Diffusion Confusion

When I bought my 35-70mm f4 SMC Zoom, I went after 58mm filters for it. I was lucky enough to find an eBay seller offering Hoya Polarizer, UV(0), Skylight and Diffuser as a package for a great price and snapped them up as much for the PL as anything.

Only recently have I actually looked at the very well made Diffuser and am waiting for some test shots to come back.

What puzzles me is that the texture on the glass is constant rather than clear(er) in the center. I'd have thought that for portrait work (if this is indeed the application of this filter) one would want the eyes to be clear and the softness to increase toward the picture's edge.

Am I confused rather than simply dazed here?

Any and all comments most welcome as always.

Cheers!

Diffusers with centre clear spots do exist, but you have an overall diffuser that could be used for all sorts of subjects, not just portraits.

Thanks, John.

Looks like I got me some more testin' to do.

Any suggestions as to where this diffuser would be best used?

I think I'll start with sunrises and sunsets?

Try it on a Canon lens. Might make it a bit sharper....

G

OUCH!

Might be nice for early morning mist or for soft focus landscapes. I have never really used a diffuser much, and now I would probably use Photoshop instead. But for transparency film there will still be a place for diffusing some images.

Very droll, Mr L.....

I thought thats what fog filters were for (or have Cokin been pulling the wool over my eyes?)

I'm not sure if it will make your canon lens sharper, but I suspect it may make your pentax lenses more like cannon kit lenses, wide open.
Seriously though, try it with flowers (spritz flowers with h20/glyceryn solution 80/20, for studio work, and hard lighting). Double exposures (one without difuser one with) and portriats will work fine (how diffused is it? extreme? moderate?)

PS...
Mac, that's glyceren...not to be confused with nitroglyceryne...
Save the nitrogylceryne for next summmer..when we go fishin'.

[quote="impotentspider"]Well, that would also have a diffusing effect

I'm with George and Mac and McBrian....If I want soft focus, or difusion...break out the scotch...even makes the wallflowers look prettier...
keep yer lenses sharp and blur yer senses!
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Don,

I'm not sure if it is heavily diffused or not. It kinda resembles hammered metal texture - well metal hammered by elves - sorta dimply vs foggy.

Or metal made by hammered elves from Jura.

I'll try the exploding flowers trick - sounds like fun.

Oh.... it is gonna be a longggg winter.

Thanks to all for the great input and G as ever, for the chuckle!

Best...

throw away the diffuser, just use the canon lens, you may come out with similar results

Just tried the "scotch" method, it doesn't work very well if your camera is on a tripod

The Gaussian Blur feature in Photoshop is the same as a diffusion filter.