This is definitely something for the Hipster or Steampunk crowd. Imagine rocking one of these EF or F-mount beasts on your Canon or Nikon DSLR. Designed in Vienna, made in Russia by Zenit.
Technical specifications
Petzval 80.5 mm F1.9 MKII SLR Art Lens
Specs
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lomography/petzval-80-slr-art-lens
Updated review
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/lomography-x-zenit-85mm-f-2-2-petzval-art-lens-review-24105
The video that @nachelsoul posted was shot with a Tessar lens design from 1919 (according to the description), not a Petzval. I'm not sure why you'd suggest that the modern Petzval isn't a "real" Petzval either. It's a lens design like the Tessar, Gauss, or Plasmat designs. Classic Petzval lenses were made by a number of companies, not just one.
The footage from the real Petzval lens (1:12 in YouTube video plus all of the @nachelsoul video shots) doesn't look anything like the one their selling. The bokeh isn't swirly at all. There's just a gradual falloff in sharpness as well as a gradual, subtle vignetting both of which draws the eye to the center of image. The drop-in aperture seems different as well.
Most of this look is just low contrast, low sharpness, slight CA, and vignette. Lots of cheap old lenses have this look.
The video that I think inspired the Lomo Petzval.
BTW it is mine :D
Video footage with the Petzval, ( Kickstarter page doesn't use youtube)
Video from another vintage lens, a 1908 Wollensak Cine-Velostigmat f5:
Remind me again since my history isn't always the best, during which 70-year period of photographic history was the predominant portrait lens an ashtray shoved in front of a camera?
Those new Petzvals look like a Schneider Cinelux projector lens. ....Now you're giving me ideas here...might pick up some glass ashtrays or candy dishes from the dollar store, call them something like a Krapp-Meisner Kruzsnatch Special Effect lens. Each delivers a nice swirly something if not bokeh. If P.T. Barnum is right, a sucker...uh, er...ebay customer will buy one, then everyone will want one!
Except that the swirly bokeh of a Petzval lens usually isn't seen as a "disturbing flaw" so much as a desirable effect. Some of the other design decisions with the lens were questionable, but I like mine enough so far!
Right but at least they do some customization and all. I will simply purchase broken-ass old lenses and proclaim them to be made glorious by how shoddy they are.
Too late, people are already beating you to it...
http://cinescopophilia.com/dog-schidt-optiks-or-if-you-prefer-dog-shit-lenses/
I'm going to start a business buying up all the crap lenses that don't sell on Ebay and invent a story about why the disturbing flaws are actually super awesome. I will sell them exclusively to people with ironic facial hair and hats that are slightly too small.
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