I’ve been doing some research in anticipation of writing a review of the ZM Biogon 35. Lens reviews often use a kind of language that bears a striking resemblance to the language used in wine or cigar reviews; it’s evocative, but not necesarrily descriptive. It occured to me that a glossary of terms might advance the cause of science or least provide some common ground.

Bokeh:

Bokeh just describes the way things outside the plane of focus are rendered. Really, it’s that simple.

Clinical:

You will see every pore, line, and blemish on your subject’s face. Often said of a lens that you can’t afford as in, “I keep using the Ver. 2 Summicrud because the Ver. 4 is too clinical.”

Flare Prone:

Don’t even bother with the hood, it’s just going to flare no matter what.

Flare Resistant:

Keep the hood on.

Glow:

Often confused with bokeh, three dimensionality and pop, - for the root of the confusion see this otherwise excellent article by Mike Johnston - glow more accurately describes a high degree of pictorialiness as if every day was foggy. Think halos around everything. Not always a bad thing.

Pictorial:

Not clinical, a good thing in portrait lens and a nice way to say an older lens is not particularly sharp.

Plasticity:

I’m not sure what this one means. When I hear the word plastic I think of The Graduate and Tennessee Williams’ theory of Plastic Theatre. How that translates into optics, I don’t know.

Pop:

See three dimensional.

Three Dimensional:

Sometimes also referred to as pop or innacurately glow, three-dimensional describes the way certain lenses can make a subject seem to float or pop off the print or screen. Contrary to popular opinion the Cosina lenses are for the most part actually more three dimensional than their Leica counterparts.

For those interested in real definitions of some actual optical terms, Paul van Walree’s site, http://www.pinnipedia.org/, is a great place to start. Be sure to check out the photos section as well.