Is it possible to recreate the circular, chromatic flair found in uncoated vintage lenses (older Cooke's for example), using just a filter over another lens?

[Zachary Lee Antle]

Wondering if there's some kind of DIY solution to this. None of the lenses I have do this but I love that look, and I'm wondering if it's possible to recreate a similar effect.

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Hi!

You might want to take a look at this article:

https://m.dpreview.com/news/5471953251/moment-cineflare-streak-filters-promise-anamorphic-style-flares-without-a-specialized-lens

I hope that the described filters do what you want to achieve. 

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Some more, similar products: https://www.vid-atlantic.com/products/cinemorph

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Some more filters for streaks:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/124823306282

[Joerg Polzfusz]

And another filter for flares:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295518681031

Link to the manufacturer‘s website:

https://prismlensfx.com/collections/filters/products/streak-filter

Edited April 2, 2023 by Joerg Polzfusz
Manufacturer added

[Zachary Lee Antle]

Hi! The flare I’m think of is like this:

[David Mullen ASC]

A filter that is a flat piece of glass isn’t going to create a ring flare like that, that’s happening with a lens element. A cheap diopter filter might, or a magnifier glass, but then you’d have to figure out how to get the lens to focus at a distance. Seems simpler to just use older lenses…

[Joerg Polzfusz]

For a flare like that, you might try some old, uncoated wide-angle- or tele-converter.

Something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144839576983

(But these might be too good/too new…)

[Phil Rhodes]

In extremis, software can do it. Knoll Light Factory, for instance, makes a reasonably good fist of simulating that specific effect, and with a little manipulation using other filters you can achieve highly realistic results.

This is the unprocessed output of the plugin. It's highly configurable, but the bottom left seems to be what you're after.