Bokeh is dead - Long live SOFA!

[edrodgers731]

Okay, now it's official. I've added SOFA to wikipedia.

🙂

 

[Aristophanes]

Why does it have to be "soft"?

Puts a boundary on the variables of an aesthetic.

 

[fotomeow]

none of the above

 

[DtheG]

When I saw the term 'bokeh' a few years back, I assumed, given the weakness of spelling on the Internet in general, that someone has mistyped 'bouquet' and that others were following suit. I liked the idea of a len's 'bouquet' -- like a fine wine. I was rather disappointed to discover 'bokeh' was a real word, albeit Japanese 🙄

Me too! I thought it was something to do with the Japanese obsession with cherry blossom. Bokeh alway brings to mind some image with some out-of-focus flowering tree in the background.

 

[nandemofoto]

Now, that the results are clear it is time to start "Freedom fries vs French fries" pool...

 

[thegman]

Bokeh is no concern of mine. Often I want everything *in* focus, not out of of focus. Obviously sometimes you want a background out of focus or whatever, but the style of it's out-of-focus-ness is not interesting to me.

 

[thegman]

Now, that the results are clear it is time to start "Freedom fries vs French fries" pool...

Well, I love French food, and also freedom, which do I choose!!?

 

[ShinX414]

...Sofa actually means "couch" in german...XD

 

[jsrockit]

So wait, people have been offended by Bokeh on RFF for over 8 years (based on the start date of this thread)? Yeah, SOFA is so much better... hahaha. Might be better to concentrate on content in photos instead.

 

[unixrevolution]

I am not going to have non-photographers look at me weird when I say my lens has a nice sofa, and that is an end of it.

 

[isoterica]

I don't get it.. what's wrong with 'bokeh'? it's an easily identifiable word and upon seeing it, the reader knows instantly what it refers to.. either that, or s/he instantly knows that s/he doesn't know what it is, but can look it up very quickly and get an answer

SOFA = Status of Forces Agreement, a NATO acronym. It's already taken. I vote for bokeh.

...Sofa actually means "couch" in german...XD

..it's BOKEH

GAS is another story.. If a concept needs a word then give it one. Bokeh does not.

 

[Sparrow]

..it's BOKEH

GAS is another story.. If a concept needs a word then give it one. Bokeh does not.

... surly, as it's a Japanese word should it not be restricted simply to a character? ... here in my county we call it bollocks, but it may well be a different word elsewhere

 

[locheeboy]

What's wrong with "defocus(s)ed" ? 😎

 

[Phil_F_NM]

So wait, people have been offended by Bokeh on RFF for over 8 years (based on the start date of this thread)? Yeah, SOFA is so much better... hahaha. Might be better to concentrate on content in photos instead.

You mean you don't take photos for the out of focus backgrounds? You actually keep your subject in focus? 😱
How weird.

Phil Forrest

 

[isoterica]

... surly, as it's a Japanese word should it not be restricted simply to a character? ... here in my county we call it bollocks, but it may well be a different word elsewhere

Bollocks is good -snicker-

 

[Heru Anggono]

Many man died defending their religion. Many man died (perhaps agonizing to the point of near death) because of Bokeh/SOFA.

Another funny thing, Bokeh is a Japanese word yet common concensus voted a German lens (aka Summicron v4) to be the "King of Bokeh". Perhaps we should choose a "Queen of Bokeh" to make it an even match.

OTH, Thorsten Overgaard will do an interview with Peter Karbe, current chief of Optic Design at Leica. Thorsten promised to ask the Chief what he thinks about Bokeh/SOFA.

 

[Jack Conrad]

I think changing bokeh to sofa is just divan. 🙄

 

[j j]

One more post for those interested. I found a very good, concise article on Bokeh giving the origin of the word and some good examples here:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-04-04-04.shtml

Mike Johnson's 2004 article mentions "A Google search for the word "bokeh" just now resulted in approximately 13,300 hits. Seems the idea's gotten around."

The same search engine today reports "About 22,600,000 results".

Remarkable to see the establishment of a new word traced to a known time/author and watch it grow.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

Oh my god.. Sofa is where you f**k girls here in scandinavia...It can be quite messy, if you are really into it.. so Bokeh. I dig japanese. they made the lenses, they may have the expression also...

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofa ...There you have it ! Someone smuggled the term to Wikipedia already. The first is however the one I described. I think the expression is ridiculous.. " Kind of sofa lens", who wants that ???