Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Equipment > Filters

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 18th April 2020, 06:15 PM
paddy's Avatar
paddy paddy is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Liverpool, UK
Posts: 414
Default Carl zeiss softar 1 filter

Hi
I recently bought a Hasselblad 500cm with Carl zeiss 150mm f4 CF lens
This will be used for close up portraits (hence the 150mm), for photographing women of an older age should i say (like my mum in her mid 70,s) i thought a soft filter would be best
I bought a Zeiss softar 1 for making wrinkles and blemishes not as noticable in portraits, i know soft portraits can look a bit old hat, but im just thinking the zeiss 150mm lens might show every wrinke up
I have read that these filters can work at any aperture, ive also read that you should have an aperture f5.6 or lower
Does anyone use one of these filters and can comment on this
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 18th April 2020, 06:59 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

No experience of such I am afraid but when I lived in Liverpool in my younger days I used a kind of filter that worked for me with much younger women as well in the Wooky Hollow, Victoriana etc

It was called "Weekend Higgies Mild" . In the short term this was much cheaper than the Carl Zeiss Softar 1. The longer term was possibly another matter

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18th April 2020, 07:30 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

Hi Paddy, I have one that I sometimes use on a Rollei, and the best aperture does seem to be 5.6, they are a lovely filter, expensive, but must be one of the best soft filters around, they will work at any aperture, I have used mine at 11 for some soft focus landscapes, but for portraits at 5.6 the results can be stunning, Enjoy the Hassy
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 18th April 2020, 07:38 PM
paddy's Avatar
paddy paddy is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Liverpool, UK
Posts: 414
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
No experience of such I am afraid but when I lived in Liverpool in my younger days I used a kind of filter that worked for me with much younger women as well in the Wooky Hollow, Victoriana etc

It was called "Weekend Higgies Mild" . In the short term this was much cheaper than the Carl Zeiss Softar 1. The longer term was possibly another matter

Mike
Wooky hollow, your going back there arnt you , wasnt that on belmont rd just off breck road, i take it you lived near that horribe football ground then
A bit before my time as im only 51 by the way

Last edited by paddy; 18th April 2020 at 07:41 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 18th April 2020, 07:40 PM
paddy's Avatar
paddy paddy is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Liverpool, UK
Posts: 414
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
Hi Paddy, I have one that I sometimes use on a Rollei, and the best aperture does seem to be 5.6, they are a lovely filter, expensive, but must be one of the best soft filters around, they will work at any aperture, I have used mine at 11 for some soft focus landscapes, but for portraits at 5.6 the results can be stunning, Enjoy the Hassy
Richard
Thanks for that, i will use it at f5.6 on the 150mm f4 lens
I bought the filter off fordes for £15, he has two softar 2 filters left
I bought the softar 1 as the 2 would of been a little too much
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 18th April 2020, 08:29 PM
big paul big paul is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: benfleet essex
Posts: 2,284
Default

I have the carl zeiss softar 111 , i haven't used it much it works well but i used it on 20 odd year old women ,and l loved the results i also have a Hasselblad MP6 i know its a one trick pony ,but its very 60s
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 19th April 2020, 09:19 AM
Paulographic Paulographic is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Mid Pennines
Posts: 835
Default

I've been getting interested in soft focus. I did some portraits years back with both filters and a piece of nylon stocking stretched over a lens and was happy with both but moved on to other things.
Recently I bought some fiters and made some attachments to do this again hoping for an old/vintage look but the virus isolation thing has meant that all the subjects who were to model for this are stuck at home for the duration. I've done a test roll of 120 with a still-life set up and the negs look interesting.
The cameras and lenses are my Bronica 80 and 150mm and 50-100 zoom, the tele supplementary for the Yashica 124, the 135mm on the Mamiya TLR and a couple of Nikkors for 35mm. Both bits of stocking again and filters round and square. The bellows lens hood for Bronica SQ has a filter slot but it's too narrow for standard P size filters.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 19th April 2020, 11:58 AM
Rob Archer's Avatar
Rob Archer Rob Archer is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Kings Lynn, Norfolk - flatlands and big skies.
Posts: 1,243
Default

I've never used a soft-focus filter on the camera but have got excellent results using an old anti-newton glass slide mount over the enlarger lens. For a subtler effect use it for half the print exposure. I might try it over the camera lens sometime.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 19th April 2020, 05:03 PM
billcowan's Avatar
billcowan billcowan is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by paddy View Post
Thanks for that, i will use it at f5.6 on the 150mm f4 lens
I bought the filter off fordes for £15, he has two softar 2 filters left
I bought the softar 1 as the 2 would of been a little too much
Funny you say that. I have the l and the 2 and I always feel that when I use the 1, it just looks like its kind of soft like a cheap lens, but when I sue the 2, it looks like I meant it.
__________________
www.eleventyoneportraits.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 20th April 2020, 03:23 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: St Albans UK/Agde France
Posts: 1,074
Default

I have a softar 2, used once. I had previously used a UV filter with circles drawn with gum arabic and a dip pen. Somewherei have a lens in a Hasselblad BAY mount with an array of blobs on the glass. I used that once, too. Of the three I think the gum arabic worked best.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Carl Zeiss Jena (CJZ) lenses DaveInElland Cameras - small format 8 10th February 2020 04:11 PM
135mm f3.5 Carl Zeiss Jena DDR M42 pentaxpete Sale or Wanted 0 10th July 2019 04:44 PM
Zeiss Ikon yellow filter Michael Sale or Wanted 3 11th July 2018 11:55 AM
Carl Zeiss ZF Lens advice jamesrickard Equipment miscellaneous 5 11th September 2011 08:00 AM
Carl Zeiss 135 f4 Sonnar (m42 mount) TomHayward Cameras - small format 2 15th May 2010 05:44 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:22 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.