Best soft focus lens for the money?

[Eric Woodbury]

For the money, probably a pinhole, although you might argue it's not a lens.

[Peter De Smidt]

I'd look for a Veritar. They're available in decent shutters for not all that much money, and they are a true soft focus portrait lens.

[Amedeus]

300mm and 360mm Rodenstock Imagons show up quite often reasonably priced in Copal 3 or Compound shutter. I got mine well below $500 but that takes some patience. Used both of them shooting portraits while at Burning Man.

[jim10219]

On some lenses you can partially unscrew the elements to increase the distance between them and get a soft focus effect. It's free to try! I saw a site where a guy did this to a Tessar and got some interesting results. It might be worth an hour of your life to experiment with the lenses you already own to see if any of them give you something worth using. Just don't unscrew them too far! You could drop something!

[Jim Graves]

I believe the venerable Verito remains the best real value. They simply were in production for such a long period that they remain available. To get an 11 1/2" one which will work on your formats you may have to bump the budget up a couple hundred more bucks. Over your budget but in my ever so humble opinion the best dollar value to this day is the Hermagis Eidoscop. They are the equal to the Pinkham Series IV in every way and hover at less than 1/2 the cost.

+1

For me, the Verito has a really nice full softness @ f-4.5 and a nice "portrait softness" @ f-5.6 and is sharp from f-8 on out. I think it's the everyman's soft-focus lens. But, if I was to choose only one lens just for portraits ... it would be the Eidoscope.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I believe the venerable Verito remains the best real value.

Yes. I have one in which I removed the limit stop so that it can turn more than another 360 degrees beyond maximum soft focus, PLUS it has a major, major scratch on the front element! Priceless!

[Mark Sawyer]

Yes. I have one in which I removed the limit stop so that it can turn more than another 360 degrees beyond maximum soft focus...

I think you're thinking Velostigmat Series II. The Verito's softness is only adjustable by changing the aperture.

[durr3]

OK, Now, Who has one that they will sell me? The only way I'm gonna know is to shoot with one. Right?

thanks
J

[jp]

Not just shoot, but shoot a bunch to "know" a lens well. I'm sure a WTB forum post would be successful.

[durr3]

Not just shoot, but shoot a bunch to "know" a lens well. I'm sure a WTB forum post would be successful.

Thanks