Has anyone got some pictures from the soft focus rz 180 or soft focus rb 150 using a digital back? Any advice on which ring to put in lens for different effects or any advice on the applications of these lens other than the obvious portriat use.
Thanks
Neil
As Mark correctly said - i got 180 VSF.
Its not your everyday lens. And its not effect you like to constantly apply, so if you have doubts - i'd suggest rent one and play around.
Design of this lens is similar to the roddenstok (sp? i cant remember for the life of me) SF for large format. You can use it with or without inserts. If you buying it used - make sure you got all 3, that were there originally.
Inserts do produce additional effect using small "appertures" surrounding large one, plus lens itself got "controlled abberations". But unlike on modern lenses from Nikon - you can not adjust it. Not that many people adjust it on Nikon from what i seen
Lens itself allows you to reproduce old "soft look" and works absolutely fine on digital, however you will have to spend some serious time practicing it b/c effects do vary even with same insert, depending on how you put lights around subjects. I.e its not exactly magic.
And its VERY irritating to focus
on and minimal focusing distance is kinda icky for full face shots no matter how you dance.