- Joined
- Jan 23, 2006
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Just passing on the following information in case it proves useful to anyone....
I recently purchased from Kerry Thalmann here at APUG a 240mm Germinar W lens for use on my 8x10 camera. As has been already reported, this lens achieves a usable image circle in the neighborhood of 400mm when stopped down to f/64 and focused at infinity. This image circle gets larger if the lens is focused closer (I find that at roughly a 15 foot focus distance I get at least 400mm of useful image circle at f/22). However, when using chrome film in bright outdoor lighting, I have found that the lens exhibits considerable light falloff when used near the edge of its usable image circle (e.g., applying roughly 2.5 inches of front rise in portrait orientation when shooting close architectural subjects). The amount of falloff is comparable to that of my SS210XL, for which I use a center filter when shooting chrome film in such circumstances. Being in an ambitious mood, and liking the option of using such a small, lightweight lens in this application, I purchased a Schneider #2 (older version) 1.5 stop center filter (49mm inner thread, 67mm outer thread, Schneider part number 08039286) in the hope of reducing this falloff to an acceptable level. This center filter was designed for a very different lens (47mm Super Angulon), but it was the only center filter I could find which fits directly to the Germinars front filter thread, so I decided it was worth a shot.
The filter works beautifully! Light falloff is now well controlled, and what little falloff remains progresses in a linear fashion from the center to the edge of the image circle. The only restriction is that, at maximum front rise (2.5 inches) in portrait orientation, the center filter starts to slightly mechanically vignette at the corners, but for my work this has not proven a problem since these areas are usually open sky, and can be easily fixed in Photoshop.
Based on my experience so far, the Germinar is not necessarily a substitute for the SS210XL. To my eyes the SS210XL has slightly better contrast; much better flare resistance (the difference is quite obvious when focusing at or near the sun); 500mm of image circle usable at any plausible f/stop or focus distance; brighter focusing; and the 210mm focal length is a better fit between my 150 and 300mm lenses. But for situations where lugging the huge lens along is not desirable (airline travel, longer hikes, etc.), the Germinar is a worthy alternative; it is wonderfully small and light, and for some reason I actually find it slightly easier to focus at the extremes of its image circle than the SS210XL. Between these two lenses I find I have the moderate wide focal length on 8x10 well covered.
I recently purchased from Kerry Thalmann here at APUG a 240mm Germinar W lens for use on my 8x10 camera. As has been already reported, this lens achieves a usable image circle in the neighborhood of 400mm when stopped down to f/64 and focused at infinity. This image circle gets larger if the lens is focused closer (I find that at roughly a 15 foot focus distance I get at least 400mm of useful image circle at f/22). However, when using chrome film in bright outdoor lighting, I have found that the lens exhibits considerable light falloff when used near the edge of its usable image circle (e.g., applying roughly 2.5 inches of front rise in portrait orientation when shooting close architectural subjects). The amount of falloff is comparable to that of my SS210XL, for which I use a center filter when shooting chrome film in such circumstances. Being in an ambitious mood, and liking the option of using such a small, lightweight lens in this application, I purchased a Schneider #2 (older version) 1.5 stop center filter (49mm inner thread, 67mm outer thread, Schneider part number 08039286) in the hope of reducing this falloff to an acceptable level. This center filter was designed for a very different lens (47mm Super Angulon), but it was the only center filter I could find which fits directly to the Germinars front filter thread, so I decided it was worth a shot.
The filter works beautifully! Light falloff is now well controlled, and what little falloff remains progresses in a linear fashion from the center to the edge of the image circle. The only restriction is that, at maximum front rise (2.5 inches) in portrait orientation, the center filter starts to slightly mechanically vignette at the corners, but for my work this has not proven a problem since these areas are usually open sky, and can be easily fixed in Photoshop.
Based on my experience so far, the Germinar is not necessarily a substitute for the SS210XL. To my eyes the SS210XL has slightly better contrast; much better flare resistance (the difference is quite obvious when focusing at or near the sun); 500mm of image circle usable at any plausible f/stop or focus distance; brighter focusing; and the 210mm focal length is a better fit between my 150 and 300mm lenses. But for situations where lugging the huge lens along is not desirable (airline travel, longer hikes, etc.), the Germinar is a worthy alternative; it is wonderfully small and light, and for some reason I actually find it slightly easier to focus at the extremes of its image circle than the SS210XL. Between these two lenses I find I have the moderate wide focal length on 8x10 well covered.
