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
|