I just aquired an M6, plus lenses (35/50/90) in a trade.

Got my first images back (hopefully posted tomorrow evening when I have a chance to scan them).

The problem I have, is I want to be able to soften the next set of images, similar to what I do with a Softar on the Hasselblad. I almost always use a Softar I when shooting people, and Softar II for closeups (head shots).

I CAN take an old B50 Softar and adapt it down to 46mm, but was hoping there was some nice (similar) soft focus effects in both 39mm and 46mm for the 50/2.0 and 90/2.8

Hopefully you can give me lots of suggestions somewhat above the "stocking on the lens" trick.

Many thanks!

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), April 25, 2002

Answers

I have a Tiffen Soft efx 3 filter which works well with my Elmarit. It knocks the contrast down and "smears" the detail slightly without making it look like an out of focus image.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), April 25, 2002.

Actually you can make a pretty good simulation of a softar out of any UV/Haze/protective filter of any size.

Just put some drops of clear nail polish on the front in a pattern similar in size and spacing to the Softars' dimples - leaving clear spaces in between to get the soft+sharp softar look.

I have not seen screw-in filters with the special surface of a softar in 30 years of shooting - but have made my own this way several times.

You can alos make 'colored' 81a (or whatever) soft-focus filters the same way.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), April 25, 2002.

Save your money and learn how to soft focus. ;-)

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), April 25, 2002.

Got a private response about superglue on plain glass filter, in dots like a Softar.

Anyone tried that?

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), April 25, 2002.

I found out a few weeks ago that B+W Softars actually are available in threaded mounts. I had previously been under the impression that they were available only in Hasselblad bayonet mounts, as well. While there are plenty of soft effect filters (including the old black silk scarf filter), nothing is quite like a Softar in my opinion.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), April 26, 2002.

Maybe Leica could manufacture a 90 2.8 soft focus - something like the Mamiya 150SF. Surely a high proportion of shots taken with a 90 are portraits. And there'd be no problems with focussing as I believe there are with the Mamiya Soft Focus.

-- Dave Carlisle (dave_carlisle@hotmail.com), April 26, 2002.

Charles,

I intensively used 55mm thread B+W Softars 1+2 on the Elmarit-R, and they made a wonderful couple. I've tried the nail polish trick, and I've tried cheapo competitive filters with pseudo-softar "dimples": the real Softars render obviously much better. Strickingly so.

Those "dimples" are in fact miniature lenses that seem to have been calculated in a way that brings absolutely predictable results, gently smearing highlights into a loose gradient halo and "equalising" the texture of more uniform surfaces (skin) while keeping overal sharpness impression almost intact. They are magic.

Now my question: why the h... is there no CZ Softar anywhere in 60mm thread (neither Contax, neither B+W, neither Heliopan) ? They would be so useful on the 100mm macro-elmarit and 75 'lux... Step up rings block the sun shade, and step down rings induce vignetting on the 75 'lux....

I sold my Elmarit-R in a swap deal, but still use the 55mmm Softars on my R8 through the adaptall-2 version of the Tamron 90mm f2.5 macro lens... They will do wonders for you on your Elamrit-M !

-- Jacques (jacquesbalthazar@hotmail.com), April 26, 2002.

Dave, Leitz_did_make the world's first soft focus lens: it's the Thambar 90mm f/2.2 from 1935-42 which, alas, has become a collector's item.

All major Japanese 35mm makers have at least one soft focus/bokeh- control lens in their lineup. Why not Leica? They really should revive or recompute the Thambar.

-- Andrew (mazurka@rocketmail.com), April 26, 2002.

There's a newer soft-focus 90 for the M. The pre-APO 90 Summicron at f/2.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 26, 2002.

Black tule fabric ( the kind veils are made of) and a rubber band is a REAL cheap solution and it works. It may not be as "optically correct" by most of the hollywood startlets of the 40's and 50's were shot through either it, or vaseline at one time or another and it didn't seem to hurt their images.

-- Bob (bobflores@attbi.com), April 26, 2002.

I did a bit of additional research, and according to the spreadsheet of filter sizes that can be downloaded from the Schneider site in Germany, Softars are available in threaded sizes of 49mm, 52mm and 55mm. I've inquired about special ordering other sizes, e.g. E46, E55 and E60.

The adapter route gets even more cumbersome when trying to use one's existing Bay60 Softars.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), April 26, 2002.