The New Petzval 58 Bokeh Control Art Lens is truly a master at swirly bokeh, but it’s also capable of other brilliant photographic feats. Whether you're looking to achieve swirly bokeh-riddled masterpieces or just want light touch of the legendary effect, check out these sweet tips and push your Petzval photography to the limit!
Lord of the Bokeh Control Ring
In the past, achieving swirly bokeh has been very dependent on distances and backgrounds. But with the Bokeh Control Ring on New Petzval 58, you have more control over the swirly Petzval bokeh than ever before. So go ahead - try all 7 bokeh levels in all kinds of different situations and settings. In no time at all, you will be the master of creating swirly masterpieces in all kinds of environments!
Kick it to the Max
In addition to using the Bokeh Control Ring, you can also make further adjustments in other areas to tweak the bokeh even more! One of the best ways to max out your swirly bokeh potential is to use your maximum aperture of f/1.9. This additionally narrows your depth of field, meaning you will have a very small area in focus and a large area of beautiful swirly out of focus blur!
Sharp Shooter
Got a session planned where you want to shoot photos with minimal to no swirl? The New Petzval 58 can oblige! By shooting with the smaller Waterhouse aperture plates, like f/11 or f/16 for instance, you can minimize this (gorgeous) effect and achieve wonderfully sharp photos. Additionally, you can drop your bokeh level on the Bokeh Control Ring down to 1 for an even less pronounced swirly bokeh.
Make the Best of Your Bokeh
There are so many great things about the New Petzval 58, and one of those great things is the glory of the Waterhouse Aperture Plate system. Not only is it a quick and easy way of switching out your aperture, it also allows for some wonderful experimentation using specially shaped aperture plates. For instance, throw a star shape in to cover your out of focus areas with a blanket of star-shapes.
Wide-Open Spaces
Outfitted with the perfect every-day focal length of 58mm, the New Petzval 58 is able to capture beautiful images in a variety of settings - not just portraits! So whether you're shooting breathtaking mountain-scapes, busy urban streets or family gatherings, widen your view and capture the whole scene!
Mastering the Focus
Whether you're shooting wide open or at max aperture with the New Petzval 58, your area of focus is going to be very narrow. So mastering the focusing wheel is key for getting the focus exactly where you want. If you're shooting digital and have a display on your camera, simply zoom in on your subject and adjust the focus while monitoring the display - simple as that. But without a display, it can be a bit more complicated. First, adjust the focusing wheel until you are roughly in focus. Then, looking through your camera's viewfinder, move back and forth a few centimeters until your subject is perfectly in focus and snap away! You can also take multiple photos while performing this focusing technique to ensure you achieve focus exactly where you want it.