Objectif Anachromatique Ligny Meuse foyer 385mm 8x10 soft focus portrait lens

Description

"Objectif Anachromatique, Optique Francaise Ligny Meuse foyer 385mm".
Initially designed by Constant Puyo and called "objectif d'artiste" and sold by Darlot, a must have from French Pictorialism area
This is the faster version of the Anachromatique /
d'Artiste de Puyo et Pulligny that is r
ecommend for use with portraiture and still lifes.
This is one of the more advanced models of soft focus lenses. A significant amount of the softness comes from chromatic aberration so it is strictly a black and white only lens.
Each emulsion will give a little bit different character based on its chromatic sensitivity. For orthochromatic emulsions it is recommended to move the lens extend the lens slightly after focusing to correct in the difference between visual and chemical focus. The exact focal length is not specified but it is a big lens that should cover 8x10 with no problems. The aperture is given in the actual mm dimensions of the opening. There is a rack and pinon focus device on the lens. It took me some time but I figured out that the numbers are for focusing with marks from infinity to 1.5 (meters?).
Total length: 205mm, total flange diameter: 140mm. Waterhouse stops not included.
Condition:
Excellent condition. Glass is free of scratches, fungus, and other defects.
The rack in pinion focus mechanism works well.
Bonus Information
Interest in Antique soft focus and special portrait lenses has increased
greatly over the last decade.
As many photographers have learned that they can incorporate special darkroom techniques and/or special antique lenses with an excess of “character” to achieve special effects or to enhance the creative freedom and artistic expression of their work. Amazing images started to appear on the Internet which combined with word of mouth sparked a large interest in the special effects that can be achieved by optical means. Unfortunately each type of lens produces a different effect and the most sought after classic lenses tend to also be very rare.
For more information on the benefits of classic era portrait and soft focus lenses please skip to
An attribute of Bokeh; “Blur Disc’s” and the “circle of confusion”
and
What is a soft focus lens?
at the bottom of the page.
An attribute of Bokeh; “Blur Disc’s” and the “circle of confusion”
Maybe you have seen in a movie or photograph where a light is out of focus and shows up as a polygon. What you are looking is often referred to as the "blur disc" or "circle of confusion". What a spot of light is out (behind) of focus it spreads to form a disc.
It might be better to use the term "blur disc" then "circle of confusion" as "circle of confusion" is a more general term for describing any part of the cone of line that is created behind a spot. The smallest focus point is known as the circle of least confusion. Often a larger circle is acceptable depending on the size of the sensor or resolution capabilities (and desired print magnification) of the film. As long as the circle of confusion fits within a pixel it will show up as being in focus to that pixel. The size of the circle of least confusion is integral to many mathematical formulas for determining exact depth of field. Too many, the circle of confusion translate to a single spot or pixel in a print. When photographers talk about the circle of confusion as an attribute of the
visible
out of focus they are talking about a much larger circle that is further out of focus. Both are circles of confusion, and to reduce confusion, I feel its better to use the term “blur disc” in reference a part of the cone of focus that is large enough to be clearly identified as being out of focus yet retains some shape or form.
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The shape of the Blur Disc is determined by a number of factors; the number of blades on the aperture for example determines the number of sides on a polygonal disc pattern. A lens with a rounder aperture is said to have a rounder "blur disc". The transition from the center of a circular blur disc to the edge varies dramatically from different lens designs.
* A "perfect" "neutral" or "good" blur disc has no or very little gradation and small out of pinpoint highlight shows up as and evenly light circle with a hard edge. The type of blur disc is associated with modern Apochromatically and Spherically "correct" lens designs
* "Negative" or "bad" blur disc's have a visually unappealing "doughnut" light pattern; light is distributed more heavily toward the outer edges then it is in the center. The result can be visually distracting.
* The "Positive", "ideal", or "Best" blur discs have a smooth step-free gradation with the center being the brightest point. The look is generally accepted as being the most visually attractive. The out of focus areas on a lens of this type of have smoothest gradations and fewest distractions (sharp edges, doughnut artifacts) of these three basic blur disc types. Figures are smoothed but are more generally recognizable then with the other two main disc types.
In order to produce this type of disc blur the Light needs spread out from the center at an unequal rate so that brightest point of light is at the center and a smooth gradation radiates outward with no sharp edges. Remember.... the light near the center of the disc is closer to being in focus then the light near the edge.
The most common way portrait lenses go about creating an ideal "blur disc" is to carefully introduce spherical aberration (a term used to describe a change in focal length throughout the aperture range). The idea being that the center parts of the lens would be closer to being in focus while the outer parts will spread out more do to being further from being  in focus.
Some lenses have a curved depth of field that can distort the shape of the "blur disc" depending on the spots location in reference to center of the lenses image circle.
Color fringing and reflective ghosts are negative things that can appear in the "blur disc" on poor quality lenses.
What is a soft focus lens?
A soft focus lens is a type of lens that is designed to produce a soft but sharp image that combines a distinct finely defined inner image core with a warm out-reaching glow. This is different from conventional lenses which are either sharp and in-focus or out-of-focus and blurry.  Soft focus lenses incorporate optical aberrations, “imperfections”, to produce their special look. The lens directs a portion of the light into the finely defined parts of the image while also pushing a degree of the light outward (and out of focus). This produces a cone of light and an image that is both in and out of focus at the same time.
All soft focus lenses are not the same; there is a wide amount of diversity from within the soft focus group of lenses. The optical configuration, the type of aberrations, the amount of aberration, and how the aberrations are applied at each aperture setting all greatly affect the characteristics of a soft focus lens. In the real world these differences will affect your experience a multitude of ways by altering: the amount of softness of a lens, the degree of softness at each aperture, the depth of field of the sharp inner image, the transition of the sharp inner image to out of focus, the look of the out of focus area of the image (bokeh), the shape of the “Blur Disc” or “circle of confusion”, the amount of definition present within the area of sharp inner focus, the general contrast of the lens, local contrast levels, the reach of the glow at different apertures/focal points, the differences between the center and out parts of the image area, if the glow comes out from all edges of definition or outward from the center of the lens, if there is an area where the image is sharp without a glow at some point in the “belt of focus”, color photography compatibility, and if there is a shift between visual focus and what shows up on the film.