Bubble bokeh

[Snoogly]

I’m a sucker for the bubbles, and this seems more manageable than my 500mm reflex nikkor.

Cheap as chips (though in the UK chips are going off the menu due to the price of spuds, oil, and the electricity needed for cooking). The UK needs a new ‘cheap as’ reference. Maybe, ‘the truth’ ? :-(

https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-ttartisan-100mm-f-2-8-a-modern-and-affordable-trioplan/

[Akira]

The TT Artisan version has just hit the shelf.  You can buy one from Shoten-Kobo, but eBay offers one more cheaply (and with the free shipment!):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195923730823?hash=item2d9df6e187:g:x7kAAOSwHMVk0MVP&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4CUcWoOKzgBaSe1yMf8ahWIWACT6S%2BUbv%2BXUnKi%2FNE8q85BplJ0Daa8%2BozefzkkI1FtOGRLPegV4vlRYPuMoFT5r1Qlsd2%2FCIVnz9E6l6L8OPk9QW5702XbSTHvfBV1JK65RDn2jEemcVu9JCoEuB8b1zQt%2F3Z41QRg0mg3tJn2sbTj9iT2wVoK8qmAsZt8ZnZblw1hFcqFopJ3rBLRq6JNfKofxo%2FO9WiEZHh8eNk99xiCWqHh8Gk0z0ohaQmTAZu5awAgKWwsbNmDqRvrLcJMGa20%2Fm1MGgSENfJWFi78V%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9bewIi7Yg

[Snoogly]

I already ordered one :-)

[Akira]

I already ordered one :-)

Great.  Please post the results!

[Hans_S]

Those results look a lot "cleaner" than my old Fujinon 55mm f2.8's, the 13 blade iris must help.

[ColinM]

Some interesting results.
In a way, I like the ones where highlights lead to pronounced bokeh the best...
...but the number of times I'd want this effect are limited
Could be a useful specialist tool for someone doing a lot of portraits.

What's less clear is the appeal when there are no highlights in the scene.
I only viewed the images on my 12" tablet, so may be missing some subtleties.
But the results seemed ...... seemed.....

[Hans_S]

~
...but the number of times I'd want this effect are limited
~

I would agree, an effect to be used when the xmas lights are out . I picked up a very cheap pair of the Fujinons to see what the fuss was about. As expected, having to shoot them wide open to get the bubbles is quite a limitation...I wonder if they can be converted to fixed round apertures

[Snoogly]

Mine is still some time away from being shipped (too much demands?!), but this online review looks promising.

https://youtu.be/UVfy-F1ze9c

[ChengZhou Hong]

A personal friend of mine had suggested to me that some of these Chinese lenses are based on older German optical designs, the patents for which would have expired in recent history. The name "Trioplan" is quite suggestive here. I wonder whether this completely true, or some modifications were made to the original design for better performance?

edit: this lens is obviously a triplet design.. Also I had forgotten that the original Meyer-Optik Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 has some fanbase of its own. This one seems to be a "faithful" replica.

[Toby]

I would agree, an effect to be used when the xmas lights are out . I picked up a very cheap pair of the Fujinons to see what the fuss was about. As expected, having to shoot them wide open to get the bubbles is quite a limitation...I wonder if they can be converted to fixed round apertures

Even if this were possible, one stop or two down and the bubbles stop being bright edged bubbles and just become discs and rather uninteresting. I have other Cooke triplets with round apertures and I find them pretty uninteresting bokeh-wise if not fully open.