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Re: [OM] Soft Lens

Subject: Re: [OM] Soft Lens
From: Gary Schloss <schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 18:43:01 -0800
Frank van Lindert wrote:

>>Kenko makes three soft lenses in 35mm/4, 45mm/4.5 and 85mm/2.5.
>>The OM mount is available.
>
>I own a Zuiko 100/2.8 soft focus portrait lens!
>
>This is a 'normal' 100/2.8, which has been converted by a portrait
>photographer who also owned a camera repair shop. [...]
>What did he do? He built a disc into the lens, not far from the
>position of the aperture blades, with a large hole in the middle. This
>centre hole is just as large as the aperture when opened to 5.6.  In
>the remaining part of the disc many smaller holes (about 1-2mm) were
>drilled, which actually cause the 'softening' effect. The disc is made
>out of aluminium painted black matte.
>
>Result of this is that with aperture 5.6 or smaller the lens behaves
>like a normal 100mm short tele, but when you open the aperture to 4.0
>or 2.8 you will get the softening effect caused by the
>semi-transparent disc.
>
>Simple idea, but very efficient in practice.

Nice job!  However, the idea itself is not original.  I have a screw
mount EBC Fujinon 85mm "soft focus" lens, which has exactly the same
solution -- built-in into the lens by the factory.  I don't know who
owns the patent on this.

AFAIK, in the past both Minolta and Pentax also had 85mm "soft focus"
lenses -- in manual focus only.  Nikon still offers two DC (Defocus
Control) lenses: 105/f2 and 135/f2, both in AF.  Several MF equipment
makers also offer soft focus portrait lenses.  To my knowledge, all
of the above are able to _gradually_ change the amount of "softness"
in the pict., but I'm not sure how this feature is implemented inside
the lens.

Cheers,



/Gary Schloss.
Studio City, CA
schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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