It's not the lens, it's me?

jp · 4-Oct-2013, 11:30

With the soft focus lenses, indeed the area of in-focus is great. It's like layers of in-focus focus stacked on each other and you have to pick the right one. Doesn't snap in and out like a plasmat. A bright catchlight in the eye can be focused on to provide the smallest glow to determine it's in focus. You'll see in and out of focus at the same time with soft focus! You'd have to minimize the out of focus portion of the image at the plane of focus basically, rather than trying to find the in-focus portion.

**Mark Sawyer** · 4-Oct-2013, 11:46

But this isn't a soft focus lens. Good RR's are quite sharp; Weston used one for some of his Group f/64 work.

Ari, between the long exposures of a live subject in dim light and the very shallow depth of field, you've set yourself quite a challenge! But you know what you're doing, and I think we're just telling you what you already know...

**ScottPhotoCo** · 5-Oct-2013, 00:19

What ground glass are you using? I just upgraded my GG from what was in it with glass from Steve Hopf and there is quite a difference in focusing ease.

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

**Ari** · 5-Oct-2013, 05:16

Thank you, Mark and JP; Tim, I use the Toyo GG, I have no trouble focusing any other lenses, even a TR triple convertible.
I think it's just a question of using the lens often and getting used to this quirk; it can obviously render a sharp image, but it is very hard to focus sharply.

Thanks again!