The ultimate Bokeh thread; pics please

NB23 said:
Gabriel,
<snip>
You're always making it a point to make a point about how people are posting large images
<snip>
I don't see large images. They are all about 500x700 72dpi... which is very small.
You always make it a point to think that everybody has the same setup as your own.
 
Technical note - following Dave's, Gabe's and Ned's comments (and suggested best practices for the forum) all the photos we post in-thread should be 800 px wide or less for readability. Also those of us with fast cable and DSL do tend to take it for granted, and forget that some folks are still on dial-up but that's a reality that's unlikely to change.

There are some really great images showing up here!

Rico - very cool rig, and great illustrative shots. The Aposonnar does seem to render near-field and far-field OOF differently (and nice Zeiss circles in the background highlights). Trivially this may be because the near field is shallow and the far field could go to infinity, but someone with real knowledge of optics may have a deeper explanation (surely including uncorrected spherical abberations, point sources and circles of confusion).

Gabriel - the the bokeh of 50mm Summilux shot with the digital p&s is pure cream. Love the irony as well. And again it looks to me that the background geometry in the healer and parking plot shots is smoothing what would be otherwise harsh bokeh.

Mauro & Chambrenoire - where have you guys been? Thanks for some really great contributions. Mauro I am challenged by the old lady in the church. The bokeh effect of the candelabras in the background is a little harsh, but not swirly - and really seems to push her toward the viewer's eye.

Roland, that's some scary Bokeh (Sonnar footballs?) in the Halloween shot. Maybe those are the shades of all our dead shots coming to haunt your jack-o-lantern.

Erik, that Canon 0.95 is such a bad lens it does not know how to put a circle around a background highlight. What's up with that? :D And that may be the smoothest background I have ever seen from the CV 50/1.5 - nice.

Wayne - that Summicron paints beautifully, except for the trees. So far from the shots in this thread it looks like it would be a good idea to avoid trees in the background when shooting any Summicron at wide apertures. Unless you like that sort of thing.

- John
 
OM 50/1.4 @ 1.4
1506284716_045993117e.jpg


Nikkor 35/2 @ f2

1955553432_5f050314d5.jpg
 
Here come the $30 slobs (slobkeh?)...

Fed 50 3.5...

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Jupiter 3 (Brianski)

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ferider said:
Halloween bokeh, kind of ugly if you ask me:

112319017-L.jpg


Canon 50/1.2, probably Superia 400.

Roland.

NO! You didn't carve a Leica pumpkin! The attention to detail is frightening. I think I see a soft release!! :D
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
Wow, Rico; that's a mighty cool lens. 200mm f/2 oh yeah.

Alright, since nobody's really caring for off-screen display and download-choking for others, I'll post some large photos too:

OK I'll stop quoting images, too! But the image that would have been in the above quote is very nice! :)


.
 
Bessa R2S - Nikkor -P.C 8.5cm f2 @2 - Fuji 160c

Nikon S - Nikkor 5cm f1.4 (uncoated) @1.4 - Kodak BW 400
 

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ferider said:
Example of good or bad bokeh, Gabriel ? Always wondered about the Summitar.
It's special bokeh. ;)

It's like mint chocolate: I can't stand it, but others love it. It's good if you love it, bad if you hate it.

I guess bokeh is like a box of chocolates... :bang:
 
RayPA said:
I like the framing/crop!
Thanks it's original, no crop. It was a 1920s French villa in Vietnam :

@ Gabriel: I like the OOF of that summitar, alot. Shame about the highlight balls though, very weird and distracting
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
It's special bokeh. ;)

It's like mint chocolate: I can't stand it, but others love it. It's good if you love it, bad if you hate it.

I guess bokeh is like a box of chocolates... :bang:

I have to look at it After Eight then ...
 
Great pics guys. I assume if you don't post a comment, it means you like
the lens' bokeh ? Please comment ...

I like all Sonnars and Canon 50/1.5 in particular !
 
Wow nemo, those shots look great. I think the Noctilux has the most apparent 3D effect I've seen -- your subject seem to pop out of my screen. I also quite enjoyed raid's shot with the 35/1.5. I've seen more and more of this lens recently, and it's all been good.
 
Luxon 50mm/2.0 LTM @2.0 (originally for braun paxette):

RFFLuxonat20.jpg


Canon 85mm/1.9 @1.9:
RFFCanon85mm19wideopen.jpg


The Luxon is difficult to find on sale, and it is maybe the only copy out there in LTM. The swirling effect gets more pronounced as I open up the aperture.

The Canon 85mm/1.9 is an underappreciated lens, in my opinion. People praise its more expensive cousin, the Canon 85mm/1.8.
 
The bokeh of the 85/1.9 is very creamy. Maybe I am just lucky.
 
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The good--

Voigtlander Bessa II (6x9), 105/4.5 Heliar around f:8 (the separation between sharp and unsharp here is the signature characteristic of classic Heliars)--

N2004.jpg


The bad--

Soligor 500/8 compact mirror lens--

doublelinebokeh.jpg


And the ugly--

Carl Zeiss Jena 1950s 58/2 Biotar, probably around f:8--

Nina,Biotar58f2.jpg
 
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