11

'Battle of the Bokeh' Beauty Contest Blind-Tests Canon, Nikon, and Sigma 35mm F/1.4 Lenses

02.14.13 @ 6:04PM Tags : 35mm, battleofthebokeh, bokeh, camera, canon, dslr, lens, lenses, nikkor, nikon, performance, shooting, shootout, sigma, test

When considering lens options for purchase or rental, certain criteria may stand out to you more than others. This depends on what you shoot most often, or what a project demands. Perhaps as a run-and-gun doc shooter, you simply need the extra stop you get with one 85mm lens for the same price as another that doesn’t vignette as badly. Or you gave up a contrast performance you really preferred in favor of the IS lens of greater overall value. But what if money were no object, and focal length and speed were matched? An aspect you’d find yourself evaluating closely is the way each handles its bokeh, or de-focused areas of the image. DigitalRev’s latest Battle of the Bokeh is a comparison between Canon, Nikon, and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lenses in precisely this spirit — with some unexpected results. More »

6

How to Customize the Shape of Your Bokeh in Photos and Videos

04.20.11 @ 11:43AM Tags : bokeh, diy, lenses, photography, tutorials

Did you know you can change the shape of your bokeh by cutting out paper shapes and placing them over your lens? Maybe you did. I didn’t, though, and found out about this simple trick from DANIELS (the guys who brought us this music video), in their mini-video for “Who Do You Love” by Sue Scrofa. Hearts, shapes, letters, entire words: you can make your background highlights appear in the shape of anything you can cut out with scissors. More »