Originally posted by thePiRaTE!! Interesting examples Abazz. Really like your Canon image, seems magical.
Thanks for the kind words.
Originally posted by thePiRaTE!! I love lenses that 'do' something unique. In your experience, what lenses have you used that we're the most likely to impart their character onto an image?
Many old lenses have an unique character. I particularly love triplet lenses, like the
Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8. Heliar type lenses (5 element/3 group formula) -- which are in fact souped up triplets, with both the front and rear element replaced by achromatic doublets -- share many qualities of the triplets, while offering better resolution. I have quite a few Voigländer Heliar lenses on vintage folding medium or large format cameras. It is said that the late Emperor of Japan liked so much one of his portraits taken with a Heliar lens that he ordered that all his portraits should be taken with this lens.
The old Takumar 58/2.4 and SMC-Takumar (or SMC Pentax) 100/4 Macro lenses are about the only small format SLR lenses of classic Heliar formula. Both can deliver stunningly soft bokeh and pleasant colors. Here are a few pictures taken with the Takumar 58/2.4 lens at F/4.0. The highlights are superb thanks to an almost perfectly round diaphragm opening:
Note the clean bokeh in spite of the busy background:
Color rendering is great:
Of course, there are so many other wonderful old lenses for us to try and life is so short...
Cheers!