[Klaus]

Laowa 15/4 macro? :wacko:

Closer ... now take their best and most exciting lens. 😉

[JJ_SO]

What is exciting in another 60 mm lens with manual focus, manual aperture, no EXIF (so you will have to note the aperture if you wnat to learn something) and mediocre mechanics? With the last I just conclude how the 15/4 is made... Far from "robust" or "ergonomically"? No use for software based focus stacking?

 

Oh, almost forgot: 

[Klaus]

An STF lens?


FWIW ... Canon has none ...

[chrismiller]

the sample pic looked nice for that lens.

[JJ_SO]

After googling the "STF lens", it's then the - taaataaa - Laowa 105/2 STF, which is no soft focus lens (at least Wikipedia makes a difference)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minolta_ST...f/2.8_T4.5, so we could agree, Nikon has none, too. But the Fuji 56/1.2 APD is one? Just asking. And since Laowa offers "adaptors" cheap at 20$ / piece you can use it for all existing cameras and who cares about missing bloody EXIF anyway?  ^_^

 

Well, I wonder how much of a difference this also manually focused lens will do to a Planar 100/2 in real life - will the pictures look better?

[Klaus]

Well, I have been quite thrilled by those STF lenses so far ...

[Brightcolours]

After googling the "STF lens", it's then the - taaataaa - Laowa 105/2 STF, which is no soft focus lens (at least Wikipedia makes a difference)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minolta_ST...f/2.8_T4.5, so we could agree, Nikon has none, too. But the Fuji 56/1.2 APD is one? Just asking. And since Laowa offers "adaptors" cheap at 20$ / piece you can use it for all existing cameras and who cares about missing bloody EXIF anyway?  ^_^

 

Well, I wonder how much of a difference this also manually focused lens will do to a Planar 100/2 in real life - will the pictures look better?

Indeed, it is soft bokeh, not soft focus. The main ingredient is an optical apodization filter.

The Minolta 135mm STF is an unusual lens, as it has two apertures (a normal one and a stepless round one in front of it, if one uses one, the other is unused and vice versa.. Have not seen comparisons showing the advantage of the 2nd one).

The STF name is a bit odd... "smooth trans focus". Whatever that may mean. The lens is manual focus only, by the way. Not sure why, as the AF should be able to deal with the "circular GND".

 

The Fuji 56mm f1.2 APD indeed is also is a lens trying to make smoother bokeh by using an optical apodization filter.

 

The Laowa 105mm f2 then is similar to the Fuji, but copying the odd STF nomenclature from the Minolta.

 

Canon has a 135mm f2.8 SF, which indeed is a soft focus lens. Without using the SF function, it is a pretty nice, light 135mm lens. The SF part should only be used for 1970's and 1980's erotica.

 

The Nikon 135mm f2 DC and 105mm f2 DC are unique in that they allow you to choose the character of the fore or background bokeh.

 

I quite like the idea of this Laowa 105mm f2 STF. I hope Klaus will give some informative sample images with thisone!

[Rover]

"Smooth trans focus" means the smooth transition between whatever's in and out of focus, innit? BTW, EPhotozine.com has reviewed that lens, and was suitably thrilled by the image quality.

[Klaus]

Well, all I can say so far is that the initial results are looking promising.

The Laowa is more like the Sony STF in characteristic - thus somewhat better/smoother than the Fujinon.

It seems to be very sharp as well. Great BQ. But yes, no coupling.

[Klaus]

FWIW ... I am officially impressed by that STF lens ...