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View Full Version : Schneider Angulon 120mm f6.8



jmcd
2-Jun-2002, 04:00
Is anyone familiar with this type of lens for use on 4x5? The one I am consideri ng is from around '57. It is pretty small (49mm filter), coated, and covers 211mm at f16. So far it sounds good, but I read a comment in the archives about one owner who thought it a little soft. I have not been able to turn up much on this lens. Thanks.

neil poulsen
2-Jun-2002, 09:46
My advice is to purchase a 121mm Super Angulon before purchasing the 120mm Angulon. The 121mm is the single-coated version, when compared to the 120mm S.A. It costs maybe about $200 more than the Angulon, since they typically go for about $550 on EBay. But, you get a much better lens, with extreme movements for 4x5.

I had the Angulon and upgraded to the 121mm. I would never go back, nor do I see much need to upgrade to a multi-coated lens. (But, I'm not a professional photographer, either.) The Angulon isn't as sharp as the S.A., and it had a tendency to distort the image near the edges, if you used the limited movements of which it was capable.

I would add that my Angulon was in very good shape cosmetically, but developed a fungus between the glass elements. They are old lenses.

Arne Croell
2-Jun-2002, 11:34
I owned one for a while, actually a Linhof-branded version, so it was supposedly a better example of the type. Very small and lightweight. The quality was ok without movements, but when you used those 211mm of image circle, it was rather soft in the edges. Also, if I recall it right, the smallest opening was f/32, and since you needed f/22 with movements to get acceptable sharpness, it was only a 1 f-stop range in reality. The circle of illumination is actually larger than 211mm. Another alternative, definitely less bulky than the Super-A., is the now discontinued Super-SymmarHM 120mm from Schneider. Quite sharp, and less weight than its succesor, the 110mm XL, although a little longer. It has about the same image circle as the old Angulon.

tim atherton
2-Jun-2002, 16:17
There's a 121 Super Angulon for sale the Midwest Photo for $499 - it's in Compur shutter - and have no idea about the versions...

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
2-Jun-2002, 17:52
John,

The 120mm Angulon covers 5x7 film with only a wee bit of movement, so they have quite acceptable movements for a 4x5. Angulons are all single coated. I purchased one about 9 months ago. I found my particular lens (1951) to have decent resolution (55@ f/11, 55@ f/16, 45@ f/22 measured at center). I found the quality of this lens acceptable for most of my B&W work, it is a bit less sharp and constrasty than my 4 3/8" WA Dagor, but also much cheaper. If you are looking for a cheap medium wide for a 4x5 I think this lens fits the bill.

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
2-Jun-2002, 20:32
I would also like to point out that the Angulon is MUCH smaller and lighter than the S. Angulon.

matthieu l.s.
4-Jun-2002, 03:30
I have one 120mm Angulon from the beginning of the sixties and I like it very much. It is very contrasty, and in the center the sharpness is at least equivalent to the one obtained with Symmar lenses. However, it is true that at the periphery it is a little bit soft. I suspect (I have not performed detailed tests) that this peripheral softness, apparent when taking pictures from flat objects, could be due to field curvature. If it is true, the defect should be less "noxious" in the "real world", made of three dimensional subjects, than in the pictures of newspapers pages sticked on the wall of my house that I made in order to compare my lenses.

Tito Sobrinho.
4-Jun-2002, 23:14
John, I have a 165mm Angulon for my 8x10. Very contrasty and sharp for my AZO contacts and Polaroid tranfers. Yes, I do some movements. I sold my 150mm Nikkor due to its size and bulkiness and went back to the trustfull and small Angulon that I have for 30 years. Neil wrote: "They develop fungus. They are old lenses". Interesting, I have old Dagors, Protars, Wollensak EWA, Tessar 120 all uncoated and none of them have fungus.