Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Digital Cameras & Shooting Techniques => Topic started by: Garry Sarre on February 09, 2015, 08:19:45 am

Title: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: Garry Sarre on February 09, 2015, 08:19:45 am

I have never approached the beauty of the Softar on Medium format with anything other than the real thing.

No Photoshop action duplicates the gentleness of the softening affect, while at the same time, holding the contrast.

I have upgraded to medium format Hasselblad H5D. The viewfinder, while not as large and easily viewable as the film Blad, is nevertheless, much much better than a Dslr. It's possible to manually focus pretty accurately. This brings back the possibility and hope of using on lens soft filters for portrait again.

The beauty of the Softar, is that it does not look 'soft'. It has a sharp image overlaid with a light, soft image. Normal diffusing filters are a poor, very poor second cousin to this work of art filter.

Alas,  all my Softars have worn out, scratched and damned hard to focus through. I need a permanent, replaceable solution to my soft focus woes and deficiencies. I feel my life is not quite complete with out it.

In my quest for softening fulfillment, I found myself observing the Hoya website. Their Softons have the same little lenses etched into the surface of the filter.  My heart missed a beat. This is the same technique that Softar uses, it gives that sharpness on top of softness.

Has anyone used the Hoyas on a medium format camera, film or digital? The example that they give on the Hoya website is abysmal. Possibly shot with a 35mm. That sensor size being too small to give the subtle look of the Blad/Softar combo.

Here's the Hoya

http://www.hoyafilter.com/hoya/products/pro1digitalfilterseries/pro1dsoftona/

The attached image is Blad/genuine Softar combo from 25 years ago

PS. Please, no Photoshop action suggestions. They don't cut it.

Title: Re: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: wmchauncey on February 12, 2015, 10:51:12 am

Aah...they aren't that much money...try it yourself.      ;)

Title: Re: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: Garry Sarre on February 12, 2015, 07:25:01 pm

Praise god, a reply :)

Yes, I'm trying to, no one wants my order. Looks like I'll be posting the results.

PS.I don't think they're that cheap. I used to pay $400 for Softars 15 years ago.... and they only last a few years
 

Title: Re: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on February 12, 2015, 07:59:33 pm

Quote from: Garry Sarre on February 12, 2015, 07:25:01 pm

... PS.I don't think they're that cheap. I used to pay $400 for Softars 15 years ago.... and they only last a few years

I have an original Zeiss Softar, Hasselblad bayonet mount, for sale. PM me if interested.

Title: Re: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: uaiomex on February 22, 2015, 06:34:06 pm

For glam portraits I almost always used a Softar No.2 with the 150CF.
In the beginning of my digitalia, I did some tests with a 10D and one Canon portrait lens which is completely forgotten in my mind. Perhaps a 28-105II
I found the results to be disturbing. It just didn't look right. I soon learned to soften during PP and forgot about it.
But now that you mentioned it ten years after, I'd like to do some tests with a 6D and a 70-200 ISF4.0 (have no better choice).
 
Eduardo

Title: Re: Hoya Pro1D Softon as good as the almighty Hasselblad Softar?
Post by: Garry Sarre on February 23, 2015, 09:03:10 am

Eduardo. The Softar is 'tuned' more for medium format. Anything less is a bit dicey.