180mm for Portraiture

[jnantz]

Thanks for the link. You are absolutely correct. There is no need to use two close-up lenses for soft-focus/portrait work. You can use just one, and it can be an inexpensive one, as well. But in order to get into the 200-250mm range, an inexpensive close-up lens will have to be a #4 or #5 (180mm needs a #5.5), and when used alone there will be too much chromatic aberration for most portrait work -- unless you stop way down.

That's why the Verito approach was so popular. It's just a little more glass, and is best wide open.

less than$4 plus shipping at anchor optical .. not much CA ..


good luck with your project OP!

[xkaes]

I see that Kumar just sold a very nice Wollensak Verito 8.75" (222mm). It's a beauty, for sure, but it makes me appreciate my home-made "Verito" even more.

[Bernice Loui]

This link has a nice illustration of classic three point cinema lighting as previously discussed on the George Hurell thread:
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...umentary/page2

As noted in the Verito portrait lighting notes:


IMO, so many that try soft focus lenses do not get proper is the usage of "hard" light as needed. This is essential to achieving the "glow" often associated with soft focus portraits and soft focus images. The current portrait lighting norm (has been for a while now) is to use a soften key light ala soft box, beauty dish, large parabolic light source or similar for shadow control with non-soft focus lenses. There is also a vignette applied in front of the lens to aid in head/shoulder composition.

*Also noted as most important, Portrait sitter's expression.



This style of portraiture appears to be not very popular today.


8x10 contact prints from film negatives made using soft focus lenses and lighting properly project a rather special quality to them... that is lost once the film negative produced in this way is enlarged more than 2x.

Where soft focus lenses can produce portraits that might not be appealing and overly softens is the use of soft diffused light combined with a soft focus lens, non-symbiotic combo.

Challenge to using soft focus lenses is focusing. Focusing should be done at the lens aperture to be used, hard key light and a flash light at the eyelashes often helps. Still, it takes practice, practice, practice to achieve consistent good focus with soft focus lenses.


Bernice

I'm always a fan of "To avoid GAS, use what you got".

Should you want to learn some more about Verito-type lenses, here is a good summary:

https://apenasimagens.com/en/verito-...-wollensak-en/

[Tin Can]

I hear you about SF enlargements

I just don't

Now...

[Peter De Smidt]

Yes, you have to get the diffusion right for a given print enlargement, and it likely means stopping down a bit more for bigger enlargements....

And you don't have to follow "The Rules". Hurrell didn't. He stopped his Verito much more than standard practice at the time, for example. The main push for the super soft lenses was to minimize retouching. Hurrell didn't care about that, and so a sharper image than standard practice was fine. And this applies today. If you're going to make contact prints without any negative retouching this will likely call for more diffusion than if you do the retouching or if you scan and do digital retouching. Portrait dodging and burning in photoshop is effectively very similar to pencil retouching on the negative.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Here a thought,

The 210 Prinz is a Commercial Congo. Looking on Ebay I see a lot of Congos! If you like the 210 Prinz you might want to pick up a 180 Congo? Prices look good!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...congo&_sacat=0

[Jody_S]

Here a thought,

The 210 Prinz is a Commercial Congo. Looking on Ebay I see a lot of Congos! If you like the 210 Prinz you might want to pick up a 180 Congo? Prices look good!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...congo&_sacat=0

My 300 Congo is one of my favorite lenses. I understand they fit in a standard shutter but I've always used with either a Packard or a LUC shutter.

[AidanAvery]

Following up here.

Daniel, not a bad idea to look for a congo at the shorter focal length. That is something I might consider down the road if I don't end up finding a Xenar.

I had the wonderful experience of using a virtual drum scanner for the first time yesterday. I scanned the negatives that I'd shot with the Prinz. I am really happy with the results, both from the lens and the scanner. Finally seeing the negatives inverted and scanned in such high resolution has been a great learning experience about shooting with my new (and first) large format camera.

I am not familiar with the best way to share images on this forum, but I'll just try attaching them to the post and see how it likes it.

EDIT: The images are being significantly compressed when I upload directly to the post. Any tips on the best way to share them here to avoid such drastic compression?

EDIT: Figured it out, I think.

[AidanAvery]

Figured it out! Images above.

[Randy]

I have a very nice Wollensak Series II Velostigmat in 7.5" FL (190mm). I believe these are Tessars. Mine is in an Alphax shutter but no PC socket. I suspect they can be had in other shutters. I haven't used mine yet (what are you waiting for?) so I can't report, but I have an older version in 8.25" FL (209mm) and it is a wonderful portrait lens.
BTW, I also have a Fuji 180mm that I personally do not find it overly or distractedly sharp.