FSU lenses for LF. Opinions and practical experiences anyone ??

[BlueWind]

Hello
I am looking for a lens that covers a 13 X 18 cm frame.
I have seen some sellers advertising the FSU Industar-51 FKD 210 mm f4,5 lens. Apertures from 4.5 to 32.
The price is surprisingly low !!!. (This may be a red flag, I know)
Does anyone have used this lens ? Any opinions ??
Thank you in advance
Joao

 

[Dan Fromm]

I sold my I-51. It was horribly soft at all apertures and distances. I understand that not all are like this.

Remember, the lens is in barrel and its cells can't be put in a standard shutter.

Decent 210/5.6 plasmat types (Symmar and Sironar, both with and without suffixes; Nikkor-W and Fujinon-W) will all serve you well.

 

[BlueWind]

Thank you Dan
Maybe that's why these lenses are not often mentioned...
Regfards
Joao

 

[Jojje]

I use one on my Speed Graphic, it's a decent, Tessar-type lens.

 

[davidmasek]

Not FSU, but East German, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 210/4.5 that was fitted in Mentor or Globica cameras, is a cheap but good alternative, I believe.

 

[BlueWind]

Thank you
One more question, if I may:
I may have the chance of buying a Rodenstock Rotelar 270 mm f/5,6 (with a Synchro Compur shutter). The price is whithin my budget.
Is this too much for 13 x 18 plates ?? Or should I pick something around 210 - 250 mm ??
Joao

 

[Dan Fromm]

Bad idea. The VM says it barely covers 4x5. Telephoto lenses have less coverage than lenses of normal construction (neither telephoto nor retrofocus).

 

[BlueWind]

Thank you, Dan. You saved me from a wrong choice.
I will go for one of those you've mentioned before.
Regards
Joao

 

[138S]

This lens is a classic Tessar retrofocus design.

Regarding sharpness this is a 24x16mm crop of the image circle:


https://lensbeam.com/obektivy/industar-51-obzor

If the sample cropped image is enlarged to some 25cm high in the monitor then it shows how the detail will be in a 2m high (187,5cm) print made from 13x18cm.

The calculation is 18cm x 25cm / 2.4cm = 187,5cm.

While sharpness is not stellar it would produce IMO perfect 80cm high portraits from 13x18cm format.

So IMO it is not a lens for ultra-sharp 2m printed landscapes but it anyway it may deliver a charm classic feel.

Bokeh is not is the soft side, those defocus discs with rings (also in a 16x24mm crop) shows that spherical aberration is overcorrected in the rear out of focus range, delivering a more detectable background.




So IMO not a glass for one wanting top performace and advanced coatings, but anyway it can be a great choice for an artist wanting to exploit its aesthetic nuances, at the end this kind of lenses has a footprint that has shaped the aesthetics of an era, specially in the eastern block.