Soap Bubble Bokeh: Cooke Triplet family TRIOPLAN
and other GERMAN lenses: just started the preparation
The largest Trioplan lens - diameter 11.5 cm, 420/3.6 and one of the smallest - 24 mm, F 75/ 2.9
1. Introduction
2. The cult of soap bubble bokeh and Meyer Optics Goerlitz
3. Other Triplet camera lenses: examples Schneider XENAR/ Feinmess BONOTAR
4. Projection lenses
5. Lenses with a TRIOPLAN -like bokeh but other design
1. Introduction
The aim of this page is to show lenses and its use to create the special bokeh effect, sometimes named: swirling, circular or soap bubble bokeh. Please note: only a view of German lenses are discussed. The TRIOPLAN is only described, not used to make shots.
BOKEH plays an very important compositional role of image parts that are not in focus. Especially the background has a significant influence on the mood of a shot. One special form of the bokeh is the bokeh of TRIPLET lenses based on the design using three air spaced lenses: the COOKE TRIPLET. The bokeh produced by various TRIPLET lenses of this type, is often referred as ‘soap bubbles’.
ATTENTION: Do not mix it up with other Triplet types shown in the drawing.
Left Cooke Triplet, mid Tessar, right Sonnar
source: http://www.puchner.org/Fotografie/technik/die_kamera/objektiv.htm
The COOKE TRIPLET was designed by H.D. Taylor.
source: http://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com/kickstarter_trioplan/
- Agfa/Munic: Agomar
- Meyer Optics later PENTACON/Goerlitz: DIAPLAN
- Wilhelm Will/Wetzlar: Elmaron
- Zett/Braunschweig: Zettar
The following figure shows the big difference of the background bokeh of two differnt lens designs. The ORESTOR gives a creamy smooth bokeh.
The soap bubble bokeh is characterized by a bright small circle around a darker disk.
2. The cult of Soap Bubbles and Meyer Optik Goerlitz Germany
Today's most famous soap bubble lens - the Meyer Optik Trioplan lens - was designed by Hugo Meyer in 1916. It is based on the internal three element-three group design of the COOKE TRIPLET (1893). The most exciting feature is the characteristic bokeh the glass would produce when shot wide open: A = 2.8.
However there are other interesting triplet lenses from Meyer like the small and cheap Domiplan.
Artistc shots made by DOMIPLAN are schon in the page:
Link to: TRIPLET I: DOMIPLAN Meyer Görlitz 50: 2.8: a BOKEH BUBBLE LENS
3. Other Triplet camera lenses: examples Schneider XENAR/ Feinmess BONOTAR
under construction
4. Projection lenses
under construction
Trinar projection lens a forgotten lens
5. Lenses with a TRIOPLAN -like bokeh but other design
under construction