What's your fascination with telling people what they can't or
shouldn't do?  The term in question is an appropriate metaphor for
describing a certain visual effect.  As with all metaphors, the effect
described is not exactly the same as the effect to which the
comparison refers, but that's the whole point of a metaphor.

Photos that evince an obvious or exaggerated separation of the subject
from the background are artistically representing 3D space as closely
as possible on a 2D plane.  "3D effect" is not technically accurate,
but it works metaphorically to convey a certain look or effect.

Chris


On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 09:31:45 -0500, J. C. O'Connell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> But my point is that it isnt ***artistically*** or technically
> accurate. It's a pure misnomer that shouldn't be used IMHO.
> JCO
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Stenquist [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 9:19 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: 3D quality in a lens?
> 
> I agree completely. But selective focus and good bokeh are the
> attributes that have led to the "3D" descriptor being applied to lenses
> that are obviously not capable of 3D. I don't think anyone thinks those
> lenses produce actual 3D images. It's just another example of how
> language takes on other meanings over time. Of course it's not
> "technically accurate," but much of our language is not. Artists
> generally have no problem with that. Scientists do. That's the way of
> the world.
> Paul
> 
> On Nov 12, 2004, at 8:42 AM, J. C. O'Connell wrote:
> 
> > What you describe is a selective focus effect
> > but the out of focus background is still viewed
> > on same plane as forground, it would look totally
> > different with 3D photograhy, the forground
> > would not only be in selective focus, it would
> > be "popped out" in front of the background.
> >
> > For those who have never seen 3D photography
> > or havent in seen it a long time, The thing
> > to remember is that with 3D photography, infinity
> > looks the same as 2D in 3D, objects that are
> > closer than infintity look "popped out" off the
> > infinity background. No 2D process does this with
> > any lenses no matter how good, so I simply do not
> > agree with saying any 2D lenses have a a "3D quality"
> > or effect. "Realistic Selective Focus" might me a better
> > term for the effect they are trying to describe.
> > JCO
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul Stenquist [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 8:15 AM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: 3D quality in a lens?
> >
> >
> > If you shoot a  foreground object with a long lens wide open, it
> > separates from the background in such a way as to produce an apparent
> > "3D" effect. Of course, as JCO points out, it's not really 3D. It's
> > merely the eye recognizing a difference between a sharp foreground and
> 
> > an out-of-focus background. Lenses with nice bokeh, like the 77
> > limited, do this quite effectively. With extremely long lenses, like
> > my A-400/5.6, the effect is very easy to achieve. Here's an example:
> > http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2875014
> > On Nov 11, 2004, at 10:33 PM, J. C. O'Connell wrote:
> >
> >> If you have ever done or seen any decent
> >> 3D photography you would know it's a really
> >> dumb way to describe any 2D image. I wouldnt
> >> read too much into it, or put too much trust
> >> in the writers of just descriptions...
> >> JCO
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Don Sanderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 10:23 PM
> >> To: PDML
> >> Subject: 3D quality in a lens?
> >>
> >>
> >> What is meant when a lens is described as having
> >> a "great 3 dimensional quality"?
> >> Or "it gives photos a 3 dimensional feel"?
> >> I've heard this term used several times in describing lenses, mostly
> >> WA's. How does a lens lend a 3D quality to a photograph?
> >>
> >> TIA
> >> Don
> >>
> >
> 
>

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