Canon EOS 350D: Playing with the Bokeh

Veijo Vilva

(Page under Construction)

  • the distance from the camera to the nearest glass is about 1 m
  • the distance to the furthermost glass is about 1.7 m
  • the camera was mounted on a tripod and triggered with a remote release
  • raw images converted with dcraw (Auto White Balance).

  • the recycled Vest Pocket Kodak Rapid Rectilinear lens provides, IMHO, the best bokeh
    and the most pleasing results
  • the Helios 40-2 1.5/85mm may have an ever so slightly better bokeh,
    with a slightly less pronounced bright edge, than the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm

f/8


The Bokeh Master, 1917 VPK Rapid Rectilinear (Bausch & Lomb) at about f/7.7
The bokeh is extremely good, many of the highlight spots are almost ideal and more natural
than with the modern, well corrected lenses, just have a look at the green glass.
The overall effect is quite pleasing.


Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/8
The hexagonal aperture shape is clearly discernible.


Helios 40-2 1.5/85mm at f/8
The bokeh is very good, the decagonal aperture is only faintly discernible.

f/5.6


1915 VPK Meniscus Achromat at about f/6
The bokeh is a mixture of exaggeration and softness. The overall effect is,
however, rather natural and pleasant, in a fairy tale like way,
less distracting than that of the other two lenses at f/5.6.


Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/5.6
The hexagonal aperture shape is clearly discernible.


Helios 40-2 1.5/85mm at f/5.6
The decagonal aperture shape is clearly discernible.

f/2.8


Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/2.8
At full aperture, the aperture shape cannot be discerned.


Helios 40-2 1.5/85mm at f/2.8
7.7he decagonal aperture shape is clearly discernible.
Otherwise, the bokeh is ever so slightly better than the Sonnar bokeh.

f/1.5


Helios 40-2 1.5/85mm at f/1.5
At full aperture, the aperture shape cannot be discerned.

Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/8
Note the uniform size and shape of the out-of-focus highlights of the glass
and the widening or almost doubling of the out-of-focus line, c.f. the 50% crop below:


Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/8, a 50% crop from the above photo


VPK Rapid Rectilinear (Bausch & Lomb) at about f/7.7
Note the apparently variable size of the out-of-focus highlights of the glass
and the more controlled softness of the out-of-focus lines, c.f. the 50% crop below:


VPK Rapid Rectilinear (Bausch & Lomb) at about f/7.7, a 50% crop


VPK Rapid Rectilinear (Bausch & Lomb) at about f/7.7, focused much too near
The highlights and lines just widen and go soft.


Just Beautiful!
VPK Rapid Rectilinear (Bausch & Lomb) at about f/7.7

Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar 4.5/10.5cm

At f/5.6:

At f/4.5:

Very good!, certainly beats the Sonnar 2.8/85mm below.

Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/85mm at f/2.8

Two Real Life Examples

At f/4.5 : Wray Lustrar 4.5/6" and Cooke Aviar 4.5/5.25"


The Lustrar is quite restless, the Aviar is better but not really good.

At f/8 : Aldis Uno 7.7/5" and Cooke Aviar 4.5/5.25"


The Uno is quite good, but the Aviar is even better.

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