Will I gain anything upgrading?

[Amund]

One month with a Kodak 2D 8x10 and a 12" Ilex Paragon and I`m hooked...
I`d like to get my kit as lightweight as possible, but the lens/shutter is almost as heayy as my camera!..
What are my alternatives for lighter or newer lenses? I like the 305mm Paragon, but wouldn`t mind something around 400mm either.
Will a modern lens be "that" much better? Or could you suggest other old lenses that will be good, but not as heavy.

 

[colrehogan]

A 305 mm Schneider G-Claron is newer though I don't know how big or heavy it is as I don't own one. I don't know how heavy your Paragon is either. A 300 mm Fujinon-C is a small, light lens that covers 8x10.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

A more modern lens will have better contrast and should be sharper, but you might prefer the look of the older lens, particularly if you contact print.

 

[waynecrider]

Will a modern lens be "that" much better? Or could you suggest other old lenses that will be good, but not as heavy.

I'm not an 8x10 guy, but after looking at various resolution tests over the years, I think the newer (computer generated) lenses are better, especially the apo's. I've also read that the coatings give better contrast with color film. I'm know there's some older lenses that are good performers, but it seems quality varied more between lenses; Some were good and some were not so good, so it's a crap shoot to find a good one. That's why it's preferred to get a money back guarantee if unsatisfied, so test them fast. If you've the money get a late model lens. Also read Kerry Thalmann's site for his perspective on future classics.

 

[John Kasaian]

I'm going to guess your 12" Paragon is in a no.4 acme or universal shutter.I'm also guessing you're shooting b&w and that you're satisfied with the coverage your lens is giving.

IMHO, if you're shooting B&W I see no advantage to going to a mulitcoated lens. You might be able to find a 14" Artar in a No.2-ish dialset compur. I'm not sure if that would be heavier or lighter than your Paragon. You could expect a reasonable image circle but less than your 12" Paragon. A 300mm Nikkor M in a No.1 copal is newer and lighter with even less converage.

If you're looking to replace your Paragon with something a lot lighter, you might consider shopping around for a 305 G Claron.

Good luck!

 

[Amund]

Thanks, yes 99% B&W and contact prints is what I do, and multicoating isn`t that important to me.. The Paragon(in a Ilex no.4 shutter) is quite smooth wide open, and I like to shoot that way for portraits, I fear that a new corrected lens would be harsher and not as pleasing wide open...?

 

[Mongo]

You've already gotten lots of good information here. A modern lens will give you better results with color without needing to be shaded quite so carefully, and is likely to be sharper.

Fuji used to make a 360mm f/10 lens in their "A" series. It was a very small lens with a large image circle. There is also the Fujinon 450mm f/12.5 "C" lens.

(Check out Kerry Thalmann's site at http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/ for lots of good information on lenses. He has a bunch of information on Fuji lenses, as well as a page dedicated to lightweight lenses...probably just what you're looking for.)

Be well.
Dave