As a young kid, my first SLR was a Praticka FX. On it was a 50mm f2.8 Meyer-Optik Domiplan. I hated the camera and sold it to someone who was interested in the "Occupied USSR" stamped on it. But after seeing some of it's modern magic I just reobtained it, along with another Praticka body ($40 both), and compared it to my 50mm f1.4 SMC Takumar on a K5iis. To say the least, I was amazed at what I saw with the Domiplan. I gained a new level of respect for that ancient lens. Whereas the Takumar makes bubbles, the Domiplan makes balls. Very appealing. The images below went through no post processing.
Takumar @1.4


Domiplan @f2

[bhbrake]

Interesting. My first though was the magic Christmas mushroom. I have not deliberately messed with out of focus images much.

[dms]

The potential problem in interpreting this is:
-- what were their respective focus at (it does seem they were different, by a lot)
-- and also they are not at same f-stop (f/1.4 vs f/2), and the one at f/2 could conceivably off by a stop (meaning internally the aperture size is off), making it f/1.4 vs f/2.8.
The results are very interesting and I think likely these lenses have very different rendering, but I wonder if we are comparing more than just lens differences.

[Prince Harbinger]

Very nice. I prefer the look of the Takumar over the Domiplan.

[MikeyBugs95]

Interesting.... I'm only looking at this on my phone but I think I prefer the Takumar. To my eyes, the bokeh looks smoother than the Domiplan.

[Michail_P]

Two very different , interesting results. The bokeh is a technical but also an artistic matter. I like the smoothies of the first photo, but for some reason my eyes wonder on the second. It certainly has some character.
There’s apparently a difference between the two, exposure related. But the rendering of the two is so different.

[aitrus3]

Neat! I love the first one. Playing with RC telescopes now, it almst looks like the second lens is out of collimation the way the circles are elongated and not concentric...

[sergeremy]

Both very nice, although I'm not sure the differences are due only to the lenses (as stated by dms above). My preference goes to the second - the first is a bit too much of a 'look at the bokeh' image, whereas the second is mysterious and fun, all-out abstract yet somewhat figurative (one can imagine a bunch of balloons floating in the air)... Great shot.

[stevebrot]

However, the Domiplan has an ugly side too. While it does create wild bokeh wide open, wide open it is also one of the most un-sharp lens I've ever owned.

Yep...and of course there is the busy stuff at other than wide open.


Steve