Tri Tran is pleased to share his Signature Soft Focus Fine Art Lens Series. Inspired by the Soft Focus Lenses favored by Pictorialist Era photographers of the late 19th and early 20th century, Tri Tran’s Signature Lens is a single meniscus lens which delivers similarly ethereal soft focus images.
Fine art photographer Tri Tran has drawn on his 25 years of expertise in the optics industry into creating this special lens for his own, personal use. From his extensive collection of rare and exotic lenses, Tri has analyzed the performance of many lenses across many printing methods to determine the characteristics most desirable in a dream lens. This new lens has been engineered to meet such demanding criteria and to apply advances made in optical science over the last 100 years. The lens uses high definition glass from the finest American and French suppliers. Lens barrels were designed and painstakingly hand-crafted from aluminum, turned on a lathe by master machinist Den Thoi Ngo. Tri has successfully brought together advanced design, glass, grinding, and polishing to achieve an evolutionary lens which delivers an exquisite soft focus image while maintaining sharpness throughout,
This dream lens provides an experience similar to walking into an impressionist painting – the modern Pictorialist’s dreams are realized gazing into the ground glass and being transported to a surreal world where your focus is forward and impressionistic touches adorn your peripheral vision. The artist does not want the dream to end and cannot wait to get back to recording images of the world revealed through this lens.
While many soft focus lenses produce negatives with flat contrast or uniform diffusion, this lens is capable of producing negatives with the right amount of contrast and tonal separation to achieve the sweet spot for silver printing and also for alternative process printing. Modern lens design and glass formulation allow optimum performance of this Soft Focus Meniscus Lens to be dialed in by precisely controlling the levels of Chromatic Aberration and Spherical Distortion present.
In head to head testing, images made with the Tri Tran Signature lens compares favorably to images made with rare original lenses from the Pictorialist Era in terms or Contrast, Tonality and Clarity. Tests have included Pinkham Smith Synthetic, Struss Pictorial, Spencer Port-Land, Kodak Portrait Lens, Hermagis Eidoscope, and the modern Cooke PS 945.
While the few examples of Soft Focus lenses from the Pictorialist Era that have survived to this day are rare and generally unavailable in small sizes, these highly prized jewels are almost non-existent in the largest sizes and unimaginably expensive in any size. The Tri Tran Signature Fine Art Lens is available in a range of sizes allowing fine art photographers to purchase a single lens element or to build a custom casket set of multiple elements for camera formats from 4”x5” to 16”x20”. Custom focal lengths can also be produced to meet the artist’s vision. We warmly invite the discerning photographer to obtain one for him or herself.
The Tri Tran Signature Fine Art Lens System consists of set of Single Meniscus Lens Elements of differing Focal Lengths which may be interchanged in the barrel. Each Lens Element includes its own Optical Housing which may be screwed into the lens barrel for the desired focal length. The lens barrel includes an Integrated Iris. The barrel mounts on a lens board with an included flange. This lens hood is designed with an adapter to be compatible with a modern Copal 3 Shutter as desired. The barrel and hood are all threaded for creative modification with a Copal 3 Shutter, Packard Shutter and Filters. The interior of the lens barrel is threaded and coated black to eliminate reflection.
The lens barrel is available in a Black Anodized Finish. Each hand-crafted barrel is individually hand turned on a lathe from a solid billet of T-6 aircraft grade aluminum by master machinist Den Thoi Ngo. Custom engraving with the owner's name on the lens barrel is available at additional charge. Serial numbers may be selected to insure the photographer’s luck every time they see it – unless someone else gets your number first.
For the select customers who demand the best, we are proud to present a 2020 Commemorative Edition of 20 Lenses. These lenses are presented in an opulent two-tone Aluminum finish barrel and come with a specially prepared 16” focal length lens element. This hand–crafted barrel is as beautiful to look at as it is to look through. This beautiful barrel showcases the natural aluminum color with a two-tone glass bead-blasted finish and highly polished contrasting accents. It is finish anodized with a clear exterior (and a black coated interior). A special riveted brass badge finishes the look. Selectable serial numbers are also available.
*2020 Commemorative Edition 16” Lens in two-tone Aluminum Finish Barrel $3,995.
(Including 16” Lens, Barrel, Hood, Flange, Optical Housing and 2 lens Caps)
Individual Lens Elements in a Black Anodized Hand Crafted Aluminum Barrel:
(Including Lens Element, Barrel, Hood, Flange, Optical Housing, and 2 Lens Caps):
Focus Format Speed Price Image Circle
9” 4”x5” F/4 $2,850 9”
10.5” 6x8” F/4.5 $2,900 11’’
12” 8”x10” F/5 $2,950 12”
15” 8”x10” F6/5 $3,020 15”
18” 11”x14” F/7.5 $3,100 18”
21” 14”x17” F/8.5 $3,180 21”
24” 16”x20” F/10 $3,270 24”
28” 18”x22” F/12 $3,349 26”
30” 20”x24” F/13 $3,435 28”
(Image Circles are approximately rated with the lens wide open and focused at Infinity)
As required, Single Lens Elements are available at the following Prices:
(individual Lens Elements include an Optical Housing)
9” element $1,250
10.5” element $1325
12” element $1,395
15” element $1,415
18” element $1,495
21” element $1,565
24” element $1,650
28” element $1,725
30” element $1,815
Lens Barrel Specifications:
Overall Length (with hood) 145mm
Length (barrel only) 105mm
Hood Ø 105mm
Hood is Threaded for Ø 105mm Filters
Lens board hole Ø 72mm
Flange Ø 98mm
Material T-6 Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy
Finish Anodized Clear or Black
Weight: 1 KG
Combination Sets are also available at Substantial Discounts:
Additional Lens Elements 10% off Prices Above
Lenses will be manufactured on a per-order basis only. Expect lead times of 10 to 12 weeks from order date to delivery of the lens.
Custom size mounted lens boards are available as required on a custom basis.
*Please note : All prices and modification are subject to change without notice.
Please contact reps if you have any questions:
*Jim Fitzgerald
818-378-3919
jimfitzgerald101@hotmail.com
*Matthew Stage
818-415-6288
noc467@yahoo.com
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