Close-ups with a Lomography Petzval lens

[Chris S.]

Some may be interested in images taken with a lens of antique design, though modern manufacture: Lomography Petzval 85mm f/2.2.

Petzval lenses, circa 1840 technology, are not sharp away from image center. However, they render out-of-focus elements in ways that modern lenses can only dream of. I intend this lens primarily for portraits, but spent a few hours seeing what it could do with close-ups.

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota):


Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). Three-image handheld stack in Zerene Stacker:


Cultivar, Compositae family. Petzval on short extension tube, three-image handheld stack in Zerene Stacker:


Cultivar, likely Trifolium genus. (Petzval on short extension tube):


See here for discussion of this lens in Technical forum.

--Chris

--edited typo

[jjphoto]

Very nice. The images seem to have enough sharpness although I suspect this depend on subject placement not being too far from the centre of the frame.

[Chris S.]

Thanks, jjphoto.

The images seem to have enough sharpness although I suspect this depend on subject placement not being too far from the centre of the frame.

Right you are--the center is reasonably sharp. And if you stop down, the size of the sharp zone increases; on the downside, stopping down decreases the swirly effect in the bokeh.

--Chris

--edited typo

[austrokiwi1]

I took the petzval on the dog walk today this is the best shot(@2.2). the dog thought I was weird lying down to get it:

[orionmystery]

Lovely shots, Chris. The bokeh is really sweet and dreamy!