Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    65

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    One thing that is responsible for a pleasing bokeh is a round iris when the lens is stopped down. Nevertheless I am aware that some lens designs do posses a good bokeh despite having an edgy iris like the Nikkor 35 1.4 but again there have been manufacturers (more in the past though) who have added more diaphragm blades to create this round look so it looks like this does play a big role in bokeh quality. May be this is the reason we like our lenses wide open?

    I have checked my optics for this and want to share it with you:

    My Apo sironar 210-S, G-Claron 150 (typical symmetrical or near symmetrical designs) SA 72XL and my Konica Hexars 35mm fixed lens all show a round iris, the Hexar has actually a very beautiful bokeh something very special among all of my optics. My 110 xl and Apo tele xenar 400 show an edgy shape.

    All of my Bronica SQ lenses (80, 50 and 200) show an edgy iris though I like the 80 wide open. Nikkor 35: 35 1.4, 105 1.8, 55 2.8 micro and 28 PC are all edgy. The 35 1.4 is a very contrasty optic and is famous for having a "complex" bokeh. Again I like this lens wide open and it does have a good bokeh but not at close ups.

    To check your optics point your lens set at infinity at a ball of crushed aluminum foil lit by a strong light like a table lamp. Then stop your lens down and look for the circle of confusion. For rangefinders open the back and place a small ground glass on the film plane.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    8,467

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    Huh?

    Its time for a poll. What apertures do you typically use?

    35 mm, macro up to 1:1? f/16 - f/27 marked. Effective smaller.

    35 mm out and about? f/5.6 to f/16, depending.

    2x3 macro, up to 2:1? f/20

    2x3 out and about? f/11 - f/22, depending.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    8,467

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    Huh?

    Its time for another poll.

    Whose pictures often suffer from bright highlights in the out-of-focus areas that are rendered as images of the lens' diaphragm?

    Not mine.

  4. #4
    Ted Harris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    3,465

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    The problem as it relates to modern large format lenses is that none of them have diphragms. The diphragms are in the shutter and today the only shutters being manufactured come from Copal. Within the past few years both Compur and Prontor stopped making LF shutters although there could easily still be some in dealer stock. I haven't numbers of blades but the Compurs and Prontor Pro's both have more blades than the Copals. So, regardless of your lens it is highly likely to be mounted in a Copal shutter.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    832

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?



    愉快模糊

  6. #6
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,634

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    That's a special version of the Copal Press #0, known as the Copal Press Smiley #0, sold only in Asian markets...

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    9,487

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    FWIW, after dabbling with shutter mounted and non-mounted lenses, the rounded openings of the non-shutter mounted lenses make images that are vastly more pleasing. Of course this is for wide aperture portraits with backlight, not your typical West Coast landscape stopped down to f/22.

    It actually is part of the reason I stopped trying to do close portraits with shutter mounted large format lenses. And why I am about the throw this darn Nikkor 50/1.4 AF lens against the wall (harsh hexagonal bokeh).

  8. #8
    All metric sizes to 24x30 Ole Tjugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    3,383

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    If you want lots and lots of aperture blades in a shutter, you'll have to get a classic "oldie" in a Compound #5 shutter. I think it's 23 aperture blades. Look for a Heliar 300mm f:4.5 in shutter - the "King of Bokeh"!

  9. #9
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,634

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    Frank, I tossed my 50/1.4 AF Nikkor out the window a long time ago. Stopped down or flat out, between the bokeh and the tonal gradation, it's one of the harshest lenses I've ever used.

  10. #10
    Michael Jones's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 1998
    Location
    Nashville, Tennessee
    Posts
    582

    Bokeh again: aperture blades round or edgy?

    While this is all terribly fascinating; I come away with the thought: What would Edward Weston think about all this? Oh my...

    jj comes closest to my response.

    Mike
    “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”

Similar Threads

  1. Why Does Anyone Shoot Trannies - Round Two
    By Brian Ellis in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 51
    Last Post: 18-Jun-2006, 11:24
  2. Mystery Lensboard (round, 92mm)
    By David A. Goldfarb in forum Gear
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 11-Mar-2005, 10:44
  3. Small round marks on my negatives
    By Robert Skeoch in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 4-Aug-2004, 01:10
  4. Oily aperture blades
    By Tom Diekwisch in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 1-Oct-2003, 19:51
  5. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 12-Jan-2002, 04:42

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •