[touchogrey]

I own a 135mm SMC. With the ideal serial meaning it has the real coating. It's a great lens.

I shoot video on it and I love the color fringing look when it wide open. (I know this is not ideal for most, but it's part of a dream aesthetic I am attempting to go for here)

I want to build a lens set which matches this lens. I am looking at the SMC 35/2 and and possibly the 50/1.4

Does anyone with experience with any of these M42 lenses (not even the Pentax) know of similar color fringe effects to that of the 135/2.5?

I don't wish to be vague so basically I am looking for a lens set with a nice range that has this effect (without being a poor performer). So possibly any lenses within 35, 50, 85, 200+ (since i already own the 135).


Thanks so much for any and all information!

[JeffJS]

For what it's worth, I can make just about any lens Fringe by shooting basically wide open at a high contrast subject. Things like reflections and the like add to it as well. Anywhere in the photo where the edges are soft are prone to fringing. Things like that. There are any number of cheap lenses out there, especially M42 that may fit your bill.

Not much help, I know but for now, it'll have to do.

[Asahiflex]

Can you post some examples with what you call "color fringing"?

[Lowell Goudge]

Can you post some examples with what you call "color fringing"?

+1

I was going to ask also, I know of 2 different types Lingitudinal CA where OFF behind the focus plane are surrounded with a green hailo and OFF in front of the focus plane are purple, and Lateral CA where one side is green the other is purple, in the out of focus regions.

As noted above all lenses of this era exhibit some CA because they were not designed specifically for color but B&W and as a result are not aprochromatic lenses.

[Nass]

Lowell, fascinating. Quick aside, you say "of this era". Would you happen to be able to give an approximate date when Pentax lenses started being aprochromatic? Many thanks & apologies to OP.

[blende8]

If I understand the TO correctly he is talking about the SMC Takumar 135/2.5.
Generally it is my experience that the Takumars are slightly worse in the corners. I suspect that this is due to the smaller rear opening.
But, as others, I am not sure what is meant by "color fringing".

[touchogrey]

Great responses. I refer to a green/purple halo which I notice on out of focus areas. Particularly on light sources. No high contrast on the image. This occurs on balanced shots. I don't have examples right this second as I am at work but it is similar to this effect seen here (not my site - just found it earlier)

http://i080.radikal.ru/1009/8c/4bc1df8713df.jpg
http://s004.radikal.ru/i205/1009/13/e1fc4eb6a169.jpg

This is some EXTREME fringing. My lens is not quite so harsh when wide open. I do like this look though. Perhaps less would be nice

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Last edited by touchogrey; 09-28-2010 at 12:12 PM.

[touchogrey]

If I understand the TO correctly he is talking about the SMC Takumar 135/2.5.
Generally it is my experience that the Takumars are slightly worse in the corners. I suspect that this is due to the smaller rear opening.
But, as others, I am not sure what is meant by "color fringing".

Talking about the Super-Takumar 135/2.5. The one with 8 elements. The more sought after one. Wide open, yes, starting from center toward the corners there is some form of fringing.

[Asahiflex]

Talking about the Super-Takumar 135/2.5. The one with 8 elements. The more sought after one. Wide open, yes, starting from center toward the corners there is some form of fringing.

I guess you meant to say the version with 6 elements I have that one too, albeit in the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar M42 version. So you are referring to the OOF fringing, well, most lenses will have it but the lenses longer than or equal to 50mm will have it more pronounced, also the faster the lens the more pronounced the OOF fringing. Avoid APO (Pentax calls this "ED" designs) because these are more corrected for this problem.

[touchogrey]

I guess you meant to say the version with 6 elements I have that one too, albeit in the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar M42 version. So you are referring to the OOF fringing, well, most lenses will have it but the lenses longer than or equal to 50mm will have it more pronounced, also the faster the lens the more pronounced the OOF fringing. Avoid APO (Pentax calls this "ED" designs) because these are more corrected for this problem.

Well that answers my question then! I'll just go ahead and try to find one of those SuperTakumar 50 1.4 for starters.

What does OOF fringing stand for?

[Lowell Goudge]

Great responses. I refer to a green/purple halo which I notice on out of focus areas. Particularly on light sources. No high contrast on the image. This occurs on balanced shots. I don't have examples right this second as I am at work but it is similar to this effect seen here (not my site - just found it earlier)

http://i080.radikal.ru/1009/8c/4bc1df8713df.jpg
http://s004.radikal.ru/i205/1009/13/e1fc4eb6a169.jpg

This is some EXTREME fringing. My lens is not quite so harsh when wide open. I do like this look though. Perhaps less would be nice

this is latteral CA, one side of the OFF is purple the other green

Seen generally in nature shots with little twigs etc.

[blende8]

The Super Takumar has only 5 elements.
Even some copies of the SMC Takumar have 5 elements.
To tell the difference you can look at the DoF scale.
If it has the f4 label, it is the 6-element version.

[Asahiflex]

Well that answers my question then! I'll just go ahead and try to find one of those SuperTakumar 50 1.4 for starters.

What does OOF fringing stand for?

It's the same as Lateral Chromatic Abberation. I just call it Out Of Focus Fringing because most people then immediately recognize what I'm talking about.

Even superb lenses such as the FA77 have this problem

[Lowell Goudge]

Lowell, fascinating. Quick aside, you say "of this era". Would you happen to be able to give an approximate date when Pentax lenses started being aprochromatic? Many thanks & apologies to OP.

It began in the late 70's and early 80's with the proliferation of color films especially print films, and displacement of B&W

There was from memory a lot of discussion about it then.

The degree of CA changes lens to lens, and is really obvious in some longer lenses like the SMC 300 F4. I have not really gone looking for it in the SMC 135F2.5 (K mount) but I am sure I can find some.

The whole issue is that part of the bokeh of B&W included the CA, as shading, but when viewed in color becomes objectionable in a hurry.

[Nass]

Thank you very much Lowell, this has given me "closure" on something trivial that surprised me over the summer. I already had an SMC-A 35mm but my brother-in-law gave me his old SMC-M 35mm since he doesn't use it anymore. I was playing with some long exposure testshots using both of these and I was surprised at the difference between the two in purplification. Your explanation makes total sense.

Thanks again.

-Nass