OT: Spiratone Portragon with DSLR

[bmattock]

Just wanted to share and perhaps compare notes. I dug out an old Spiratone Portragon (100mm fixed f4) 'soft focus' lens today and attached it to my Pentax *ist DS DSLR with a T-Mount->P/K Mount adapter. Set it on on Aperture Preferred AE, mounted a TTL flash and let 'er rip. Of course the crop effect makes it seem like a 150mm lens, so a bit long for portraits now, and I wonder if having to back off my subject makes the 'portragon' effect too much. I converted one to B&W, left the other in color.

I'm interested in your thoughts on this - and any similar tools you may employ to get that soft-focus effect (besides PS gaussian blur, that is).

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[back alley]

makes my eyes go funny 🙂

 

[bmattock]

I'll put that down as a 'no likey' then, eh?

 

[back alley]

eh?
canadian eh?

yeah, not my cup of tea.

 

[RJBender]

Bill,

I like the effect from my Zeiss Softar II

R.J.

 

[bmattock]

Bill,

I like the effect from my Zeiss Softar II

R.J.

That's a filter, right? I have a Vivitar soft-focus filter in 48mm that I've been wanting to try with my Canon 85mm on the Bessa R, never got around to it. It has those funny cross-wires in the glass like the Softar, I think. Would you call the effect substantially different from what I posted with the Portragon?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[RJBender]

That's a filter, right? I have a Vivitar soft-focus filter in 48mm that I've been wanting to try with my Canon 85mm on the Bessa R, never got around to it. It has those funny cross-wires in the glass like the Softar, I think. Would you call the effect substantially different from what I posted with the Portragon?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Yes, it's a filter. It's an acrylic disc with dimples inside the disc that resemble small water droplets. I have heard of people putting tiny drops of clear nail polish on a UV filter and getting similar results.

Your Portragon might be doing something to the colors in the background.

R.J.

 

[payasam]

Soft focus filters of several types have been made. For example, with Rollei TLRs I used clear glass filters with concentric circles etched into their glass. It's also possible to use any filter with a bit of petroleum jelly smeared at its centre. The "true" portrait lenses, though, achieve their effect by playing around with aberrations. Some leave certain aberrations under-corrected, while the Leitz Thambar uses an optional central stop which can cut sharpness to varying degrees. Some major Japanese makers have or had lenses which apparently enabled the user to control aberrations in different ways.

 

[Poptart]

There is a simple trick you might try either in shooting or in the printing itself: hold a cigarette pack cellophane in front of the lens.

 

[oftheherd]

I like the 3D effect in the first one Bill. The second just looks too soft.

Brought back memories though. It used to be so much fun looking at the Spiratone ad in Modern and Pop Photo ... and wishing. I made some purchases. I got their 18mm and still have it and use it. A 35mm doesn't get much use. I remember their soft focus lens ads, just never much wanted one, at least before all the other good stuff they had.

 

[Byuphoto]

You can also stretch a white, flesh colored or black piece of stocking over the lens

 

[RJBender]

There is a simple trick you might try either in shooting or in the printing itself: hold a cigarette pack cellophane in front of the lens.

Pop,

Bill said he was trying to quit smoking a few weeks ago. 😀
Byu has a good idea, too.

R.J.

 

[bmattock]

Pop,

Bill said he was trying to quit smoking a few weeks ago. 😀
Byu has a good idea, too.

R.J.

I quit a year and a half ago - still off 'em!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[RJBender]

I quit a year and a half ago - still off 'em!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Good for you! 😀 I must have misunderstood your post.

R.J.

 

[Poptart]

I quit almost 10 years ago. I'm a miserable shadow of my former self.