New 240mm F9 Computar listed on eBay

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 1, 2005

There is a NIB 240mm F9 Computar (barrel mount) listed on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7535368585&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I have one of these and they cover 8x10 with plenty of room to spare.

haziz · Aug 3, 2005

Tom Hoskinson said:
There is a NIB 240mm F9 Computar (barrel mount) listed on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7535368585&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I have one of these and they cover 8x10 with plenty of room to spare.

Why is it any better than a 240 mm lens with shutter? Specially when you consider the cost of a new or good condtion shutter and mounting by SKGrimes. I don't believe that 240 lenses in good/mint condtion are going for huge sums at present. Is the coverage unusually generous? I am not putting down the lens with which I have no experience but am just curious.

Sincerely,

Hany.

Dave Wooten · Aug 3, 2005

Does it have different coverage that f/9 240 Claron?

sanking · Aug 3, 2005

Dave Wooten said:
Does it have different coverage that f/9 240 Claron?

Yes, the 240 f/9 Computar has a circle of illumination quite a bit larger than the 240mm G-Claron.

Sandy

Dave Wooten · Aug 3, 2005

ok then I thought so, I'll sell my pristine g claron and buy the 240 on e bay

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 3, 2005

haziz said:
Why is it any better than a 240 mm lens with shutter? Specially when you consider the cost of a new or good condtion shutter and mounting by SKGrimes. I don't believe that 240 lenses in good/mint condtion are going for huge sums at present. Is the coverage unusually generous? I am not putting down the lens with which I have no experience but am just curious.

Sincerely,

Hany.

This is a new lens, not a used lens. It has sufficient coverage to cover 11 x 14. The two lens groups can be easily removed from the barrel mount (with your hands, no tools) and they screw directly into a Copal 3S shutter (which is how I mounted mine) - no machining required.

Dave Wooten · Aug 3, 2005

Ok talked me into it,

I'll buy the lens and sell my g claron on apug for 1/3 of the ebay sale.

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 3, 2005

I'm not the seller, Dave.

It's hard to tell with eBay, but based on past experience I would expect this lens to go for $250. to $300. If your 240 G-Claron is in a current Copal 1 shutter, it should go for more than that.

Dave Wooten · Aug 3, 2005

My Claron is in a barrel (a really nice barrel)

jimgalli · Aug 3, 2005

Dave, FWIW, your G-Claron will spin right into a Copal 1 shutter and makes a very nice compact 10X12 lens while the Computar / Kowa requires a rather larger and more expensive Copal 3s. Tradeoff's.

JG Motamedi · Aug 3, 2005

Tom Hoskinson said:
... I would expect this lens to go for $250. to $300...

The last 240 Computar in barrel that sold on eBay went for more than $500.

Dave Wooten · Aug 3, 2005

Thanks Jim,

will the computar cover 7 x 17 ? I figured I could stop it down and it would be like a 20mm on that format and if I stopped it way down, I wouldnt have to focus (bifocals) I could just point it and fire away

sanking · Aug 3, 2005

Dave Wooten said:
Thanks Jim,

will the computar cover 7 x 17 ? I figured I could stop it down and it would be like a 20mm on that format and if I stopped it way down, I wouldnt have to focus (bifocals) I could just point it and fire away

My 240mm Computar covers 7X17 with perhaps 1.5" of rise or fall. You do need to stop down to f/45 or more, however, for decent performace on the edges.

The 240mm G-Claron is a nice lens and will go into a Copal 1 (the 240 Computar requires a Copal 3S), but it does not cover as much.

Sandy

JG Motamedi · Aug 3, 2005

I have a 210/9 Computar which sharply covers 11x14 or about 95 degrees, however the curvature is pretty fierce and I can't use the lens at less than f45, as Sandy suggests.

Mike A · Aug 5, 2005

no secret

God, word gets around.

photomc · Aug 8, 2005

This Doesn't Seem Right

Did anyone keep up with this one....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7535368585&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

almost $550 without a shutter, are these lens THAT good?

Dan Fromm · Aug 8, 2005

There's something about dagor77's prose that induces people to bid high. Do you recall the 160/5.6 and 210/5.6 Pro Raptars he sold a while ago? He praised them extravagantly, started a cult. Before he started selling them, they were affordable.

As it happens, I have a 160, bought before the cult started. Its a keeper, not on my candidates for replacement list, but the little voice in the back of my mind keeps whispering that in use all of the modern f/5.6 plasmats are functionally equivalent.

Steve Hamley · Aug 8, 2005

I actually bought a new 240 Computar from him a year or two ago for much less; about $225 IIRC. I don't think it's Andrew's promotion doing it as much as the lfinfo forum traffic. BTW, Lens and Repro had one in a shutter listed for $1100 for a while.

It's probably not up to new Apo Sironar-S or Apo Symmar standards as a taking lens, but it's relatively light, uses 58mm filters, and allegedly has more coverage.

I've also noted that Dagors and in some cases Artars seem to be bringing quite a bit more than they were last year, both in dealer shops and on eBay.

Steve

Ole · Aug 8, 2005

Steve Hamley said:
...I've also noted that Dagors and in some cases Artars seem to be bringing quite a bit more than they were last year, both in dealer shops and on eBay...

I blame Andrew (dagor77) for that too! On the other hand he's doing wonders to make Tessar lenses cheap - not "affordable", but cheap. Cheaper than a shutter alone

sanking · Aug 8, 2005

Ole said:
I blame Andrew (dagor77) for that too! On the other hand he's doing wonders to make Tessar lenses cheap - not "affordable", but cheap. Cheaper than a shutter alone

I am probably more to blame than dagor77 for the rise in price of the Computar lenses because of a couple of threads I started on the large format forum last year and earlier this year. However, I am glad that I did because prior to that there was a fellow buying the 210mm version of this lens for almost nothing and selling it for around $2000, which was about 10X the going price before I reported the results of my testing on the two threads mentioned above. I think he is now asking about $3000 for the 305mm Computar.

The Computar line (and by the way, some (but only a few) Kowa Graphics in 240mm and 270mm focal lengths have the same design) is a lens that was manufactured and sold in the late 70s and early 80s. It is a single-coated plasmat design that is certainly no optical match in terms of sharpness and contrast of the latest generation of lenses from Schneider, Rodenstock, etc. However, for LF and ULF formats these lenses are unique among small plasmats in that they have a circle of illumination of about 95 degrees (that is *ten (10)* degrees more than Dagors) and *fifteen (15)* degrees more than G-Clarons. And they are very small lenses, of f/9 maximum aperture. The extraordinary coverage and small size makes these lenses very desirable for ULF work. They are in fact my most prized lenses, and I own at this time 210mm, 240mm, 270mm and 305mm specimens.

For coverage, here is what you get with the Computars, assuming of course that you stop down to f/45 or more, and are at infinity focus.

210mm Covers 11X14 (just) and slightly vignettes on 7X17

240mm Cover 11X14 and 7X17 with about two inches of movement. Should also just cover 8X20 but I have not actually verified this on a camera.

270mm Covers 8X20 with movements and just slightly vignettes on 12X20.

305mm Covers 12X20 with about two inches of movement.

So when you really look at the unique qualities of these lenses you shold understand why they are currently selling for such high prices. And add to that the fact that although not rare, they are far less common than Dagors and G-Clarons.

Sandy

Steve Hamley · Aug 8, 2005

Ole,

I haven't seen Andrew selling a Dagor or Artar in a long time. I guess those lenses from "one-eye Ota" and the collapsed mountain cabin are gone.

Steve

Dave Wooten · Aug 8, 2005

I have bought some good fun "stuff" off of Andrew....I missed this one however. my hand went all the way to the bottom of my pockets and came up short! ha!

Brian Bullen · Aug 8, 2005

sanking said:
I am probably more to blame than dagor77 for the rise in price of the Computar lenses because of a couple of threads I started on the large format forum last year and earlier this year.

Sandy

Sandy, I do blame you (and others) for the rise in price of Computars, but in all fairness I don't think holding back useful information about these lenses to the ULF community is helpful. I've read most of those threads and have seen the price rise over the last couple of years for lenses that cover 11x14 and up. That's why I was willing to pay what I did, especially for a lense in such good shape, and you can bet if I find more in the future I'll be willing to pay for those too. Earlier this year a 305 Computar went for around $1500 in shutter. These lenses are going to get more expensive as the years go by get them while you can and hold onto them.

Steve Hamley · Aug 9, 2005

Ole,

Makes you wonder if Andrew's buying up Zeiss Tessars cheap and will then start marketing them when he has a warehouse full!

BTW, I was reading Weston's Mexico Daybook and noted that in addition to the famous $5 rapid rectilinear, he also bought a 21cm Zeiss Tessar which he liked very much and used on the Graflex, and I believe the 8x10 for some close ups.

Steve

Mike A · Aug 9, 2005

I was not familiar with the Computar line and asked a more knowledgable APUG'r for his recommendation on bidding for it. The price I was told was no more than $250.00, boy am I glad he helped me out (thank you sir), I'll just keep hunting considering a decent shutter will run you upwards of $300.00.

New 240mm F9 Computar listed on eBay

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