Questions about Lens technology

[wingless84]

hi just wondering if it's possible to purposely design a lens such that it produces over-saturated colours rather than accurate colour representations? (i.e. those touted in LOMO cameras)

are such lenses available for conventional SLRs?

 

[CY_OH]

hi just wondering if it's possible to purposely design a lens such that it produces over-saturated colours rather than accurate colour representations? (i.e. those touted in LOMO cameras)

are such lenses available for conventional SLRs?

The colours of an image is also dependent on the colour rendition of the film too. I don't think it is possible for the lens alone to produce over-saturated colours on a neutral film. It is possible for a lens to have a non-neutral colour rendition, warm with reddish pinkish tinge or cold with greenish bluish tinge. A high contrast lens could also create the illusion of saturated colours.

 

[Barret]

if you like such saturated colours, velvia or kodak 100VS will do the trick

 

[wingless84]

thanks!

so it's not the lens in the Lomo that produces the "Lomo effect"?

 

[mpenza]

it's possible i guess to add some coating that results in more saturated colors.

 

[Barret]

red enhancer filter

 

[Ian]

hi just wondering if it's possible to purposely design a lens such that it produces over-saturated colours rather than accurate colour representations? (i.e. those touted in LOMO cameras)

are such lenses available for conventional SLRs?

This is quite a hoary old question While it is possible to design such a lens it's applications would be extremely limited in the real world. The reasons are that by using various combinations of filtration material on the lens (lens coatings) it is possible to enhance various parts of the visible light spectra, a technique used in the so called 'enhancing' filters.

It's cheaper and easier to use an enhancing filter and an over the top film such as Velvia and adjust the exposure for maximum colour saturation. The results however are truly horrible :devil:

 

[Barret]

you know what, good lenses + bad/good photoshop skills = lomo effects

i reckon most arent film users now a days, so typically the colours are also limited by the small gamut dslrs give.

then again do you really want messed up images

 

[marcwang]

The LOMO effect is indeed caused by the lens of the Lomo. They are infact poor quality lens and its their imperfections that make your LOMO unique. LOMO lenses vignette badly, isnt very sharp and the colour rendered is inaccurate. I believe the LOMO lens captures highlights and shadows poorly, which results in contrasty images also.

WHat manufacturers of SLR lenses aim to achieve is in fact opposite. So that the scene is captured as realistically as possible (what yur eye sees). It is the unrealistic , almost surreal way the scene is represented in a LOMO that makes it appealing to some.

I dont condemn LOMO, its another form of art I guess. Just like cross processing and stuff like that.

I do not think there are lenses that actually produce the LOMO effect in the SLR world. Film choice, and lens choice may contribute to colour saturation.
Post Processing, is another way of achieving that "LOMO" effect.

 

[wingless84]

oh well thanks for all the information!
i guess art in itself is a very subjective concept. what's appealing to some may not be as appealing to others.