STF Lenses

[rpcrowe]

I do not own an STF (Smooth Transition Focus) lens such as the Sony 100mm STF G-master. Apparently this technique makes use of a built-in Apodization Element or filter which enables the lens to produce more pleasing bokeh...

The Chinese company, Laowa is also offering a manual focus 105mm STF lens. This lens runs around $500 and at half the price of the Sony STF lens, gets pretty good reviews but, is manual focus only.

This is more of a "what if" thought than any real desire to own a lens that has STF capability...

I am wondering if an optical company like Laowa could produce a screw-in apodization filter that would produce somewhat the same effect as an STF lens. Many of E-mount lenses have a 67mm filter thread and an apodization filter of that size might convert these lenses to a pseudo STF effect...

OTOH - I wonder if Photoshop itself or Photoshop combined with a third party action might produce similar results. Here is a link to 30 Photoshop Portrait Actions...
https://designshack.net/articles/ins...oshop-actions/

[rpcrowe]

I found some complicated jury-rigged STF filters but, decided that it is not worth the trouble. I get quite decent bokeh from my 85mm f/1.8 Sony lens when shot wide open... Additionally. I have some legacy lenses that give interesting renditions; including this Oreston 50mm f/1.8...



I also have several various soft effect filters including one that has a clear center and soft focus effect radiating out from the center. I got the lot of them once when I bought a used lens. I have never tried them but might just decide to try some in the near future. The lot of filters also came with four close-up filters which I have also never used.

However, in the COVID-19 stay at home era, trying these filters might just be something to do to fight boredom.