which lens

[mitch brown]

hi all
the question i want to ask your opinion on is as too which 210 lens i should keep and which to sell. i have two 210mm lens which were given to me. they are aschneider symmar-s 5.6 210 uncoated or it maybe a single coated and a rodenstock sironar-n 5.s 210 mc. they booth seeem to be in great shape .
your thoughts please.
thanks
mitch

 

[Dave Parker]

Shoot them both, develop the negatives and then compare, keep the one you like sell the one you don't..

Dave

 

[BradS]

The two lenses in question are, for practical purposes, virtually identical. I seriously doubt that you could distinguish prints from these two. I'd keep the one that came with both original lens caps. If that did not distinguish between the two, I'd have the shutters checked and keep the one with the better (or newer) shutter.

 

[Claire Senft]

Ypu have 2 fine choices. I would pick the Rodenstock since being multi-coated would indicate the possibility of more recent manufacture which may give it a longer useful remaining life.

 

[Ole]

The Symmar-s should be at least single coated. Some of them are multicoated, some of the earlier ones can be single coated.

Keep the one you like best for whatever reason, there will be no practical difference (my newest LF lens is a single-coated 210/6.1 Xenar, which makes me think multicoating is overrated! )

 

[cperez]

Indeed. Your experience matches mine. Schneider's 210mm Xenar are very underrated. Brilliantly sharp wide open and very contrasty at all aperture settings.

...my newest LF lens is a single-coated 210/6.1 Xenar, which makes me think multicoating is overrated!