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Re: [OM] (More) Glorious Imperfection (eye test II) [was Painterly vinta

Subject: Re: [OM] (More) Glorious Imperfection (eye test II) [was Painterly vintage Lenses]
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2022 20:43:04 -0700
On 8/17/2022 4:24 AM, Sandy Harris wrote:
On Tue, Aug 9, 2022 at 12:21 PM Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm continuing my project of making sample shots with various perfectly 
imperfect lenses.
The last batch were 50-ish mm lenses. This is 28 and 35 mm.
Next 75-90?

I wish - sorta. I have an abundance problem. This may give you some clue. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Lenses/Soft%20Focus/MinoltaVarisoft/MinoltaVarisoft.htm>

One lens, six apertures, seven softness settings, = 42 photos. Add one 
conventional lens and two diffusion filters = 60.

I took all these shots 3.5+ years ago. While informative, they are also incomplete. They don't say much about what a more photogenic subject might look like. The also don't show the DoF differences of a lens where softness decreases with increased DoF vs. softness that is consistent across DoF.

One of the characteristics of many great old, LF lenses was the combination of deep DoF with soft edges, detail without edginess. That's why I include the Nikon Soft filters in my comparisons. According to Nikon history, that's why they were designed and Nikon didn't go ahead with production of their own soft focus lens.

Now, multiply by more lenses. The Canon Soft Focus 85/2.8 has a different mechanical design that makes consistent intermediate softness settings difficult, so maybe only 24 shots. The LB Velvet 85/1.8, Sweet 80 and Spiratone YS add 13.

Go down to 58 mm and add 19. Go up to 135, and add 17. I have to go to at least 
100 mm to include an old favorite.

These are classic portrait FLs, so a complete test would include those. I'm not a formal portraitist, and wouldn't do that. Still, as WayneS pointed out, close focus performance is of interest, as well as medium distance, and landscape, particularly close-ish/medium distance subject with various background distances, as this is a lot about bokeh.

It feels like an unwieldy effort..

I wonder about the Jupiter 9 85mm 2. A friend shot some good portraits
with it years ago & it sounds good in theory. Russian copy of a pre-WW
II Zeiss design & with 15 aperture blades.

Pre SLR lenses do tend to have multi blade, close to circular apertures, as do the contemporary LensBabies. That's a big plus for bokeh. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Lenses/Soft%20Focus/LensBaby_Soft_Focus_Bokeh/LensBaby_SF.htm>

Not sure why I chose those apertures back in 2015. Interesting nonetheless. In addition to the differences in OoF pinpoints, it shows the difference in stars and that the OMZ has better front bokeh than the soft focus lens.

Roundly Octagonal Moose

--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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