Anyone using a Fujinon A 360mm f/10 for ULF?

[Don Hutton]

Schenider's IC specs are usually quite conservative. A 355mm G Claron covers 12x20 at around f45 (that needs an image circle of 585mm). The usuable image circle of a 305mm G Claron is around 500mm too - I use it on 11x14 with extensive movements. I had a 300mm Fujinon A which I sold becuase it has less image circle than my 305mm G Claron. It actually had mechanical vignetting (the barrel end limited the image circle) which limited the coverage - I suspect that this is the reason the 360mm A has an image circle around 500 and not larger too.

There are quite a few modern multicoated lenses which have more coverage than your Fujinon:

I've used the following on 12x20:
Fujinon 450mm C - Covers 12x20
Nikkor 450mm M - Covers 16x20!
Fujinon 600 C - Covers 20x24
Schneider 210mmXL - Covers 12x20
Cooke XVa in single cell and front front combinations (476mm, 646mm and 368mm) cover 12x20

The Schneider APO Symmar 360 and 480 I own both cover around 500mm but have mechanical vignetting.

Of course, there are those new Schneider XXLs which have huge image circles...

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Sheldon - I'm surprised that the 355mm G-Claron has more coverage than the Fuji 360mm A. The spec's I've run across list a image circle of 444mm at f/22 and infinity for the G-Claron and 504mm for the Fuji.

The manufacturer's specs don't always tell the whole story. It is common knowledge that the 64 degree coverage spec of the G Claron series are extremely conservative. The actual usable coverage is around 80 degrees at f32, perhaps even a little more at f45 or f64.

On the other hand, my experience with the shorter Fujinon A series lenses (I haven't tried pushing the coverage of the 360mm Fujinon A - yet) is that the maximum usable coverage is pretty close to the 70 degree official spec. They do throw a larger circle of illumination, but the sharpness decreases rapidly and dramatically beyond the 70 degree spec. You don't really gain much usable coverage by stopping down.

So, while the specs indicate the 360mm Fujinon A has more coverage, in actual use, the 355mm G Claron has more usable coverage. 7x17 would be the maximum format for the 360mm Fujinon A, but I know several people happily using the 355mm G Claron on 12x20.

Sheldon - Are there any other modern multicoated lenses out there with an image circle bigger than 504mm? I can't seem to find any in my searching.

There aren't a lot, but there are some. Like the 355mm G Claron (single coated), the 450mm Nikkor M (multicoated) is capable of covering a lot more than the manufacturer's spec. It's another lens that many people favor for 12x20 use. The 600mm Fujinon C is another multicoated lens capable of more than covering 12x20 (620mm IC). The 450mm Fujinon C spec (486mm) is a little less than the 360mm A, but it may cover a bit more in actual use. The current 450mm Fujinon CM-W has a published image circle of 520mm.

The current kings of coverage are the Schneider Fine Art XXL series. Both the 550mm and 1100mm Fine Art XXL lenses have image circle specs of 900mm - and they are multicoated.

The 210mm Super Symmar XL has an image circle spec of "only" 500mm, but again is reported to cover much more (up to 12x20 - with the center filter to help even out the illumination). The 480mm APO Symmar L also has an image circle spec of 500mm - as did it's predecessor the 480mm APO Symmar. The 210mm Super Angulon is yet another lens with a 500mm image circle spec. Late samples were multicoated.

There have also been many recent multicoated lenses with rated image circles in the 485mm - 500mm range. These include the 200mm Grandagon-N, the 300mm APO Sironar-W, the 360mm APO Symmar, the 360mm Nikkor-W, the 360mm Fujinon W, the 360mm Fujinon CM-W and the the 800mm APO Tele-Xenar HM. There may be a few more, but that's what I an think of off the top of my head. And that's just recent/current multicoated lenses. If you include single coated "classic" lenses, you open up the field to all the Dagors, long Red Dot Artars, long APO Ronars, APO Germinars, various APO/Proces Nikkors, etc. When it comes right down to it, there is actually an amazing variety of lenses available for ULF photographers.

Kerry

[chris_4622]

It's a horrible lens, you should sell it to me to assuage my envy.

[chris_4622]

Seriously, if you are interested in selling it contact me.

[Sheldon Nalos]

Thanks for the explanation about the G-Claron lenses. I noticed in my response I failed to include the qualifier "up to the 360mm focal length". Once you get to the longer focal lengths, the I knew that the lenses with available coverage are more varied. I do appreciate the info on other available lenses out there, though!

So my understanding is this: If you are keeping the focal lenths limited to 360mm or less, it looks like the Fuji wins on specifications, but in practice the Schneider G-Claron, Super Angulon, or Super Symmar XL may have as much or more coverage due to Schneider's conservative ratings. There's also a fair number of lenses that come close to the 500mm image circle mark.

Either way, it's a great little lens. I ended up selling it to a local buyer, so now it looks like I'm in the market for a Nikkor 90mm. It's hard to see it go, but I wouldn't have used it enough to justify keeping it.

Thanks everyone!

[Sal Santamaura]

The 600mm Fujinon A would be a real nice lens for anyone shooting 20x24. They are indeed rare. I remember seeing one on eBay five or six years ago that went for around $2200 - $2300. It will be interesting to see how much this one fetches.Kerry

It ended with one bid. A buyer in China took it for the opening $2,499.