Fuji T 400 vs. Schnieder 360 TeleXenar

[Anthony Sanna]

I have a chance to pick up either a 400mm Fuji T f8 or a Schnieder 360mm f5.6 TeleXenar, both in good condition and both for about the same price. The longer lens is preferable. Is the Fuji a good lens for 4x5 field work at distance to infinity, or is it preferable to give up 40mm to get the TeleXe

[fw]

Anthony ; I bought a Fujinon 400T a few weeks ago, and albeit with a relatively small amount of testing, I think it is a great lense, obviously optimised for distance work, which I am looking forward to using in the field. It has a very different character to, and is appreciably longer than, a Nikkor 300mm f/9. Coming to terms with the movements on this lense is quite a challenge - as the nodal point is in front of the lense, this appears to exaggerate the effect of a tilt movement on the front standard, such that front fall is also required. I would be interested to know what you choose, and what your opinions are after you've tried your choice out.