Can a modern lens reproduce the soft background blur of some older films and photos?
Asked 2/8/2019
3 views
2 answers
0
I’m trying to understand why some older images and film stills appear to have a different kind of background blur than many newer images. It’s not just shallow depth of field — the blur often looks softer, lower-contrast, and more “dreamy,” almost like a combination of optical blur, glow, and reduced sharpness.
Can this look be achieved with a modern lens, or is it mainly due to older lens designs, larger film formats, coatings, or the film/development/printing process? If a modern setup can get close, what shooting factors matter most? If not, what kinds of older lenses or formats are associated with this look?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
4
Since the question edit, I'm tempted to link across to my previous answer on the 'medieval look' which does cover a lot of the same ground in a reasonably simplistic way.
How can I create this 'medieval look' using an entry-level camera like the Nikon D3300?
Matt Grum's answer on How can I get dramatic shallow DOF with a kit lens? covers it very well too.
Original answer below...
I'm not, tbh, seeing a particularly shallow depth of field, mainly it's all fairly evenly out of focus.
On a modern lens you get a shallower DoF by opening the aperture, or using a longer lens from further away, or both. Alternatively, similar framing with the same lens on a larger format sensor will shorten the DoF.
Rather than strictly being concerned with the DoF, I found I could do a crude mockup to make your new photo look more like the old one just by pushing the contrast much harder, blurring & adding a dark vignette. I also removed what little colour remained in it - it was very slightly 'sepia' before.
1 minute in Photoshop gives...
Better results could be gained from a larger original & a bit more care & attention than my quick attempt. My vignette is definitely too crude.
Force-matching the light source of the original would take considerably more effort, lot of dodge & burn, by hand.
I had a bit of a go at 'washing out' the background by evening out the tones a bit like the old photo, greyer to the left, blacker to the right - the original gives me the feeling the photographer held up a [pyrotechnic] flash high & wide in his left hand.
I'm not sure it was massively successful, but I thought I may as well post it rather than just bin it... It could possibly benefit from a tighter crop.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—modern lenses can match the amount of depth of field if you use the same framing, aperture, focal length, and subject distance. To get shallower blur, use a wider aperture, a longer focal length, move closer to the subject, or use a larger format.
But the exact “old” look is not only depth of field. It also comes from lens character: lower contrast, flare/glow from older coatings, aberrations, field curvature, vignetting, and overall sharpness. Film format, film stock, development, and printing also affect the result.
So a modern lens can reproduce similar blur, but may not naturally give the same softness or rendering. Your newer example likely looks different partly because the subject is farther from the camera; moving the subject closer and using a fast lens can help. A 50mm f/1.8 is a common affordable starting point.
If you want the stronger vintage rendering, older lenses or larger formats can help. Large-format cameras often show a shallower apparent depth of field for a similar angle of view because they use longer focal lengths. On smaller formats, techniques like the Brenizer method can imitate that look.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How do coatings on older M42 lenses compare with modern lenses, and do they affect image quality?
How can I create a soft, pastel look with very shallow depth of field?
How can I create a dreamy, misty look in backlit outdoor portraits?
How can I create a vintage, dreamy look like this photo?
What current black-and-white 35mm film is closest to Kodak Panatomic-X?