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Thread: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

  1. #1

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    Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    While soft or diffuse "portrait" focal lengths lenses are plentiful, I'm wondering if there are any in wider focal lengths that would cover 8x10.
    Any wide angle lenses that diffuse highlights, perhaps with qualities like Kodak Portrait lenses?

    Thx

  2. #2
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    I just bought an 8-3/4" Verito. I can pop it on an 8x10 today and take a look. My guess is that the edges of the ground glass will go soft, but whether that's a problem will depend on the types of images you want to take.
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  3. #3

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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    Some of the older Imagons covered 810.

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    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dustyman View Post
    ...Any wide angle lenses that diffuse highlights, perhaps with qualities like Kodak Portrait lenses?
    Shorter-barreled landscape lenses, like the Kodak Portrait Lenses or Imagons, will "illuminate" a very wide angle. The question would be whether the image quality outside the center is acceptable.
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  5. #5

    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    I have old 360mm and 420mm Rodenstock Imagon lenses that work well with 8x10. I use them with Sinar Norma shutter.
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  6. #6

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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    My Fujinon 250mm SFS projected an image that would cover 11x14 at infinity but the image was "soft" in the corners at any aperture. Possibly a Fujninon 180mm SFS would do the same on 8x10?

  7. #7
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter De Smidt View Post
    I just bought an 8-3/4" Verito. I can pop it on an 8x10 today and take a look. My guess is that the edges of the ground glass will go soft, but whether that's a problem will depend on the types of images you want to take.
    My 8-3/4 Verito "covers" 8x10, but the edges/corners definitely look bad and have a different character.

    I also am interested in true wide-angle soft-focus lenses.
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  8. #8

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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    When opened up larger than its nameplate aperture of f/12.5, the 159mm (6.25”) Wollensak IIIa Extreme Wide Angle Lens exhibits pleasing soft focus aberrations and covers 8x10 with room to spare. Some came in shutters with the max aperture restricted by a screw, while others had no restriction.

  9. #9

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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Unkefer View Post
    I have old 360mm and 420mm Rodenstock Imagon lenses that work well with 8x10. I use them with Sinar Norma shutter.
    Thanks Daniel, but I'm lookin for wide angle lenses, say in the range of 180mm -> 250mm

  10. #10

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    Re: Wide angle soft or diffuse focus lenses to cover 8x10?

    The Dallmeyer Rectilinear Wide Angle (not the Rapid Rectilinear) can be very soft wide open, if you remove the wheel or waterhouse stops.
    Last edited by goamules; 30-May-2019 at 07:17.

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