Schneider Symmar Convertible Lens

[durr3]

Can a Schneider Symmar 210mm f5.6/ 370mm f12 convertible lens in Sinar DB mount be taken off and installed on a conventional shutter? If yes, what shutter would it fit? Thanks for your help.

J Durr

 

[Steve Smith]

I don't know what a Sinar DB mount is but I do have a Symmar 210mm in conventional shutter so this makes me think the answer is yes.


Steve.

 

[durr3]

I don't know what a Sinar DB mount is but I do have a Symmar 210mm in conventional shutter so this makes me think the answer is yes.


Steve.

Steve, it is mounted on a Sinar board with no shutter. Is this a good lens?
thanks

 

[removed account4]

hi durr3

i don't have mine right in front of me, but i think they typically are installed in a
copal #1 shutter ( sorry i cheated and googled a sale on eboink and looked at the pretty pictures ).
i am not familiar with the sinar DB ( electronic shutter? )
but .. a place like SK GRIMES ( apug sponsor / advertiser ) would be able to tell you
exactly what needs to be done to convert it to a new / different shutter.
they might have and sell these shutters ... or you might have to fine a used one and send it to them or your favorite
photographic repair man / lens fitter / machinist ?
it might be less effort + cost less, just getting one that is already mounted in a copal 1 ... *

not sure if you own it already, but one thing to remember about that lens is that it takes well over 370mm to
use the converted and focus at infinity... the nodal point ( i think i have the lingo right )
is further back ... and it takes long bellows ... ( i know i can't use mine converted ) ...
you might be able to fiddle around which lens group you remove ( schneider recommends the front, but
some folks remove the rear so they leave the shutter protected ) either way, you will still need a lot of bellows...


good luck
john

* added later
call schneider and ask them about the re-mount. if you are in the states, their phone number is on the contact page of their website: https://www.schneideroptics.com/contact/contact.htm they also have an email contact if you are more comfortable writing them.

 

[durr3]

hi durr3

i don't have mine right in front of me, but i think they typically are installed in a
copal #1 shutter ( sorry i cheated and googled a sale on eboink and looked at the pretty pictures ).
i am not familiar with the sinar DB ( electronic shutter? )
but .. a place like SK GRIMES ( apug sponsor / advertiser ) would be able to tell you
exactly what needs to be done to convert it to a new / different shutter.

not sure if you own it already, but one thing to remember about that lens is that it takes well over 370mm to
use the converted and focus at infinity... the nodal point ( i think i have the lingo right )
is further back ... and it takes long bellows ... ( i know i can't use mine converted ) ...
you might be able to fiddle around which lens group you remove ( schneider recommends the front, but
some folks remove the rear so they leave the shutter protected ) either way, you will still need a lot of bellows...


good luck
john

thanks John....I might better stay away. I am using a Deardorf 5x7.

 

[removed account4]

nice camera !

you won't have trouble with bellows with that camera ...
but i'd look for a lens in the shutter you need unless it is an unbelievable deal ... i got mine years ago at KEH
and i can't complain about the lens or the service ... if you know the prices at the big yard sale you might
be able to compare with what they have to sell / are offering ...

good luck !
john

 

[durr3]

nice camera !

you won't have trouble with bellows with that camera ...
but i'd look for a lens in the shutter you need unless it is an unbelievable deal ... i got mine years ago at KEH
and i can't complain about the lens or the service ... if you know the prices at the big yard sale you might
be able to compare with what they have to sell / are offering ...

good luck !
john

Good advice! thanks

 

[chrisaisenbrey]

Yes, the 210 symmar convertible needs a size I shutter. I think size I is the same for Copal, Compur and Prontor shutters. (http://www.sizes.com/tools/shutter_photo.htm )

However you might have to get/make some scale for the diaphragm.

I’ve attached a leaflet from the old Schneider homepage (http://web.archive.org/web/20040828011506/http://www.schneider-kreuznach.de/archiv/archiv.htm)

 

[xya]

... Is this a good lens?
thanks

the whole 210mm lens is good and quite compact imho. the converted version (the half of it) is just a piece of glass, it's nice if you just need a few shots with 370mm, but it's not the schneider quality of a dedicated lens.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think you need someone with experience to check with, some Schneider lenses for the DB mount aren't compatible with regular Copal/Compur/Prontor shutters.

Ian

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Steve, it is mounted on a Sinar board with no shutter. Is this a good lens?
thanks

Yes it is, I use a 150 convertible and like it. I do not however use it converted.
210 convertibles are pretty common in shutters, and usually pretty reasonable. Look for haze in the front and rear cells.

 

[Alan Gales]

Yes it is, I use a 150 convertible and like it. I do not however use it converted.
210 convertibles are pretty common in shutters, and usually pretty reasonable. Look for haze in the front and rear cells.

What? No 210mm selfies?

 

[AgX]

I don't know what a Sinar DB mount is but I do have a Symmar 210mm in conventional shutter so this makes me think the answer is yes.

"DB" is a Sinar-term : "Druck-Blende" (pressure diaphragm)

The lens is mounted in a cone containing the diaphragm and the rear part of the lens. Part of this assemly is a Sinar lensboard. This is mounted in the standard adjacent to a Sinar behind-the -lens shutter on a similar board.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

What? No 210mm selfies?

Alan, Alan, Alan. You can't take selfies with film!!

 

[MattKing]

Alan, Alan, Alan. You can't take selfies with film!!

Of course you can. Anyone who loads a 35mm camera in their lap is likely to have a few unfocused examples at negative numbers 0 or even 00 to prove it.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Of course you can. Anyone who loads a 35mm camera in their lap is likely to have a few unfocused examples at negative numbers 0 or even 00 to prove it.

I may have one or two of those... I also have some photos of the inside of lenscaps. Strangely, I can do this only with rangefinder cameras.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Alan, Alan, Alan. You can't take selfies with film!!

Al Kaplan -- remember him? -- did. He used a Leica. I can see how to do it with, say, a Graphic. Not that I'd ever do it, Graphics are robust cameras but not that robust.

 

[xya]

Alan, Alan, Alan. You can't take selfies with film!!

with 35mm film you can indeed. look at the Fujifilm ZoomDate F2.8 aka Silvi F2.8, it has a selfie mode button + 2 shutter buttons (for left- and right-handers) http://www.120folder.com/135_fuji_silvi_f28.htm

 

[Alan Gales]

Alan, Alan, Alan. You can't take selfies with film!!

Of course you can. You take a string cut to the needed length and tie one end to a washer and the other end to the camera. Place the washer to your face with the string taught to get your distance and use an air bulb release to trigger the shutter.

Now that you know how, I hope I didn't create a monster!

 

[mnemosyne]

AFAIK mounting a sinar DB lens in a shutter is possible but usually doesn't make sense economically. Symmar convertible is a very common lens that can be found a dime a dozen.

 

[smieglitz]

When remounting a Plasmat like a Symmar, is the spacing between front and rear groups critical? I imagine there is an optimum spacing, but I also suspect remounting DB lens groups into a modern shutter that has the same threads would give acceptable results. For that matter, if one had a number of convertible Symmar cells of different focal lengths that fit the same shutter, wouldn't a casket set of sorts be possible from the various groups? I think the 150mm,180mm & 210mm all fit a modern #1 shutter, and the 240mm, 300mm & 360mm fit a #3, while the 80mm, 100mm and 135mm fit a #0.

Anyone mixed and matched them?

 

[Ian Grant]

When remounting a Plasmat like a Symmar, is the spacing between front and rear groups critical? I imagine there is an optimum spacing, but I also suspect remounting DB lens groups into a modern shutter that has the same threads would give acceptable results. For that matter, if one had a number of convertible Symmar cells of different focal lengths that fit the same shutter, wouldn't a casket set of sorts be possible from the various groups? I think the 150mm,180mm & 210mm all fit a modern #1 shutter, and the 240mm, 300mm & 360mm fit a #3, while the 80mm, 100mm and 135mm fit a #0.

Anyone mixed and matched them?

Schneider sold a sort of casket set of Symmar convertible cells for a short time that could be used as your asking, I'm not sure what the combinations were. So it can be done. I have an advert with them in a late 50's or very early 60's BJP Almanac.

I don't think the spacing is as critical with Symmars compared to wider angle lenses, non I've had in the past or own now had a spacer. It's something I'd try but my 135mm Symmar S and 210mm Symmar S are in different sized shutters and my 150mm is a Sironar N which is a different design.

Most 150mm Symmar S lenses are in #0 shutters but if you had one in a #1 shutter as well as a 210 that might be a useful set to get combination FLs in between, as well as the longer FLs using single cells.

Ian