Any small soft focus lens for 8x10 existingl

[stefan d]

Hi!
I am looking for a small soft focus lens that will fit on a Technika lensboard and will cover 8x10. Is there anythink available? Perhaps the Graf Variable Anastigmat will be the one? There is one at ebay, but I am not sure if it covers 8x10 (http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=180046782913&rd=1&rd=1)
Thanks for your advice
Best wishes
stefan d

[Ash]

Email the guy as he has quite a few items on his website, and could probably give you some good info on what he has in stock, and what might be best for you.

http://www.igorcamera.com/

[David A. Goldfarb]

Most lenses designed as soft focus portrait lenses that cover 8x10" are pretty large, since they are also generally fast lenses, around f:4 or f:4.5. If you don't need that speed, there are other lenses that can become soft lenses wide open.

I recently had a Busch Vademecum Satz II adapted to a Copal Press 1 shutter. The cells are 34mm; the original maximum aperture of the barrel is 19mm; but the maximum aperture of the Copal Press 1 is 30mm, so that gives me another 1-2 stops wider than the originally intended maximum aperture of the original lens set, so it can produce effects like this--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/who/21.jpg

The Vademecum lens cells are just meniscus lenses, so it wouldn't be too hard to make something like this from readily available optical parts.

[Walter Calahan]

The write up for this lens says it covers 8x10. Send a question to the seller to confirm. I've bought from this seller, and had only good results.

[Jim Galli]

Get an 8 3/4" Verito and use just the rear element alone. Or if you're in tight for a head, use both front and rear together. Still tight on that small board, but it will fit. Better yet, dedicate an old Kodak 2D with a packard shutter inside which is less $$ than any of the lenses so you can use bigger stuff up front.

[David A. Goldfarb]

A largish lens like an 11.5" Verito can fit on a Technika lensboard if you're creative about it--

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=11846

[Schaubild]

It might sound weird, but have you ever thought about a pinhole? Laser drilled holes provide amazing quality. Get an insert for a Copal 0 and off you go :)

Regards
Stephan

[Jack Flesher]

I just acquired a 10" Veritar (coated Verito) on a Tech board -- it fits just like David's above :D I'm sure it would cover 8x10 with the front cell removed but probably covers 8x10 as-is, albeit with a really soft vignette effect! I have not even mounted it on the 8x10 yet, but will mount it up later today and report back with what I see on the GG...

As an alternate, most of the convertable Symmar's were softer-focus in their converted state with the front cell removed. You'd probably want at least the 240 for 8x10 -- it converts to 420 I think?

[brook]

I was able to get a 305 Kodak Portrait lens in a #5 Universal on a 4" board. I think I had to shim it off the board about 1/4" to get it on the camera ( a 5x7 deardorff). I dont remember it being to difficult to jerryrig it all.

[stefan d]

Thanks for all answers. Spezially to Jim because I have a Verito 8 3/4" in a Technika lensboard. I knew that only the use of the rear element is possible and that its then a 14" lens. But I didnt thougt that it will then cover 8x10. That is great!
Is there a difference between a 8 3/4" Verito with the rear element only and a normal 14" Verito?

stefan d

[wfwhitaker]

Is there a difference between a 8 3/4" Verito with the rear element only and a normal 14" Verito?

About 1 1/2 stops. Otherwise, diffusion is about the same as the f/4 lens stopped to f/6 or thereabouts.