Soft-Focus Lens Examples

[Tim Meisburger]

Hi Randy. The second one is simply out of focus. The softness on the Cooke is not strong, and hard to see on a model with perfect (plastic) skin! Try shooting two images of a wrinkly person--one full sharp and one full soft--both sharply focused, and you will see the softness in the second image. But its subtle. This is a portrait lens, not pictorial, so what it is going to give you is really nice portraits that don't look soft. I guess this is the effect sought after with photoshop (improvement that is not obvious).

Good luck!

[Louis Pacilla]

The Cooke Portrait lens is much like Vitax & Dallmeyer and Velostigmat II (without uncorking) only or mostly makes center portion of the image circle "less" sharp and that blends the super sharp center with the far less sharp outer parts of the image. doing away with some of the retouching. It does NOT produce diffusion and the atmosphere(not much anyhow) that lenses like the Struss,P&S I II II IV V,Verito, Gundlach Achromatic Portrait & Hyperion, Kodak Portrait, Imagon, Plastigmat Portrait, Kalostat, Bodine and so on which are Pictorial photographers tools of choice. They are different animals. Both types are/can be superb portrait lenses they just have different looks.

Set the amount of softness "less central sharpness" then focus and use your movements on the camera to place the plane of focus in the best position stop down a touch if needed & then sqweeze the bulb.

Hi Randy. The second one is simply out of focus. The softness on the Cooke is not strong, and hard to see on a model with perfect (plastic) skin! Try shooting two images of a wrinkly person--one full sharp and one full soft--both sharply focused, and you will see the softness in the second image. But its subtle. This is a portrait lens, not pictorial, so what it is going to give you is really nice portraits that don't look soft. I guess this is the effect sought after with photoshop (improvement that is not obvious).

Good luck!

[Emil Schildt]

Hi Randy. The second one is simply out of focus. The softness on the Cooke is not strong, and hard to see on a model with perfect (plastic) skin! Try shooting two images of a wrinkly person--one full sharp and one full soft--both sharply focused, and you will see the softness in the second image. But its subtle. This is a portrait lens, not pictorial, so what it is going to give you is really nice portraits that don't look soft. I guess this is the effect sought after with photoshop (improvement that is not obvious).

Good luck!

I agree with the first - not really on the second...

these images are all Cooke with soft setting - refocused an' all....

[Tin Can]

Thanks Tim,

Shooting a 45 year old man in an hour as suggested. First full sharp and then SF 3 refocused.

Hi Randy. The second one is simply out of focus. The softness on the Cooke is not strong, and hard to see on a model with perfect (plastic) skin! Try shooting two images of a wrinkly person--one full sharp and one full soft--both sharply focused, and you will see the softness in the second image. But its subtle. This is a portrait lens, not pictorial, so what it is going to give you is really nice portraits that don't look soft. I guess this is the effect sought after with photoshop (improvement that is not obvious).

Good luck!

[cowanw]

This is the elder Authur serving with the Palestine Brigade RAF, which achieved air superiority over the Turko-German Air Force, aiding Allenby's deception plans at the Battle of Megiddo (1918)

Pinkham and Smith 12 inch at f6

[Colin D]

I agree with the first - not really on the second...

these images are all Cooke with soft setting - refocused an' all....

Very nice execution.

[alanbutler57]

As per Monty Python, "and now, for something completely different."

Mamiya Sekor 150SF (RB67 lens) with f5.6 disc on Linhof 4x5, HP5+, D11, "AdMagic" Fresnel fixture over strobe:

[Tin Can]

Gandolfi,

Nice images with refocusing. My last test of my Cooke SF position 2, both focused and not refocused was inconclusive to me. Too close to tell. I also shot the craggy guy with RB SF 150mm Fujiroid and he loved that image.

Thanks for your visual input!

I agree with the first - not really on the second...

these images are all Cooke with soft setting - refocused an' all....

[Tin Can]

Looking good. I need to make a LF RB lens mount out of a parts RB. I bought one for parts, but the darn thing works!

As per Monty Python, "and now, for something completely different."

Mamiya Sekor 150SF (RB67 lens) with f5.6 disc on Linhof 4x5, HP5+, D11, "AdMagic" Fresnel fixture over strobe:

[Emil Schildt]

Gandolfi,

Nice images with refocusing. My last test of my Cooke SF position 2, both focused and not refocused was inconclusive to me. Too close to tell. I also shot the craggy guy with RB SF 150mm Fujiroid and he loved that image.

Thanks for your visual input!

Randy: try to set a little back lightning - that usually give more "clear" result...