what LENS(es) are you lusting for - and why..

[Vaughn]

210mm Schneider Angulon, if you are patient you can find one. Covers11x14.

Back in the early 90's I borrowed a Deardorff 8x10 with a 210mm Schneider Angulon for a few months...I did not realize at the time what a fine lens it was. The 11x14 coverage surprises me, though...at 1:1?

 

[Dan Fromm]

Vaughn, I think Bill meant 210 SA.

 

[LeftCoastKid]

Not exactly lusting...but I wouldn't mind acquiring another Nikkor 500mm F8 Cat, provided I could find one that was decently sharp. The usefulness of the lens is of course debatable; its unique character can wear fairly quickly.

I've had two, to date, but neither particularly impressed me with its sharpness. Not sure if it's a question of sample variation, or just bad luck on my part.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Kid, lenses that long are hard to use. I have a 700/8 Questar that didn't satisfy when shot at distance with available darkness but that was great at 10 feet with flash. That suggested that steadiness might be a problem. I had a friend who had two Questar 700s, borrowed them and had a shootout.

The shootout found that mine was marginally the best of the three and that the problem was that my tripod's leg set didn't have enough torsional stiffness. I replaced the leg set and subsequently got much better results.

Long lenses punish unsteadiness severely and unsteadiness has many causes, not all expected.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have the SWC, the Hasselblad 100mm lens and the Hasselblad 500mm lens so I really can not get stirred up enough to buy the Hasselblad fisheye lens even when offered one at a very good price.

 

[fdonadio]

I have the SWC, the Hasselblad 100mm lens and the Hasselblad 500mm lens so I really can not get stirred up enough to buy the Hasselblad fisheye lens even when offered one at a very good price.

Sirius, I love to pull your leg about that fisheye. Siriusly.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sirius, I love to pull your leg about that fisheye. Siriusly.

I have spent a lot of time looking and handling the fisheye lens, but it is more likely that I would buy the ArcBody or FlexBody first. Just alternate the legs you pull so that they stay the same length.

 

[fdonadio]

I have spent a lot of time looking and handling the fisheye lens, but it is more likely that I would buy the ArcBody or FlexBody first. Just alternate the legs you pull so that they stay the same length.

I always pull the one that looks closer to me. When you come in my direction, walk sideways and alternate the sides each time!

(I think I better stop this whole “leg pulling” joke.)

About the lenses... the fisheye is mostly useless. I only got it because I shoot skateboarding and I gotta get me covered for “the skateboarding classic fisheye look”. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d ever had bought it.

Now, the SWC is a dream, as are the FlexBody/ArcBody. Dreams way beyond my current budget.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Back in the early 90's I borrowed a Deardorff 8x10 with a 210mm Schneider Angulon for a few months...I did not realize at the time what a fine lens it was. The 11x14 coverage surprises me, though...at 1:1?

I think I got that coverage from a prewar brochure, which I cannot open on cameraeccentric right now. The current Schneider website gives an IC of a bit over 380mm for infinity, still some useable movement on 8x10 and four air-glass surfaces mean good contrast even if it's uncoated. It's a "reverse Dagor" type.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Vaughn, I think Bill meant 210 SA.

No, I meant the 210 f:6.8 Angulon, unfortunately I put the post before the refreshment of memory, see above.
Best regards,
Bill.
Edit- Having a 210 SA fall in your lap could be tragic.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I always pull the one that looks closer to me. When you come in my direction, walk sideways and alternate the sides each time!

(I think I better stop this whole “leg pulling” joke.)

About the lenses... the fisheye is mostly useless. I only got it because I shoot skateboarding and I gotta get me covered for “the skateboarding classic fisheye look”. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d ever had bought it.

Now, the SWC is a dream, as are the FlexBody/ArcBody. Dreams way beyond my current budget.

MOSTLY USELESS?? That is a high rating than I would give it.

 

[fdonadio]

MOSTLY USELESS?? That is a high rating than I would give it.

Wow. That was mean. You hurt my F-Distagon’s feelings.

 

[Sirius Glass]

It is good if you like a lens that will only take two photographs a decade and will have your shoe fronts in the bottom of the frame.

 

[fdonadio]

It is good if you like a lens that will only take two photographs a decade and will have your shoe fronts in the bottom of the frame.

I use it quite often. In fact, I try to use it for other subjects (besides skateboarding) and I got some nice pictures of rock bands, even a nice shot of the Iguaçu Falls. It’s hard to use it to your advantage, but you can definitely create some interesting images with it.

One can always use some contortionist techniques to avoid the shoes/feet in the bottom of the frame. You get used to it.

Its not for everyone and I recognize and understand that some people will hate those images.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Now, the SWC is a dream, as are the FlexBody/ArcBody. Dreams way beyond my current budget.

Don't be discouraged. And don't focus only on 6x6. Think about a 2x3 press camera such as the Century Graphic with a w/a lens. 47/8 SA, for example. It even overs 2x3. Or the 50/6.3 Mamiya for the Mamiya press, either on a Press body or on a 2x3 press camera.

As for the 38/4.5 Biogon, this camera http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_en...eras/fairchild-aerial-camera-sku23471-15.html contains one. My late friend Charlie Barringer had it, or one just like it. I've seen it. The widow sold it to Westlicht. I b'lieve the lens is in barrel. SKGrimes can put it in a Copal #0 for you. Years ago Steve did one (from an AGI F.135, not a Fairchild) for me. I use it on my Century Graphic. Doesn't cover 2x3, does cover 24 mm x 82 mm except for tiny black triangles in the corners.

I never took the rig to P. N. Iguassu, got it after I stopped going to Paraguay, whence both Iguassu national parks are easily accessed.

 

[fdonadio]

Don't be discouraged. And don't focus only on 6x6.

Well, Dan, I have a Sinar F and a Nikkor-SW 65mm f/5.6 (or is it 4.5?) which gives me an angle of view in the same ballpark, but with a big negative. I wanted to take it to Iguaçu (or Iguassu, in castellano), but my wife would go bananas.

I decided on the Hasselblad as a good tradeoff between image quality and ease of use. We visited the falls from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides and I must confess I like the Argentinian side a lot more, as there’s more to see without having to pay for guided tours. The Brazilian side has that incredible view of the most massive falls (huge water volume), but it’s mostly that. Everything else costs extra.

 

[fdonadio]

As for the 38/4.5 Biogon, this camera http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_en...eras/fairchild-aerial-camera-sku23471-15.html contains one.

The link you sent me says the lens is an Ilex Super Paragon 38/4.5. I don’t know much about Ilex... for €290, I would grab that camera only because of the lens.

 

[Vaughn]

I think I got that coverage from a prewar brochure, which I cannot open on cameraeccentric right now. The current Schneider website gives an IC of a bit over 380mm for infinity,..

When I got my own 8x10, I went up to a 300 Fuji W as my only lens. The 210mm would have been too wide for me as an only lens. I now have a Fuji W 250/6.7. Also a nice little 210mm/6.8 Graphic Raptar Wide Field Lens (barrel) that does cover 8x10 and works well with the lenscap shutter under the redwoods, so I am not desperate for a 210mm in a shutter. It just would be nice for 4x10 work out in the sunshine.

Funny thing -- just searched for some info on my 210mm/6.8 Graphic Raptar, and it sounds like it might have a similar design as the 210 f:6.8 Angulon.

 

[Dan Fromm]

The link you sent me says the lens is an Ilex Super Paragon 38/4.5. I don’t know much about Ilex... for €290, I would grab that camera only because of the lens.

It is a Biogon. USAF was stuck with a "buy American" policy. US lens makers rose to the occasion by selling USAF rebadged Zeiss-made 38 Biogons and by making them under license.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Funny thing -- just searched for some info on my 210mm/6.8 Graphic Raptar, and it sounds like it might have a similar design as the 210 f:6.8 Angulon.

Internet scuttlebutt says they're dagor types.

 

[Dan Fromm]

We visited the falls from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides and I must confess I like the Argentinian side a lot more, as there’s more to see without having to pay for guided tours. The Brazilian side has that incredible view of the most massive falls (huge water volume), but it’s mostly that. Everything else costs extra.

I was last there in '96, enjoyed the Argentine side more too. The Brazilian side offers broad vistas, in Argentina we could get very close to many of the cataracts. One should visit both sides.

 

[michr]

The image quality of the old Nikkors I cited is superb even by today's (dubious) metric. I have series of slides taken with a 105 Sonnar, from a tour boat on the Rhine in 1998, one frame is of the Marksburg at a bit less than a mile. The weathervane is sharp and the direction is apparent. Hand held, f:5.6 at a 250th on Agfa CT 18.
And the build quality of the old Nikkors is just gorgeous.

I just love the way the old Nikkors look and how they feel in the hand. Hopefully I can obtain the 105 Sonnar some day. I already have a 105 Lester Dine which is supposed to be an exceptional lens, if a more modern rendering. I think for the most part, the current line-up of lenses is mostly selling convenience, though there are exceptions, like superwides, and fast wides, which have no legacy equivalent.

 

[Vaughn]

Internet scuttlebutt says they're dagor types.

No, that is just who I bought it from...LOL!
Some on the LF forum mentioned it might be a reversed Dagor like the Angulon. From the Schneider site:

Introduced in 1930, the Angulon is the original Schneider wide-angle lens. It is a 6-element, 2-group, symmetric design. Compared to many modern wide angles, these lenses are quite compact, although the angle of coverage is only 80°. They are well color-corrected and the symmetrical design results in excellent close up performance.

Their specs say 85 degrees at f/16 with a circle of 382 at f/16. My little Graphic Raptar seems to keep up with all that. I was not going to take it to Zion with me, but why not -- weighs almost nothing! And it might make a nice close-up lens for the 11x14.

 

[fdonadio]

It is a Biogon. USAF was stuck with a "buy American" policy. US lens makers rose to the occasion by selling USAF rebadged Zeiss-made 38 Biogons and by making them under license.

If it’s a rebadged Zeiss, that price is a steal. If it’s one of those made under license, I would think Ilex has a decent quality, maybe on par with Fuji or Nikon... or am I wrong? If the quality is good enough, the price still looks good to me.

 

[gr82bart]

Hasselblad Telephoto 350mm f/5.6 CFE Zeiss Tele-Superachromat Lens