caltar 210 f6.8

[pete biro]

How is the rodenstock/caltar 210mm f6.8? Is the newest version a good (cheaper, lighter) alternative to the f5.6 caltar ii n? I'll probably use it mainly for 6x9. thanks, Pete

[David Karp]

Pete,

I have the Caltar II-E 210mm f/6.8. I use it for 4x5. It is a multicoated triplet, and I have had good results using it, enlarging to 8x10 and 11x14. The lens is compact and lightweight. However, I have not used it for a smaller format. Lot's of very nice large format images were made with triplets before the introduction of lens coating and multicoating. However, I am not sure how it will perform as a lens used primarily for 120 or 220 film. The 210mm Caltar II-N certainly has the more impressive specifications (other than the ones you mentioned - price and weight). Although I am happy with my lens for 4x5 use, I just don't know if I can recommend it for the smaller format.