Nikkor T-ED 600mm used at 600mm

[MTGseattle]

Is anyone using this lens regularly or even semi-regularly on 8x10? I'd love to hear thoughts on it. I have read quite a few other threads regarding the T-ED lenses, and they get lost in the weeds of this vs that pretty quickly and I'm not looking for comparisons with the Apo-Nikkor (which is in barrel 99% of the time). I know all about the Fujinon C 600 (and the decent used car prices they command these days).

So. Who has experience with it used at 600mm, and what are your impressions?

Also, whether or not my front standard needs a bit of help if I decide to source one of these lenses is immaterial at this point. If I do and it does, I will deal with it.

 

[MTGseattle]

My first post may have been standoffish, I guess. I'd welcome anyone's input regarding the lens. I'm 99% sure I don't have enough bellows for the 800 or 1200 variations, so I'm still most interested in 600mm feedback.
My camera is the double extension Osaka (Tachihara), so many of the other 600mm options are a non-starter for me as well.

 

[Ian C]

The following comments are with respect to the use of the 600/9 Nikkor T ED lens on the 8” x 10” format.

You need 409.2 mm from the flange surface (front of lens board) to the image plane to obtain infinity focus with this lens.

My 8”x 10” Tachihara has a maximum extension of about 570 mm (front of lens board to image plane). That places the lens about 161 mm forward of its infinity position. That gives approximately 0.27X magnification with a subject distance (subject to first nodal point) of about 2.83 meters. So, there’s plenty of focusing range available.

Telephoto lenses provide little, if any, movements. It’s not a light lens at 1,650 grams (about 3.6 pounds). I prefer to put this lens on my Cambo monorail with its all-metal standards and lens-board receiver. But it certainly can be used on a wooden field camera.

The 600/9 Nikkor T ED is a fine telephoto lens. It makes well-defined images with good preservation of the original scene contrast. Its telephoto design makes it practical on cameras with limited forward extension, provided that they can handle the size and weight of the lens. With any 600 mm lens at close focusing distances, the depth of field is very shallow.

For example, at a subject distance of 4 meters and using a circle-of-confusion diameter of 0.20 mm at f/22, you’d have a depth of field of 340 mm, and less if you use a smaller COC diameter in the calculation.

Its front filter threads are 95 mm, so the filters tend to be expensive, as is the case with any physically large lens.

https://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

https://www.mr-alvandi.com/downloads/large-format/nikon-large-format-lenses.pdf

 

[xkaes]

He's my two cents -- from someone who uses a 600mm T lens (Fujinon f12) on a 4x5 wooden field camera.

I'm sure the results from the lens are great, but there are limitations to its use -- some already mentioned.

For 8x10 you have very little room for any movement. You'll have to stop down to f22 and/or have a close subject to get any.

Plus, with the focal point in FRONT of the lens, swings and tilts are not what you would expect.

Add in the weight of the lens, and you have another factor to try to control with the front standard. And if you are hiking any significant distance, that weight adds up.

And if you are using the camera outside, that much bellows can sometimes be hard to handle in any amount of wind.

So it you are concerned about the quality of the images, I wouldn't,

But if you are concerned about the actual usability of the lens, you might want to think about it -- or rent one.

 

[MTGseattle]

Thank you both. That is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I had the potential opportunity to get the Nikon for under $1k. I wanted to get some user feedback first. I also can't decide if it's a focal length I would use. I've got a decent lightweight 3-lens setup right now, but I top out at 450mm. I also keep saying I'm going to quit buying gear for a while. Ha! The way the winds are blowing, I should turn that $1k into film and a dedicated fridge/freezer for it.

 

[xkaes]

There's not that big a difference between 450mm and 600mm, and with 4x5", it's easy to crop.