Soft focus lens suggestions requested

[Serge S]

I would like to dip my toes into the world of soft focus imagery.
It would be for portrait & landscape use.
I shoot 4x5 & 5x7 formats.

Nothing too extreme just nice highlight bleeding if that is the term & a softer smoother feel to the imagery.
There are so many variables - it's hard to pin down where to start exploring.
Was thinking imagon or fuji soft focus or verito or Velostigmat (without the soft focus dial) or some other suggestions...

I like the 210 focal lens - but a slightly longer lens would be fine..9 inch / 9 1/2 in?

Thanks in advance!

[Peter De Smidt]

How about a Wollanston meniscus with a Packard as a good start? https://www.re-inventedphotoequip.com/Home.html

Otherwise, I like Imagons without the sink strainer aperture. It's easy to make your own aperture, or use the one in a shutter. Or a Verito.

I'm a big fan of Fujinon lenses, but I don't like their soft focus lenses, as they don't have enough character.

[xkaes]

How about a Wollanston meniscus with a Packard as a good start? https://www.re-inventedphotoequip.co...htmlWollanston

I don't know why but that link does not work for me.

Here's a different one on DIY Wollaston & Verito lenses:

http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/softfocus.htm

You might also be interested in:

https://research-repository.st-andre...=6&isAllowed=y

[russyoung]

https://research-repository.st-andre...=6&isAllowed=y[/QUOTE]
Thanks for posting the link to my dissertation. I apologize that there is not more information on modern lenses and how to use them effectively but I was already well over (+20,000) the normally allowed word limit.

In total agreement with the assessment that the Fujinons are not true soft focus lenses. JP's comment seems most accurate. I own all three focal lengths and they just aren't SF, either with or without their tea strainers.

The problem with the otherwise marvelous Kodak Portrait 305mm is the #5 shutter, which requires a lot of lens board real estate to mount. It covers 5x7 with ease wide open and 8x10 at studio portrait distances (assuming the corners have a detailless backdrop field).

Pre-war Imagons render better tonality IMHO, especially sans tea strainers. The modern f/6.8 models are not worth owning. If using the tea strainer, you must be ultra-careful to not have hot highlights which will render almost as an image of the strainer; in the 1950s, this effect was named "Kuhn's spider" or bug. Ugly and distracting under all circumstances. I have a pre-war 250mm which is a shining beauty on a 6x12 rollfilm back (sans strainer). N.B.: not all Imagons have an iris in the shutter.

A Verito is the easiest true soft focus lens to learn to use. Although shorter focal lengths will cover a 4x5, a 9 inch will yield a better rendering. To some extent, excellence in SF rendering is related to focal length; 12" (Kodak, Port-Land, Hyperion, Dallmeyer, Verito) appears to be the shortest for optimal SF effects.

Enjoy your journey into this new world.

Russ

[diversey]

I like my Imagon 250mm for 4x5 and 300mm for 5x7. Imagon lenses produce nice soft focus images.

[Mark Sawyer]

Was thinking imagon or fuji soft focus or verito or Velostigmat (without the soft focus dial) or some other suggestions...

The Imagon and Verito are both fine choices. Like Peter, I prefer using the conventional aperture in the shutter over the h/stop disks. The Velostigmat Series II without the diffusion is not soft focus, but does have the beautiful rendering of a Tessar. I've been unimpressed by the Fujinon soft lenses, though they do have the advantage of a modern shutter.

[Bob Salomon]

The Imagon and Verito are both fine choices. Like Peter, I prefer using the conventional aperture in the shutter over the h/stop disks. The Velostigmat Series II without the diffusion is not soft focus, but does have the beautiful rendering of a Tessar. I've been unimpressed by the Fujinon soft lenses, though they do have the advantage of a modern shutter.

Later Imagons came in modern Copal shutters as well as Prontor Professional and Compur shutters.

[Dugan]

Wollensak made a 9 1/2" (241mm) f4.5 Velostigmat...with and without the soft-focus Fuzzulator. It was intended for Whole Plate (6 1/2" x 8 1/2"), so it should fit your needs. They would fit in an Alphax or Betax #4 shutter, which have almost perfectly round apertures. We also have an expert Alphax / Betax repair person here who can assist you with a shutter CLA, as necessary.

[mhayashi]

Have you seen Emil’s examples of different portrait lenses yet?
Maybe you can find your preference and choose a flavor….
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...rsonality-quot
And here.
http://wideopen1.squarespace.com

[Reinhold Schable]

Let's see if this link works...
http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Home.html

Reinhold