Guess what lens this was made with!
Or this!
And this!
Or Cherrie‘s massive teddy-bling phone!
Yes, that’s right; it’s the Sony A100 with Tamron 1.4x teleconverter and Minolta 50mm F1.4 lens and Pro Tama 0.7x wide-angle converter!
This particular picture includes a +2 and +4 closeup filter for even more macro softness. However, in most cases I won’t shoot macro with this combo; or rather, the 1.4x teleconverter keeps the minimum focusing distance while multiplying focal length, so you can get more magnification even without a closeup filter.
Another way to deck it out is to stick a 77mm CPL in front of it.
I took it out for a spin in the neighborhood playground.
All shots are wide-open (the 50mm F1.4 would become a 75mm F2.0) for maximum softness. I could still stop down the lens and get quite a lot of softness.
“I’ll help you down.”
As long as there were highlights, the HDR-like look seen in Half-Life 2 can be seen.
How does it compare to the Minolta/Sony 135mm F2.8 Smooth Transition Focus? Honestly, nothing is like the STF lens; the STF lens is manual focus only, with the depth of field of a 135mm F2.8 lens but with the transmission of a F4.5 lens (meaning that it lets in less light). Turning the aperture ring from T4.5 to T6.7 results in the right-side image. Note that the bokeh is never harsh or hard, and very very creamy.
Being a manual-focus lens with an effective F4.5 brightness however, it is limited to portrait shots in bright daylight. (Be sure to put some greenery behind the subject.)
Left: Minolta 50mm F1.4 lens alone; right: softie combo, which seems just a bit longer.
On to impromptu camwhoring!
Yes yes this corny effect can be duplicated in Photoshop, but nothing beats seeing it right out of the camera.
Beer ad. Yum yum.