10-22-2022, 12:25 PM
(10-22-2022, 02:48 AM)Samulis Wrote:(10-22-2022, 12:05 AM)Nayrb Wrote:(10-20-2022, 11:32 PM)Samulis Wrote: Continuing our dorkitude, here's a test video I took using a usually less than $100 USD full-manual Nikon zoom lens from 1971; surprisingly usable in 2022 and some wild looking lens flare!
I love lens flare. It's one of those things we associate with grandiosity in nature, but it really doesn't exist in nature. I mean, our eyes don't do it, right? There are other kinds of refraction and whatnot, but lens flare is kind of it's own thing. Is it just the lens that is from 1971?
Yes, the lens is from 1971, on a camera from 2022! I did not use any filters on the lens either.
Yeah lens flare is a really strange thing! Most modern lenses now are coated and designed to minimize flare it seems. The real issue from the lens flare isn't so much the flare itself, but the 'wash out' of the rest of the image which it causes. You can see this with some of the shots, where I physically moved my free hand out in front of the lens to block the sun from casting on the lens. As for the flare itself, it seems like some people love it while others dislike it strongly. I don't mind too much either way honestly.
It's curious also to note that in some old CGI you can see fake lens flares with hexagonal or heptagonal shapes (such as the alpha centauri launch cinematic from Civ III, or, I think some old Nintendo games?), while most "modern" depictions of lens flare seem to be either perfectly round or based on the "anamorphic" lens flare (think: Star Trek reboot movies). This is perhaps inspired by old lenses like these, which had 5, 6, or 7 straight-sided apertures. When the lens is not at its widest aperture setting, this causes the flare (and any 'bokeh balls') to have that shape as well, which is very cool looking to me. You can see it in the test footage.
Here's another lens, the 85mm f/1.8 I mentioned in the first post. It's still definitely my favorite of the old lenses, and one of my favorites overall even compared to some nice modern lenses I have picked up... and it has some cool lens flare for you to enjoy.
I can understand why lens flare would not be desirable in some circumstances, of course. It's like a special effect, really. But seeing these videos just made me realize how it's one of those artificial things and, as you mentioned, it went so far as to be replicated in animated videos (for the purpose of creating a sense of grandiosity). And, interestingly, since film has moved on from lens flare, so have animated cinematics.
Nice scenery, by the way. I actually wish I was more skilled with at least photography, if not video, because I spend a good amount of time in scenic places when hiking. Most of my pictures are "just for the memories" though, so I can look back at the cool places I've been.