I have this 135mm Rodenstock Eurynar lens I've got listed on eBay, but have been thinking of keeping. Previously I had checked, and it was fairly close to the 135mm cam I have for my linhof, so I decided to shoot a few more quick pics in the back yard, to see how they come out. So I put the lens on the camera, check infinity focus (or so I thought), and out to the back yard I go with my dog following behind, and I start taking some pictures. First I take a few more pictures of the train bridge next to my house (I must have 1000 shots of it by now!), then a few of the dog, then we find a baby bird that can't fly (or maybe it was more grown up, but hurt, I don't know). I do my best to keep the dog from attacking the bird, and it (the bird) finally gets itself onto a log that sits on the river bank (did I mention my back yard sits on the Pidgeon River?), and I take some really cute shots of my dog just sitting there looking at this bird. Attached is one of the pictures.
At this point, I figured I had some shots that were much better than I had hoped for (I expected the dull average 'testing' shots of the backyard), so I go in, and develop them right away (J&C Pro 100 shot at f3.5 1/50th second, developed in PMK) and they look good so far, as I hang them up I think I have about 3 shots that look promising! I go watch a movie on the TV, and afterward I go to take down the negatives, and put them in sleeves, and not one of the 12 shots I took is in focus!
They're all just slightly out of focus, enough that the negatives are a total loss! So at this point, I take the lens off the camera, put it back on the 'for sale' table, put my 135mm Xenar back on the camera (reset the standard to the proper infinity stops), and say Oh Well.
It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't get those 3 shots that I doubt I'll be able to duplicate in a million years! That's what I get for only doing a quicky check of the infinity setting! Of course, if the lens doesn't sell again (I've had it up on ebay a couple of times now) I might have to take a harder look at it, but I find it hard to justify to myself having duplicate focal length lenses, and between a 1925 vintage uncoated Eurynar, and a 1970 vintage coated Xenar, guess which one wins? I suppose if I wanted to spend a bit of money on the old lens getting it coated it might really be something, but I can't really see that happening any time soon!
Thanks, I just needed to get that out.
-Mike
At this point, I figured I had some shots that were much better than I had hoped for (I expected the dull average 'testing' shots of the backyard), so I go in, and develop them right away (J&C Pro 100 shot at f3.5 1/50th second, developed in PMK) and they look good so far, as I hang them up I think I have about 3 shots that look promising! I go watch a movie on the TV, and afterward I go to take down the negatives, and put them in sleeves, and not one of the 12 shots I took is in focus!
They're all just slightly out of focus, enough that the negatives are a total loss! So at this point, I take the lens off the camera, put it back on the 'for sale' table, put my 135mm Xenar back on the camera (reset the standard to the proper infinity stops), and say Oh Well.
It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't get those 3 shots that I doubt I'll be able to duplicate in a million years! That's what I get for only doing a quicky check of the infinity setting! Of course, if the lens doesn't sell again (I've had it up on ebay a couple of times now) I might have to take a harder look at it, but I find it hard to justify to myself having duplicate focal length lenses, and between a 1925 vintage uncoated Eurynar, and a 1970 vintage coated Xenar, guess which one wins? I suppose if I wanted to spend a bit of money on the old lens getting it coated it might really be something, but I can't really see that happening any time soon!
Thanks, I just needed to get that out.
-Mike
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