FUJINON-W 135mm f/5.6 - Experiences?

[photobizzz]

Thinking about buying this lens and after searching I didn't see many posts about it, if I am correct this is the older version as it is in a Seiko shutter (silver shutter).
I have a Schneider 150/4.5 Xenar on the way someday (Canadian mail is kinda slow) but will probably put it on a 1920s Gundlach Flatbed I have restored to sell it and would really rather have a 135mm over a 150mm to complete my kit. (90, 135, 210, 270)

Just unsure if this is a good pick; any experiences (currently or used to own) would be really cool. Thanks guys and gals!

 

[BenZucker]

Love this lens!!!! Pretty much my goto lens for 4x5. Good coverage, sharp.....its all good

 

[brian steinberger]

This is the only lens I own for my 4x5. It's a great lens, as are all the Fuji large format lenses.

 

[Medusa83]

I use that lens the most out of any of my lenses on my 4x5. I love it. It is very sharp and has great coverage.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

May be I am wrong but I believe that every lens maker has own recipe on colors and they dont change in long time. And I think If you buy a point and shoot fujinon lens , you will all see what is right , what is wrong for you.
Again , visit the galleries at web . They will guide you on colors and aberrations. May be you can try to find the diagram of the different lenses and deeply think about what you will prefer.
You will create a myth in your mind and this is a very satisfying feeling.
And look to the pictures of paintings and the galleries and the glass , ceramic glaze , mosaic , pigment colors and try to find which lens is for you.
You will get a headache like me after seeing first National Geographic print , using my first Leica and thinking about them for 25 years

 

[photobizzz]

Wow, great to hear. I was kind of worried it might be lacking since it is an older model but guess not! I guess I will go ahead and pick it up. I was thinking of picking up the 135mm Schneider that the seller Illumiquest is selling but since I cant seem to get a photo of it I will go for the Fuji! Thanks all. Can some of you point me to a link or two from photos you have online; flickr or smugmug, or here on APUG? Thanks for the replies!

 

[photobizzz]

Um, thank you I guess Mustafa. Kind of hard to understand what you mean but I think I get what you are saying but I don't shoot color, more concerned with contrast, prone to flare, resolving power. Also examples on the IQ of the lens, basically how it renders portraits, landscapes, ect. Thanks though.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Resolving power is for beginners. You must look at the 3D Effect on the portrait and the texture and the Bokeh.
Every Fujinon example at the web will help you to understand the lens. I guess you will find the highlights too strong and shadows too strong.
Schneider is far away better lens .
You are near to Canada and may be you can find a ELCAN lens. Ernst Leitz Canada.
And look for the Cooke lenses , Ansel Adams favourite lens or Rapid Rectilinear , Edward Weston .
You can find cheap Zeiss Tessars or Kodak Ektar or a Dagor .

These lenses are for lifetime . Really lifetime.

 

[photobizzz]

Deleted by me...shouldn't have wasted my time responding...

 

[photobizzz]

Deleted by me...I wasted my time responding and someone else bought the Fujinon-W 135/5.6 I was asking about, that is what I get for getting drawn into responding to a post that wasn't worth my time.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

I heard that Seiko shutters were now impossible to repair due to lack of spares. Anyone care to comment?

Thanks

 

[Jesper]

My experience with the Fujinon-W is that they are very sharp and contrasty.
Some pictures benefit from this and some don't. The Fuji lenses can be a bit clinical and lifeless just because they are so sharp and contrasty.
If that applys to you I don't know. It all depends on you personal style and subject.

It will be very different from the Xenar thats on its way.

My guess is that you will not be disappointed if you buy it.

 

[ac12]

Drat, too bad you lost the lens.
I've been in that situation, where I take toooooo much time to think about it, then when I decide to buy it...the item is gone :-(

I would be interested in knowing about the Seiko shutters as well, since several of the lenses I looked at were in a Seiko shutter.

 

[coriana6jp]

I haven't tried to have one repaired, but the two Seiko shutters I have run very well. Heck Seiko makes great watches, so I figure their shutters can't be too bad.

Gary

 

[mikebarger]

My experience is the same as Gary's.

Mike

 

[Adrian Twiss]

The only reason I raised the question of repairing Seiko shutters was that when I had to have the Seiko shutter on a Mamya TLR lens repaired 5 repair shops said it could not be done due to unavailability of spares.

 

[dae]

I'm sure someone here can tell me the filter size of the Fujinon 135 5.6 W?

 

[Steve Hamley]

46mm unless you have a NW or CM-W.

http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/byfl.htm

Cheers, Steve

 

[TerryThomasAtlanta]

I'm sure someone here can tell me the filter size of the Fujinon 135 5.6 W?

I have my Fujinon-W 135mm f/5.6 lens in my hand right now and the filter thread is 52mm.
FYI, the shutter is a Copal #0.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. A gap-toothed comedian with mustache replies to a thread that ended 10 years ago.

See http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/byfl.htm There were several versions of the 135/5.6 Fujinon-W. Some took 46 mm filters.