360mm(-ish) lenses in barrel for 8x10 ?

[pdh]

this is one of those horrible "What lens can I buy?" threads ... sorry in advance.

I have a small personal project to do at the end of May for which a 360mm-ish lens would be nice to have.

It doesn't have to be in a shutter as the exposure times will be rather lengthy due to location, lighting and likely aperture to be used.

It would need to cover 8x10, but movements would not likely be required. If there was significant falloff - or even a bit of mechanical vignetting - it wouldn't matter too much though.

"Signature" can take care of itself, so I don't care whether it's a Rapid Recti, Petzval, Tessar, triplet, Dialyte or even a Cronkite.

I really don't want to spend more than a few dozen GBP, as it's a lens I will use once for sure and then rarely; I really don't want to buy a "nice" lens for a few hundred and resell once I'm done with it (because of course I'll never resell it due to my magpie tendency)

I see dozens of projector lenses on eBay in the right price range, but have no idea which are good for my needs (plus I'd have to jury-rig some sort of aperture arrangement, which might be rather unsatisfactory)

What I do keep seeing are 360mm Apo-Ronars and Lomo RF-4s also in the right price range, but google as I might I can't seem to establish whether these have the right sort of coverage.

So I'd like to know if the latter lenses cover 8x10 (even if only just), and if not, what other (crappy is fine) lenses might meet my requirements?

I'm in the UK, remember, so what's cheap and easily available in the US or Japan might not be in the EU. And importing gear can be hideous in terms of import duty, taxes and shipping

[Drew Wiley]

If you prefer a super-sharp modern lens which easily covers 8x10, yet is still quite affordable, look into a 360 Apo Nikkor 4-element process lens.

[Mark Sawyer]

Both the 360mm Apo-Ronar and Lomo RF-4 will cover 8x10 comfortably. If you're to be working in low light, be aware these are pretty slow lenses for composing and focusing, though a good loupe will help with the latter issue.

[pdh]

Both the 360mm Apo-Ronar and Lomo RF-4 will cover 8x10 comfortably. If you're to be working in low light, be aware these are pretty slow lenses for composing and focusing, though a good loupe will help with the latter issue.

Thanks, that's really helpful Mark.

I started out with a home made camera using an f9 repro lens and a home-made ground glass, so I'm used to dim!

I can pick up at least the rf-4 on eBay easily for £50 or less, so should be a perfect solution.

One supplementary for Mark or anyone else who knows: does the Industar-11 360mm also cover 8x10?

[pdh]

OK, I may have found the answer to my supplementary ... according to http://www.arnecroell.com/eastern-bloc-new.pdf the Industar-11 360 covers 596mm @1:1, and he gives a calculated figure for the RF-4 of 596mm@1:1

For those who like to know such things, he says the later Industars are APO-Tessars, while the LOMOs are APO-Planars

[Drew Wiley]

Are you actually planning to use this at 1:1 or at distance? The image circle will be much smaller at infinity, and whether this particular lens has enough realistic angle of coverage to be versatile on 8x10 film at infinity is something unknown to me.

[Struan Gray]

The image circle at infinity is roughly half that at 1:1.

I'd take an Apo-ronar over an Industar any day. Even the older single coated models are excellent at working apertures.

Cheaper yet would be Apo-Lustrars and other UK-made process lenses. Pretty well all will cover their focal length.

Repromasters, G-clarons, and Apo-gerogons are often as cheap, and will cover more. There are also things like Aviars, which are lovely taking lenses, but the late, coated ones are sometimes a bit dear. I prefer a coated Apo-Ronar to an uncoated Aviar.

They're all good :-)

[pdh]

That's all good info, Struan, thanks.

I can't find any of the lenses you mention at the moment in my budget range, but it's useful to have the list.

As far as coverage goes, so long as the ic at a focus distance of about 10m and aperture f/32 or f/45 is over 300mm I'll be happy enough.

[Mark Sawyer]

Keep in mind that process lenses were used for very demanding professional graphic/repro work, and the coverage figures tends to be very conservative.

[Jim Galli]

You're in the right place to perhaps have luck finding one of these. Some of them are Cooke Aviar. Some were Dallmeyer. The Cooke one, (someone will know the AM numbering) is lovely. The Dallmeyer I had seemed awfully flat.