Dagor and clones on chrome film

[E. von Hoegh]

Ok, I know Dagor and its clones (particularly Collinear) have only 4 air-glass surfaces, so the light loss would be small compare to other uncoated lenses. But how do they perform on chrome and color negative film? Are the result comparable to a coated (single, or even multi) lens? I have 150mm Collinear and 210mm Dagor. I tended to sell them to get a coated one for shooting on chrome and color negative film, but now I'm considering keeping them, if the result should be fine.
Any one has experience?

By all means keep your lenses and try them!
I've used a 6" uncoated N.Y. Dagor on the old Fuji 50 in 4x5 and Kodachchome 64 (120). About the only trouble you are likely to have is in a high contrast scene with deep shadows, the black parts of the shadows can sometimes take on the dominant color cast in the scene, but a good (read: compendium, properly adjusted) lens shade will mostly cure this. I didn't much like F-50 but the 6x7cm Kodachromes were and are lovely.

I used a 30cm uncoated Berlin Dagor with 8x10 EPP 100, getting similar results, except the Ektachrome didn't make all the greens look like flourescent broccoli.
I used a multicoated Kern Dagor with 8x10 EPP 100, Ektachrome 120, Kodachrome 120 - I've never seen better transparencies. I didn't have Drew's trouble with too high contrast, perhaps because I chose the scenes carefully - I'd already learned some contrast lessons in B&W (with T-Max) from that lens.

Try your lenses, use the longest scale transparency film available - just imagine the "Dagor Look" translated to color, that's what you'll get. (smiling smiley)

[Dan Fromm]

jumanji, one of the reasons that dagors and other double anastigmats that consist of two cemented groups, i.e., that have only four air-glass interfaces were so popular before coating came in is that they have higher transmission, as you noted, and less veiling flare than other design types with more air-glass interfaces. The f/7.7 Aldis Uno isn't a double anastigmat but has only four air-glass interfaces too.

I have only one uncoated Dagor, a 45/9 CZJ Goerz Dagor, and two f/7.7 Unos, all uncoated. All three are nicely contrasty. I have a number of coated Dagor types, also nicely contrasty. And some pre-WW I f/6.3 Tessars (six air-glass interfaces) from CZJ and B&L, also nicely contrasty. I've shot one of my coated Dagor types, a Beryl-S, against a 210/9 Konica Hexanon GR-II (single-coated, twelve air-glass interfaces); the Beryl-S has much less veiling glare.

With Dagors and the like, condition (cement in good order, exterior surfaces not scratched, no haze or other crud on the glasses) seems to be more important than coating.

What condition are your Collinear and Dagor in? Have you shot them? If so, are the results unsatisfactory?

[jumanji]

For 4x5, I have 210mm Dagor and 150mm Collinear, both uncoated in shutter. I trade some Xray film for some Provia and would receive them next month.
For 8x10, I have two uncoated Dagor in barrel: 300mm (America) and 480mm (Berlin). I've received some EPN 100. Sinar shutter is on the way to my home.
The biggest problem is my meter was dead. I will have to send it to USA or Japan to repair.
I also have a coated Heliar in shutter. Still considering keeping both Heliar and Dagor in same 300mm FL or sell one. It's really hard to choose!

[Dan Fromm]

If you haven't tried your lenses out, you have no rational basis for choosing which to sell or which to replace.

[E. von Hoegh]

Another pointer re. Dagors, they have focus shift. Always check focus at the aperture you plan to use, also they don't get nicely sharp until somewhere between f:11 and f:16. Wide open they have a kind of veiled look due to spherical aberration.

[Drew Wiley]

On the late Kern/Schneider dagors : no focus shift by f/11, and really only an issue wide open.