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Thread: My Dream lens.

  1. #71

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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Vaughn,
    I have six meniscus lense of various lengths, 2 of which are from Reinhold. I have found little difference between them other than focal length. I did have one which I threw away because it was so poorly ground the images were just too filled with weird areas. I didn't want friends mad at me, or customers even more so. Thus the trash.

  2. #72
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Noel View Post
    Vaughn,
    I have six meniscus lense of various lengths, 2 of which are from Reinhold. I have found little difference between them other than focal length. I did have one which I threw away because it was so poorly ground the images were just too filled with weird areas. I didn't want friends mad at me, or customers even more so. Thus the trash.
    Thanks! I'll see if I ever use it...usually not my thing, but perhaps on the 8x10, but probably will work on the 11x14.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  3. #73
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Thanks! I'll see if I ever use it...usually not my thing, but perhaps on the 8x10, but probably will work on the 11x14.
    Vaughn, I had that focal length and it was fine for my 14x17. I sold it some time ago. I had many other lenses that were better.

  4. #74

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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Tri, a 9 inch or 15 inch focal would be awesome to see. Thanks.

  5. #75
    Tri Tran's Avatar
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff T View Post
    Tri, a 9 inch or 15 inch focal would be awesome to see. Thanks.
    Noted. Stay tuned.

  6. #76
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald View Post
    Vaughn, I had that focal length and it was fine for my 14x17. I sold it some time ago. I had many other lenses that were better.
    Thanks for the info! I might find some use for it. In my mind (odd that it is), soft-focus lenses used for their feeling of softness usually over-power the quality of the light, which is what I am most interested in working with.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  7. #77
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Thanks for the info! I might find some use for it. In my mind (odd that it is), soft-focus lenses used for their feeling of softness usually over-power the quality of the light, which is what I am most interested in working with.
    That's why you need a lens that also can defocus to suit your vision.

  8. #78
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tri Tran View Post
    That's why you need a lens that also can defocus to suit your vision.
    True...and I like many of your soft-focus/focus-distorted images -- it just places too much consideration on the objects/people being photographed for how I wish to express myself with the light. I rarely, if ever, even use selective focusing.

    I am sorry you could not make it to the opening in Yosemite -- suppossively we have met before, but that data is no longer available in my brain!
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  9. #79
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    I am also sorry that I couldn't make it to the show! I don't remember us meeting either. Soft focus isn't for everyone - either you prefer more realistic photography, or more pictorial. Totally understand your point about the selective focusing!

  10. #80
    Jim Graves Jim Graves's Avatar
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    Re: My Dream lens.

    I'm always a little confused when people say the don't like "soft focus" lenses ... for a couple of reasons.

    First ... soft focus is really how we see. You look at a specific thing, focus on that, and the rest of the image is slightly out of focus. You focus on what is interesting to you. How can a soft focus photo that looks "real" be less desirable than a flat f-64 photo of a scene? Sure ... if all you're doing is documenting the scene ... that's fine ... but who wants to just document a scene? That's not how it looked to you when you viewed it.

    Second ... a soft focus lens gives the artist the ability to direct the observer to the most important part of the image. That is why soft focus lenses are virtually always used for portraits. The eyes are where it's at. In closeups the eyes are revealed while the rest of the image fills in the details, mood, or whatever else the photographer deems important ... but nothing is more important than the eyes.

    If you are in Yosemite and taking a shot of half dome ... you want half dome in focus ... and nothing else. If EVERYTHING else is in focus, then half dome becomes less important in your photo.

    I believe pictorialism became popular because people felt f-64 type photos were simply documents sans the esthetic feel of art. A documentary photo is not art ... but a nuanced photo that directs your vision to what the artist wants you to experience and that displays a feeling with its aura ... well, that's art.

    I applaud Tri for his search.

    Of course, as with everything else, YMMV (your mileage may vary.)

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