U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: dreamy Nikon lenses

Re: dreamy Nikon lenses



Jack,

I agree with John that the best way is to enlarge the aperture: try that with any disposable plastic camera lens and you've got it.

What focal length and film format are you trying to use? Here is a solution for 4x5 and 5x7: the Wollensak Extreme Wide Angle 12.5 lenses intended for 4x5 and 8x10. Each can be found quite inexpensively. If you enlarge the aperture from 12.5 to about f/9 (as far as it can go) you'll get very beautiful soft focus. Every bit as nice as the best. Matter of fact, if you point the camera at say sunlight dancing on water, I bet you'll be mesmerized by the image on the groundglass.

Sam

On Jul 21, 2008, at 1:48 PM, Jack Brubaker wrote:

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