Info on Schneider Symmar lens

[David Gardner]

I just bought a lens on eBay, which was advertised as a Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar 210mm f5.6. It arrived in the mail today, and sure enough the data ring lists 1:5,6/210, but also 1:12/370.

I'm assuming that means that this is a convertible lens. That's question number one.

Question number 2: The rear elements are "12/370." Does this mean that it's a 370mm with these elements, and a 210mm without them?

Thanks in advance. David

[Bill_1856]

If both lenses are screwed into the shutter, it's 210mm. Real element only it's 370. Congratulations, I was searching for that lens, but somehow failed to find it on ebay.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Nice lens and a good value. I have one too. With both cells, it's 210mm. Remove the front cell to convert to 370mm and use the green aperture scale. You will need a lot of bellows or possibly an extension lensboard to use it in the 370mm mode, because the rear cell is obviously all behind the shutter, costing you about an inch of extension. With a flat lensboard on my Tech V (about 17" max extension), it comes just short of infinity.

[Dave Benfer]

I have the 240/480 and it's one of my favorite lenses. I use the 240 side of it almost exclusively since I have a 19" Artar. It covers 8X10 and it's my normal lens

[Colin Carron]

Here is the Schneider website info :

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/faq/large_format_lenses/#q13

Colin

[Nando]

I also have the Schneider 210<->370 convertible lens and have always been happy with its sharpness, if a bit disapointed by the attached shutter's unpredictability at slower speeds.

I was wondering if anyone might know how large a filter this lens will accept, I have to mount a close-up filter to cheat my way into some macro shots.

I appreciate any info, thanks.

[Nando]

just for anybodyelse's sake this lens turned out to be a 58mm