If you could only buy one.

[Gary892]

I have a 12x20 Korona with an 18inch process lens. The lens sucks. I am looking for a quality lens that will offer coverage for the camera. I will be doing mainly landscape images so I don't anticipate a lot of movement.
If you could only afford one lens for this camera what would it be?
I have been watching eBay and have seen some nice lenes but I am not sure of the quality or coverage.
Thanks for you input.

Gary

 

[gma]

The film diagonal is about 24". I think you'll need a normal lens of that focal length to cover the format.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'd be thinking "Dagor."

 

[Francesco]

355 G-Claron.

 

[Donald Miller]

I second Francesco's recommendation. In addition I would look to the 450 Nikkor M if you want something of longer focal length. Dagors have excellent coverage too.

 

[inthedark]

You said, "process" lens right? I would use a 760mmRodagon (30" diag) or their 485(18 in) is great too. They are spendy, but the company is now called LINOX and I think the webname is the same.

 

[inthedark]

Oh, wait a minute you folks all go to Ebay, huh? Well, same info, but for used lenses, gosh there is a guy in CA who hordes used lenses, I used to do equipment business with him. He moved to a different company and I lost track. . .let me see what I can find. He has replacements available for most of my lenses should I ever ruin one. Geez, it's been a while, I can only remember his first name.

Y'know I bet he's a member, if not when I find him I will turn him on to us.

 

[inthedark]

Okay, I have a Cindy at 1-877-677-5736 x353 who has some new, discontinued lenses.

Hey! I found the number for the tamale guy. I can finally tell him where I moved so I can get more of his wife's great tamales for lunch!

Still looking . . .

 

[inthedark]

Found him, let me give him a call

 

[Emile de Leon]

270mm computar f9 (hard to find) goes direct to Copal 3S shutter or 300mm older f6.8 dagor (plenty on Ebay cheap...some won't cover though) or 360mm WA Nikkor f9 (rare). Best to go wide as possible as your Korona is probably with a short bellows and a bit rickety. I have one too but use a Wisner now. The 355mm G-claron and Nikon 450mm are winners too but there is always that DOF reality. I really like the 450mm but wouldnt pick it if only one lens were to be available. If I could pick only one lens it might be a 300mm f10 WA Nikkor if it existed. The 260mm f10 WA Nikkor has to be the sharpest best illuminated lens corner to corner, wide open or stopped down that I've ever seen and works great on 7x17. But I really think the 300mm dagor is a wonderful lens with a real glow and beautiful feeling different than in the other newer lenses.Good luck! Emile. www.deleon-ulf.com

 

[inthedark]

The number is no longer his, so sorry. But Cindy did have some process lenses.

 

[John Kasaian]

I've got a 450 Nikkor M on my 12x20----wonderful lens that goes for about 1/3rd the price of a 19" f7.7 Dagor(which is the holy grail of ULF shooters) I suspect that the coverage of the Nikkor will allow for great movements than the 355 G-Claron but since I don't have a 355, I can't say that for a fact, however the used Nikkor is nearly always substantially less costly than the G-Claron, so all things being equal----? There are a couple of protars that will generously cover 12x20 but I don't have the series numbers handy. Sandy King has posted that info on Tuan's Large Format forum so a search there would turn up a goldmine of info. I've heard that some of the really old 12" Dagors will cover 12x20 but I'd be concerned about sharpness in the corners(especially if it my only lens!) I have a 12 incher(ahem,...lens I mean!) that I'll check out as soon as I can cobble up a lensboard for it, but don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with the 450 NIkkor M on 12x20.

 

[WarEaglemtn]

A nice 30 inch Artar would do nicely.

 

[John Kasaian]

Alas, not enough bellows on a 12x20 F&S for a 30", though perhaps you could have some modifications made to handle that chunk of glass.

 

[sanking]

I've got a 450 Nikkor M on my 12x20----wonderful lens that goes for about 1/3rd the price of a 19" f7.7 Dagor(which is the holy grail of ULF shooters) I suspect that the coverage of the Nikkor will allow for great movements than the 355 G-Claron but since I don't have a 355, I can't say that for a fact, however the used Nikkor is nearly always substantially less costly than the G-Claron, so all things being equal----?

Below 300mm the only commonly avilable lens that will cover is the Schneider 210 SSXL, but big and expensive. A 270mm Series IV or Series V Protar would aslo cover, small but rare and expensive on ebay. In the 300mm range there is the Fujinon-A (rare, large, but covers well with movement), the Computar (rare, small and covers well with movement) and the 300mm Dagor (common and small but only select specimens will cover 12X20, mainly very old ones, and even then just barely, and the imge is very soft on the corners). The 355mm G-Claron covers, but just barely and affords little or no movement. The old Schneider Symmar 355mm, convertible version, will also cover 12X20" and with an aperture of f/5.6 really lights up the ground glass. The 450mm Nikkor-M covers wonderfully and is still a wide-angle lens for this format, plus it typically is fairly inexpensive.

Above 600mm virtually all lenses will cover well, but bellows draw of the Korona limits useful lenses to 600mm or less.

For value I would rate the 450mm Nikkor-M as the best all around performer for 12X20" and if I were limited to only one lens it would be my choice.

Sandy

 

[david b]

I just saw a show at the Art Institute in Chicago by Art Sinsabaugh called "american horizons". He used a 12x20 banquet camera which they had on display.

great show. get the book by the same name.