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Zeiss G lenses and portraitspeople pics
- Thread starter skimmel
- Start date
jsteinberg48
Member
The best portraits I do of my kids are with my G2 (45 and 90) and with T400CN or equivalent. The combination makes 8x10's in my darkroom that Are stunning.
--Jeffrey Steinberg, Scarsdale, NY
--Jeffrey Steinberg, Scarsdale, NY
coodeville
Well-Known Member
Sharpness is what you want. G lenses provide. If your doing portraits and the results are too clarified, maybe it's your stylists fault? No stylyst? Get the picture?
W
writing4me
Hi Stephen, Just a thought for you. It is so nice to have sharp lenses that if you really do find you like the rangefinder in general, and the focal lengths available, then you can always "soften" your photographs with a filter, but you would not be able to go the other way. You can't sharpen a soft lens. Actually, you can even take a plain filter and smear a little vaseline on the front (on the filter not the lens) and make your own soft filter. a little around the edges with none in the middle, or a soft thin layer across the entire filter, or a moderate layer all around with just a light coat in the middle will all vary the levels of softness you can get from the lenses, giving you softer effects depending on who you are shooting that day. And, after the shoot you can wipe them down and start over. I'd never buy a softer lens unless money made it impossible to get a better lens. The sharper lens is so versatile
Hope this helps? (I don't have the G system - but it's on the long wish list) -Lynn
> Hi Stephen, I agree with Lynn's post. I spent year's putting up with > lenses that weren't sharp, exhibited lots of flair, distortion, low > contrast etc. Contax users don't know they're born with their > wonderful Zeiss glass! I'm so glad I can now afford the best equipment > available - no way would I go back. I think it's actually quite funny > that there could even be threads asking whether the lenses are TOO > sharp! I tell you, that could only happen on the Contax or Leica > forums! Believe me, these wonderful lenses will make a great job of > anything you throw at them. If the picture's poor it's down to you.
> I suggest the technique Lynn suggested, or using something like a > stocking to defuse the lens slightly. I get my best portraits by using > a wide aperture which limits depth of field to good creative effect. > The lenses don't perform quite so well wide open so maybe that might > help produce a more flattering too. I'd also take issue with anyone > who thinks the G35 is a poor lens - it isn't. It may not be QUITE as > good as the other G lenses, but it's still better than most other > makers lenses. Frankly, once it's stopped down to F4 you'd need to > shooting test charts to detect even the smallest fault. I sometimes > think we all get way to hung up on the performance of this gear. It's > excellent, period. Now we've got that sorted out, lets go take some > pictures and stop worrying so much! Best wishes Malcolm
> I suggest the technique Lynn suggested, or using something like a > stocking to defuse the lens slightly. I get my best portraits by using > a wide aperture which limits depth of field to good creative effect. > The lenses don't perform quite so well wide open so maybe that might > help produce a more flattering too. I'd also take issue with anyone > who thinks the G35 is a poor lens - it isn't. It may not be QUITE as > good as the other G lenses, but it's still better than most other > makers lenses. Frankly, once it's stopped down to F4 you'd need to > shooting test charts to detect even the smallest fault. I sometimes > think we all get way to hung up on the performance of this gear. It's > excellent, period. Now we've got that sorted out, lets go take some > pictures and stop worrying so much! Best wishes Malcolm
erichard44
Active Member
> Stephen
Add me to the list of people who are very pleased with the Zeiss lenses for the G2, especially for portaits. I think the 90mm wide open, or closed down one stop, works well for portraits, and is probably softened up a bit by being wide open. And the other thing I have noticed is that the skin tones and colors are just perfect with those lenses. I had a surprise the other day, using Fuji Reala 100 and the G2. What beautiful pictures!
I would agree that super sharp is not always the most flattering for portraits, but another possibility is to blur slightly in the editing program.
Richard
>
Add me to the list of people who are very pleased with the Zeiss lenses for the G2, especially for portaits. I think the 90mm wide open, or closed down one stop, works well for portraits, and is probably softened up a bit by being wide open. And the other thing I have noticed is that the skin tones and colors are just perfect with those lenses. I had a surprise the other day, using Fuji Reala 100 and the G2. What beautiful pictures!
I would agree that super sharp is not always the most flattering for portraits, but another possibility is to blur slightly in the editing program.
Richard
>
I had the same experience with my 45 & 90 - way to sharp for "portraiture." But, I would rather have sharp lenses and soften the image.
There are many ways to soften the image, some of which have already been mentioned. I once took a class on fashion photography and the instructor had a technique that I really like.
Use paper coffee filters. You can just rubberband them over the lens shade or lens barrel. Just make sure to trim the excess paper so it does not interfere with the rangefinding sensors or the viewfinder.
THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH SLRs THAT AUTOFOCUS THROUGH THE LENS.
However, the G2 is a rangefinder camera and it will work. The through-the-lens metering system will compensate for the exposure. You can control the diffusion by making different size holes on the filter material. You can add color to the effect by dying the filter paper.
Jim
There are many ways to soften the image, some of which have already been mentioned. I once took a class on fashion photography and the instructor had a technique that I really like.
Use paper coffee filters. You can just rubberband them over the lens shade or lens barrel. Just make sure to trim the excess paper so it does not interfere with the rangefinding sensors or the viewfinder.
THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH SLRs THAT AUTOFOCUS THROUGH THE LENS.
However, the G2 is a rangefinder camera and it will work. The through-the-lens metering system will compensate for the exposure. You can control the diffusion by making different size holes on the filter material. You can add color to the effect by dying the filter paper.
Jim