Swapped my old Heliar lens for a modern Zeiss and kind of regret it

I put a vintage 1930s Heliar on a Speed Graphic for years, and the soft look was perfect for portraits. Last month I switched to a sharp modern Zeiss thinking it would be better, but now every face looks too clinical and flat. Anyone else gone back to older glass after getting burned by the new stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel1403h ago

Whoa, I gotta push back a little, especially to @the_elliot's suggestion. I shot a modern Zeiss for two years, and no amount of diffusion filters or tape tricks could bring back the character I had with my old 1930s Heliar. The Heliar had this weird uneven sharpness in the center that fell off into a soft glow, which made faces look alive and dimensional. The Zeiss is just too precise - it records every pore and wrinkle with no soul, and no filter can fake that organic, imperfect charm.

janah831d ago

That diffusion filter thing is exactly what people keep telling me to try, but it got me thinking about something bigger. We fix old problems with new tools, then need more tools to fix what the new tools broke. Like how everyone's always chasing the 'perfect' gear but ends up in this never ending loop of buying and modifying. My buddy did the same thing with his kitchen knives. Bought a super expensive Japanese set that was too thin and chipped on everything. Now he's back to using his old Wusthof chef knife from the 90s because it just works. Maybe some things lose their soul when they get too polished.

the_elliot1d ago

Did you try shooting the Zeiss with a diffusion filter or anything to soften it up?