240mm 8x10 lens: which is best?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Schneider made a f3.5 240mm Xenar, but it hasn't been made in fifty+ years, so it certainly wouldn't be modern. Finding one in a shutter will be difficult and expensive but not impossible. Your best bet it to look for one in a barrel, and then have the Grimes boys mount it into a Compound or Ilex 5. It should be a direct fit into the shutter from a 300mm f4.5 Xenar.

[Jonathan Barlow]

I have a Fujinon-W S inside lettering 210mm f/5.6 (Yes, considerably wider than a 240mm) with a 350mm image circle. Not a lot of room for movements on 8x10, but a fair amount. A very nice lens that usually sells for $400-500.

[Alan Gales]

I may not have enough experience with 8x10 to understand what constitutes "extreme" sharpness, but the Fuji 250mm 6.7 I use is pretty amazing -- bright, sharp, and movements possible by the bucketload. It *is* single-coated, and that fact along with the huge image circle means a shade is essential to avoid flare.

But of the 4 8x10 lenses I've used, it's the best, especially for color -- I've only done enlargements to 24x30, but they sure look great. (Yes, I know the question was technically for a 240, but I figured 250 was close enough)

+1

I also own and really like this lens. It has a 398mm image circle and fits into a Copal 1 shutter. They usually run around $300.00.

Jock Sturges used a Fujinon 250mm f.6.7 for many of his famous images.

[Armin Seeholzer]

At 240mm, you definitely want an f/5.6 Apo-Sironar S. Needs 86mm filters, but has enough high-quality image circle (372mm) for your purposes.

8+

[Bernice Loui]

Keep in mind all optics are a set of trade-offs. There is no "best lens" only a lens that meet the majority of a given set of requirements. While the group of wide field process lenses (Fuji A, G-Claron, Kowa Graphic, Konica GR and ...) are small and deliver an angle of view of 70+ degrees, there is light fall off to deal with if the total image circle is used. Moving on to a giant lens like a 200mm f6.8 Grandagon, improves the light fall off, but look at the size and cost involved.

At 300mm or about 12", the choices become more reasonable due to the angle of view.

There are many other factors that affect image resolution beyond the lens. Film flatness, F-stop used (smaller than f22, be ready for lower resolution due to diffraction) the ability of the film to resolve, camera vibration or movements during exposure, contrast reduction due to stray light bouncing inside the camera bellows and many other factors figure into the resulting image's resolution and quality.

Yet, I'm not convinced resolution or the technical qualities alone in a given image, "makes the image."


Bernice

Hi guys, another lens question: I'm considering buying a used 240 or 300mm lens for 8x10, my criteria being extreme sharpness and enough movement for some substantial front rise. I'm looking at the Nikkor W, Schneider Symmar, and the Rodenstock Sironar N and S series. Does anyone have any opinions as to whether there would be any quality difference between photos taken with these lenses, in any way? I'm scanning at extremely high resolution and making huge prints, so any differences (including at the edges) between the lenses actually will be visible in my prints.

I'd appreciate any suggestions or thoughts (including if there are other lenses of equal or greater quality).

~cj

www.chrisjordan.com

[Neal Chaves]

As has already been suggested, the 250mm F6.7 Fujinon W. I don't see how it could fail to please you, but if it does you can sell it easily to someone it will.

[Leigh]

At 240mm, you definitely want an f/5.6 Apo-Sironar S. Needs 86mm filters, but has enough high-quality image circle (372mm) for your purposes. The only modern, multicoated 75-degree lens I'm aware of in this focal length.

I agree.

I have the Apo-Sironar S, Apo-Sironar N, and Nikkor W in 240/5.6.
I think the Apo-Sironar S is definitely a sharper lens.
That's based on opinion and observation, not on extensive lab-grade testing.

With its 336mm IC, the Nikkor W just barely covers 8x10, with no significant movements available.

- Leigh

[marktucker]

i'm going to shoot wet plate with it. So i'm looking for super fast. I also want zero depth of field. I will only shoot it wide open. if anyone actually has one FOR SALE, let me know. Thank you. MT

[Leigh]

if anyone actually has one FOR SALE, let me know.

Where are you located?

- Leigh

[Michael Clark]

Leigh, is not the IC of the 300mm W Nikkor 420mm, with 70deg. And the filter size is 95mm, which cost a lot!!

Mike