Blossom'eh
There are very few photographic subjects with that many very opinionated views defended with fever, as bokeh aji, the blur of out of focus areas as created by lens.
It is not my intention to write an essay about it here. My personal opinion is that bokeh is as acting in the film, or a housekeeper. Most of the time you did not notice it. If you do, it is a bad sign. However, from time to time there will be an actor, a remarkable one who will take over the screen and become omnipresent, and it will work. It will be an act of beauty. That is the kind of bokeh we strive in so-called "bokeh photography". We try to put of focus blur on equal as a sharp subject and hope that will work. It will be just enough to give that extra touch around the subject in focus to give it a bit of extra something. My daughter call it "Zing" and I did not find a better word for it. You could not describe it, but you unmistakably recognize it when you see it.
Some vintage lenses gained cult following and unreasonably high prices just because thy create very distinguished bokeh.
RE,Auto-Topcor 58mm f1.4 is not one of those. It has a kind of cultish following, but more as an extraordinary portrait lens. Yes it creates beautiful, controlled, gentle, creamy and smooth bokeh. In the right conditions, as all gaus lenses, it will render point of lights as well-defined balls, or cat-eyes near the end of the image, with not very pronounced edges. It will never be as wild as Helios (or even some Takumars) and never as strong as triplets. It has its bad side, also visible on this shot. It tends to create a double image of out of focus objects and that is considered, for bokeh purists, as grave default. I guess, even that is a question of individual image. Personally, it does not distract me in this shot and I, kinda, like it.
Blossom'eh
There are very few photographic subjects with that many very opinionated views defended with fever, as bokeh aji, the blur of out of focus areas as created by lens.
It is not my intention to write an essay about it here. My personal opinion is that bokeh is as acting in the film, or a housekeeper. Most of the time you did not notice it. If you do, it is a bad sign. However, from time to time there will be an actor, a remarkable one who will take over the screen and become omnipresent, and it will work. It will be an act of beauty. That is the kind of bokeh we strive in so-called "bokeh photography". We try to put of focus blur on equal as a sharp subject and hope that will work. It will be just enough to give that extra touch around the subject in focus to give it a bit of extra something. My daughter call it "Zing" and I did not find a better word for it. You could not describe it, but you unmistakably recognize it when you see it.
Some vintage lenses gained cult following and unreasonably high prices just because thy create very distinguished bokeh.
RE,Auto-Topcor 58mm f1.4 is not one of those. It has a kind of cultish following, but more as an extraordinary portrait lens. Yes it creates beautiful, controlled, gentle, creamy and smooth bokeh. In the right conditions, as all gaus lenses, it will render point of lights as well-defined balls, or cat-eyes near the end of the image, with not very pronounced edges. It will never be as wild as Helios (or even some Takumars) and never as strong as triplets. It has its bad side, also visible on this shot. It tends to create a double image of out of focus objects and that is considered, for bokeh purists, as grave default. I guess, even that is a question of individual image. Personally, it does not distract me in this shot and I, kinda, like it.