Re: dreamy Nikon lenses
Some lenses can be modified by just increasing the aperture limits
giving spherical and chromatic aberrations along with clarity or diffusion
fall off... .....
I feel that just having a blurred or diffused image is not enough
for quality soft focus work......You want that clarity and depth as well
which is why a professional lens designed for soft focus is so desirable.
.... I would start not by removing or reversing lenses but playing with
larger apertures for starters....
There are some 56mm and 75 mm f.1.2 Ilex oscilloscope camera
lenses that usually sell for only a few dollars.......These are usually
uncoated lenses and if shot wide open may give some nice results with
flares and halos.....
Regards,
John Cremati
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Brubaker" <jack@jackbrubaker.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: dreamy Nikon lenses
> To the lens experts out there...
>
> I have a question about using an old lens as soft focus. Someone
> mentioned that an old triplet could be made to give that soft halo
> effect by moving the front element out a bit to introduce spherical
> aberration. Do I remember that right? If so can this be done with some
> of those old lenses I have laying around that have what I take to be a
> front pair and a rear pair each mounted in a brass ring and threaded
> into a brass tube. Can the space between the front and rear elements
> be varied by screwing them out a bit and get any of these effects, or
> by seperating the front pair and placing a shim between them in the
> brass mounting ring?
>
> Hopeful and expectant,
>
> Jack
>
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