[lbenac]

All right my first tries at ƒ1.2:

Shooting a moving cat is probably not an option



But with a little bit of cooperation from the model...


Kodak Gold 200 Pentax K50/1.2

Cheers,

Luc

[Pentaxor]

All right my first tries at ƒ1.2:

Shooting a moving cat is probably not an option



But with a little bit of cooperation from the model...


Kodak Gold 200 Pentax K50/1.2

Cheers,

Luc

next time, shoot a cougar !

[jpzk]

I hope someone can come back here with some explanations regarding distance from subject/background in order to produce different Bokeh renderings.
I'll explain myself:

Let's say I want to take a photo of a person and there is this beautiful background, trees, flowers, lights, etc ... which I would like to show as "bubbly"/soft, just like I can see on several photos taken at f1.2 here.
With an f1.2 lens, the answer seems quite obvious ... everyone is using a fairly close distance to subject. In most of those photos too, the background is fairly close to the subject as well.

1. What if I use a f1.4 lens and try to achieve the same (or similar) effect?
I am not expecting the rendering of an f1.2 lens, I don't own one (yet).
2. What if I use a 85/1.4 lens?
3. I want the background to show this bubbly appearance in a manner in which the "bubbles" are BIG.

Any suggestions or explanations?

JP

[the swede]

I hope someone can come back here with some explanations regarding distance from subject/background in order to produce different Bokeh renderings.
I'll explain myself:

Let's say I want to take a photo of a person and there is this beautiful background, trees, flowers, lights, etc ... which I would like to show as "bubbly"/soft, just like I can see on several photos taken at f1.2 here.
With an f1.2 lens, the answer seems quite obvious ... everyone is using a fairly close distance to subject. In most of those photos too, the background is fairly close to the subject as well.

1. What if I use a f1.4 lens and try to achieve the same (or similar) effect?
I am not expecting the rendering of an f1.2 lens, I don't own one (yet).
2. What if I use a 85/1.4 lens?
3. I want the background to show this bubbly appearance in a manner in which the "bubbles" are BIG.

Any suggestions or explanations?

JP

Its the FL combined with aperture and distance from lens to object and object to background, as you said yourself.

I have f2 as the next stop on my lens. It produces almost the same bokeh. Differencess can be seen in highlights.

The 85mm FL will be VERY nice though, look here. Pictures from a Ziess 85mm 1,4:
Advanced Search

[mine.cola]

Shot with the SMC 50mm 1.2 K manual exposition in a church...Wide open.

Pentax 50mm are wonderful. The other fifty which impressed me everyday is my 50 1.8 K. I recommend it deeply, it's the most beautiful 50 on the LX (if you allow me to make a soooo subjective note!-).

But we can make everything with this beast of 1.2! Tender, smooth, sharp...I see a lot of good pictures and good work here.

[jpzk]

Its the FL combined with aperture and distance from lens to object and object to background, as you said yourself.

I have f2 as the next stop on my lens. It produces almost the same bokeh. Differencess can be seen in highlights.

The 85mm FL will be VERY nice though, look here. Pictures from a Ziess 85mm 1,4:
Advanced Search

Hi The Swede.
Thanks for replying.
So, in terms of the size of those "bubbles". I suppose it is a matter of testing different distances-to-subject vs. distance-to-background combined with the aperture chosen.
I do own one of those Zeiss 85/1.4 ZK and did not yet really succeed at producing the kind of effects you did, as seen via the link you provided.
I am never too sure about the proper distances, at wide open aperture, and what will happen to the background.
I must admit that I am very pleased with this lens though.
By the way, do you find the focus ring rather "stiff"?
Example: I recently was shooting some Christmas pics; the lit up tree, behind the subject(s) was anywhere from 1 to 2 meters. Depending how far from the tree and from the camera the subject was, the light "bubbles" show quite small. I was trying to get some very large ones! Perhaps the tree lights were too small to start with?

Anyway, after all that said, I really long for a f1.2 lens now, seeing all of the splendid photos on this thread and, for sure, of yours!

Cheers.

JP

[Pentaxor]

Hi The Swede.
Thanks for replying.
So, in terms of the size of those "bubbles". I suppose it is a matter of testing different distances-to-subject vs. distance-to-background combined with the aperture chosen.
I do own one of those Zeiss 85/1.4 ZK and did not yet really succeed at producing the kind of effects you did, as seen via the link you provided.
I am never too sure about the proper distances, at wide open aperture, and what will happen to the background.
I must admit that I am very pleased with this lens though.
By the way, do you find the focus ring rather "stiff"?
Example: I recently was shooting some Christmas pics; the lit up tree, behind the subject(s) was anywhere from 1 to 2 meters. Depending how far from the tree and from the camera the subject was, the light "bubbles" show quite small. I was trying to get some very large ones! Perhaps the tree lights were too small to start with?

Anyway, after all that said, I really long for a f1.2 lens now, seeing all of the splendid photos on this thread and, for sure, of yours!

Cheers.

JP

JP, I believe you could produce those bubbles with your 85/1.4. I was able to produce the same effects with mine as well. I can't show you the samples because I lost a lot of my images when I accidentally deleted and overwritten some of my hardwork, including the backups (still grumbling about it). the shots from my 12-24, 70mm, and including the 85. now I'm a bit of a rush in redoing them again. I'm pissed because some of those were really great and I can't reproduce the same shots again ever.


anyway, since I'm at it again, I'm going to shoot with the 85mm soon and I'll consider doing the same bubble effect.

if you are going to do this, keep your aperture wide open for bigger bubbles. distance is a factor and you will need to do the minimum focusing distance versus quite distant background. you can produce big bubbles even with small lights btw.

[arpaagent]

Hi The Swede.
Thanks for replying.
So, in terms of the size of those "bubbles". I suppose it is a matter of testing different distances-to-subject vs. distance-to-background combined with the aperture chosen.
I do own one of those Zeiss 85/1.4 ZK and did not yet really succeed at producing the kind of effects you did, as seen via the link you provided.
I am never too sure about the proper distances, at wide open aperture, and what will happen to the background.
I must admit that I am very pleased with this lens though.
By the way, do you find the focus ring rather "stiff"?
Example: I recently was shooting some Christmas pics; the lit up tree, behind the subject(s) was anywhere from 1 to 2 meters. Depending how far from the tree and from the camera the subject was, the light "bubbles" show quite small. I was trying to get some very large ones! Perhaps the tree lights were too small to start with?

Anyway, after all that said, I really long for a f1.2 lens now, seeing all of the splendid photos on this thread and, for sure, of yours!

Cheers.

JP

In my experience, the difference between a 50mm F1.2 and 50mm F1.4 are almost negligible (but not totally). I have a few 50's so I can speak from experience. I do like the A50/1.2 for more reasons than just the extra bit of aperture. The build quality and smooth focus are also bonuses.

Now, just to give you an idea of the difference, I have just taken a few shots with different lenses. Along with showing you what difference aperture and focal length have on background blur, it should help to show you how to achieve the effect.

I won't pollute this f/1.2 only thread with the other photos, so I put them in a new thread.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/85864-out-focu...-aperture.html

Hope this helps. Since this is an f/1.2 thread I'll go ahead and put the A50/1.2 photo here.

SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.2

[jpzk]

In my experience, the difference between a 50mm F1.2 and 50mm F1.4 are almost negligible (but not totally). I have a few 50's so I can speak from experience. I do like the A50/1.2 for more reasons than just the extra bit of aperture. The build quality and smooth focus are also bonuses.

Now, just to give you an idea of the difference, I have just taken a few shots with different lenses. Along with showing you what difference aperture and focal length have on background blur, it should help to show you how to achieve the effect.

I won't pollute this f/1.2 only thread with the other photos, so I put them in a new thread.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/85864-out-focu...-aperture.html

Hope this helps. Since this is an f/1.2 thread I'll go ahead and put the A50/1.2 photo here.

SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.2

That is EXACTLY what I was talking about from the sample photo you just posted. What an awsome display.
Now, I am not sur if one can achieve this with a f1.4 lens, but I doubt it.
I haven't had the time to check your photos via the links you are providing, but I will do just that tonight.
What were the parameters you used for this photo? Specifically, what distance did you have (roughly) from the subject to the background light "bubbles"?

Cheers, and thank you for the replies ... much appreciated.

JP
P.S.: Just checked the link ... perfect samples!! I was reading some of the reply posts and discovered a few tips about distance-to-subject/background while using such and such lens. It is now a matter of practicing a few shots and see what happens. I will use two f1.4 lenses. (84/1.4 and 50/1.4).
but ... I wish I had this f1.2 lens!

[jgredline]

Actually, I believe it has more to do with the lens.
With My Pentax 50F/1.2, There is no difference that I can see when compared to my Pentax 50F/1.4....but when I compared shots to my Cosina 55F/1.2 there was a huge difference. The DOF is so razor thin on the Cosina that is was more hit or mis with me. The Pentax F/1.2 is not as finicky. Just my opinion and since I sold the Cosina, I can't do more test. I can post up some samples with the Pentax lenses though.

[ltdstar]

I traded one of my A50mm1.2 for another k20d but good thing I decided to keep one. here's one of my mom.

[jgredline]

What a beautiful lady...Man, Moms are precious!. I am still a mamas boy to this very day

[dragonfly]

Man Moms are precious!

This is a perfect example of why commas are so important!!!

[jgredline]

This is a perfect example of why commas are so important!!!

Ok, sorry for offending you.

[dragonfly]

I'm not offended. LTDstar might be, though. You called his mom a man mom.