Gebhardt]

Maybe find a tele lens designed for 4x5 since they should have less coverage and vignette on 5x7.

[Drew Wiley]

Find a cat.

[xkaes]

241523

[Drew Bedo]

What about the 1970s to 1980s look of mirror lenses in 35mm film format? All out of focus highlights make a little circle.

Has anyone ever mounted a 4x5 to a large-idsh folded optic telescope? A Celestron or other astro telescope with a
TravelWide or WillTravel on the back could do that. Have to use eyepiece projection techniques to get the coverage.

[Larry Gebhardt]

Maybe a barrel lens with a cats eye shaped Waterhouse stop would also give the look.

[xkaes]

Maybe a barrel lens with a cats eye shaped Waterhouse stop would also give the look.


The Fujinar SC lenses -- like the one pictured above -- were also sold as barrel lenses, and simply labeled Fujinar, without the "SC", which is an abbreviation for "SHUTTER COPAL".

http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/byseries.htm

A "cat's eye" aperture could easily be made on any of the lenses -- even one that is variable. Just two concave, opaque sheets.

[xkaes]

What about the 1970s to 1980s look of mirror lenses in 35mm film format? All out of focus highlights make a little circle.

Has anyone ever mounted a 4x5 to a large-idsh folded optic telescope? A Celestron or other astro telescope with a
TravelWide or WillTravel on the back could do that. Have to use eyepiece projection techniques to get the coverage.

Because 35mm lenses -- and similar telescope optics -- are designed to cover a "small" format, they will only cover 4x5" (or even medium format) at extreme magnification -- which requires an extreme amount of extension. Not any help for distant subjects.

[Mark J]

Maybe a barrel lens with a cats eye shaped Waterhouse stop would also give the look.
Yes, it sort of depends what the OP wants from this though. This approach will make central out of focus highlights the 'cat-eye' shape but when it interacts with vignetting in the lens you will get some odd and variable shapes around the picture periphery ... unless you stop the lens down a lot ... in which case the backgrounds won't be out of focus enough.

[Mark Sawyer]

Regarding a cat's-eye-shaped aperture, that won't work. That cat's-eye specular highlight would maintain the same direction at all points all through the frame, while a cat's-eye specular highlight from mechanical vignetting will rotate around the center and only have the cat's-eye shape at the periphery of the frame where the vignetting occurs. Vignetting from a lens hood might give the effect that StrangleMeRandy is looking for.

As the rotational cat's-eye effect is somewhat reminiscent of the "Petzval Swirl", I'll point out that the Petzval's effect is from sagittal astigmatism, not the aperture shape.

[maltfalc]

Because 35mm lenses -- and similar telescope optics -- are designed to cover a "small" format, they will only cover 4x5" (or even medium format) at extreme magnification -- which requires an extreme amount of extension. Not any help for distant subjects.

not true. you missed the "eyepiece projection" part.

[xkaes]

And what does that do to the image quality, length of exposure, light fall-off, etc.?

[MAubrey]

I know it's not the most popular look, but it's a look "eye" love (ha ha). Are there any large format lenses known for this look?

Sample of the look, from fstoppers:
241499

Reference shot for the catty bokeh of one of my favorite lenses, Minolta's MC Rokkor 50/1.4, from Phillip Reeve:
241500

Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I do like the look! Less the outlined look, mainly the almost halo-like effect of the warping bokeh.

Also, you might find it interesting that the effect is called optical vignetting, the bokeh is physically clipped (from photographylife.com):
241501

If I'm being honest, I would very much like to find a catty 300mm or so, with enough coverage for some movement on 5x7, with a pronounced cat eye sorta look. I do know that 50mm translates to 250mm, not 300mm, on 5x7, but I would like a bit more reach. I recently found out about the Tele Dynar 32cm f/6.3, which apparently covers 8x10, seems nice. Also, I already have a nice Fujinar 25cm f/4.7 which I haven't really tested the bokeh of. I should do that. I would hope a singlecoated tessar might have nice bokeh. Hmm... Pardon my liberal use of the B word...

Having movements from a large image circle and also cat-eye bokeh are two competing things. The cat's eye is mechanical vignetting and mechanical vignetting also impacts the size of the image circle. If you're willing to find a lens that's designed for a format smaller than 5x7 at infinity and only use it for nearer focus (e.g. portraits) you'll get the effect you want. I use a 300mm f/4.5 Xenar (an 8x10 lens) on my 11x14 and I get cat's eye bokeh with it.