My two first outings with the Carl Zeiss Jena 58mm f2 Biotar and Sony A7ii. The Biotar has lovely bokeh, especially involving foliage, and when shot wide open. The first image is of a mountain woman who kindly allowed me to photograph her. As you probably know, the images look much better when clicked.
I do have a question. What was the distance between you and your subjects? I am still learning about photography...was thinking of purchasing a 50mm lens with the f/1.2 or f/1.4 for the bokeh effects.
About 6 feet. But it was the distance between the background and the plane of focus that determined the level of bokeh. You get a different bokeh from old manual lenses than fast modern lenses. It depends what kind of effect you are looking for.
I had the Carl Zeiss Jena 58mm f2 Biotar that I used on my Exakta bodies, and I usually used it my Exa 1a. But, when i see the amazing
bokeh on these images I get sick thinking about how I sold off all my old gear 15-18 years ago to go digital. Mine had 17 diaphragm blades,
and it was mechanically mesmerizing to watch it open and close. Really enjoyed the set, Charles.
charley5 wrote:
My two first outings with the Carl Zeiss Jena 58mm f2 Biotar and Sony A7ii. The Biotar has lovely bokeh, especially involving foliage, and when shot wide open. The first image is of a mountain woman who kindly allowed me to photograph her. As you probably know, the images look much better when clicked.
James Markus wrote:
I had the Carl Zeiss Jena 58mm f2 Biotar that I used on my Exakta bodies, and I usually used it my Exa 1a. But, when i see the amazing
bokeh on these images I get sick thinking about how I sold off all my old gear 15-18 years ago to go digital. Mine had 17 diaphragm blades,
and it was mechanically mesmerizing to watch it open and close. Really enjoyed the set, Charles.
Thanks very much, James. I am still getting the hang of this lens. It is a bit temperamental, but when you get the right subject and background it is spectacular in an under-stated sort of way. I have the 17 diaphragm blade version as well. Still affordable if you decide you want to get back into it! I would call this an art lens, since wide open it is a bit soft everywhere but the center. Perhaps that is part of its charm!
