Matching Goerz Dagor lenses - A two lens kit for 8x10”

[LabRat]

I like my Dagors, but compared to my other lenses, not as bright to focus through...

Steve K

[Tim V]

From my admittedly limited experience, solely on 8x10", they have a really beautiful look to them. I'm probably in the minority of people who shoot 8x10" not for the extra resolution, and more for the love of process and a look that comes from really slowing down. Anyway, I'm a Dagor zealot.

[arri]

Vintage lenses are the most interesting thing when using 8x10"
I´am using a lot of viantage lenses in this format and starting a test series.
All lenses are in use from the single element over the two element, three lens anastigmats and dialyt four element lenses, Plasmat types, etc.

I have the Dagor style G-Claron f/9 150mm; 210mm; and 240mm
All of it cover 8x10". The 150mm hase very small dark corners but still usable. This lenses have nearly 90° angle of view.
For me this lenses are too sharp, not so interesting.

I have the G-Claron in Plasmat style as well from 150-355mm.
The angle of view is a little bid smaller but the performance of this lenses is ecellent as well, when you want really sharp lenses with a high micro contrast.

A very good lens is the Schneider Symmar 300mm f/5.6 The later versions of this lens, not the Symmar-S, has a housing made of aluminium which is not so heavy like the ealier full brass lenses.
The lens has a very large image circle and is unbelieveable sharp, has excellent color transmission and it is cheap.
Always a good choice.

Wide angle lenses a not ny favorites but I have a coated Angulon 165mm f/6.8 and a Meyer Wide angle Aristostigmat 165 f/6.3
Both lenses can be use in 8x10" with very good quality and with resere for movements.
In B&W work both lenses can use in the full angle of view of 100°.
The Angulon is a Dagor style lens and the WA Aristostigmat a four element dialyt system.
Both lenses are moderate in the price and worth to give´em a chance.

[Tim V]

I’ve always wanted a 240mm G-Claron dagor-type, but can only buy online and can’t seem to find any consensus on how to identify them over the plasmat version by it’s outer appearance or serial number. Any tips?

I love my 210mm G-Claron. Maybe the cheapest - and smallest - lens I’ve ever bought!

[Dan Fromm]

How to recognize a dagor type G-Claron? See https://1drv.ms/x/s!AggQfcczvHGN0kIjB_63NhzCEsV5

[Drew Wiley]

Tim, most 240 GC's in modern shutters, especially Copal no.1, would be plasmat style, whereas older dagor style might look barrel-mounted. But there were various options, both factory and retro. Otherwise, you can look for internal reflections. Dagor contruction has only 4 air/glass interfaces; plasmat design between 12 and 14. And if you unscrew the front and rear elements, and examine them separately, dagors are typically symmetrical and hand-number matched, but plasmats have a smaller rear element.

I can't speak for the old dagor-style GC's. I do have decades of experience with the superb plasmat-style 250 GC, along with its multicoated cousin, the Fuji 240 A, which is even smaller. Both will cover 8X10 with modest movements.

[Joseph Kashi]

I’ve always wanted a 240mm G-Claron dagor-type, but can only buy online and can’t seem to find any consensus on how to identify them over the plasmat version by it’s outer appearance or serial number. Any tips?

I love my 210mm G-Claron. Maybe the cheapest - and smallest - lens I’ve ever bought!

I bought my Dagor-style 240 G-Claron in barrel and then transferred it to a Copal 1 shutter. This is reputedly, per Schneider literature, a direct screw-in swap and it did work for me.

That said, the 240mm Dagor-style GC is good lens, but the Plasmat-style lenses are as good or better. I have several Dagors, mostly the later and better Goerz American models and like using Dagors, but modern Plasmat-pattern lenses are overall better.

[Tim V]

I’m wondering, if you transfer a barrel lens into a copal shutter, how you you calibrate and mark to f-stops for Aperture?

I bought my Dagor-style 240 G-Claron in barrel and then transferred it to a Copal 1 shutter. This is reputedly, per Schneider literature, a direct screw-in swap and it did work doe me.

That said, the 240mm Dagor-style GC is good lens, but the Plasmat-style lenses are as good or better. I have several Dagors, mostly the later and better Goerz American models and like using Dagors, but modern Plasmat-pattern lenses are overall better.

[arri]

I’m wondering, if you transfer a barrel lens into a copal shutter, how you you calibrate and mark to f-stops for Aperture?

You can measure the diameter o the f/stops of the barrel and use the result for the aperture in the shutter.
Other way, when you know which lens were mounted in the shutter you can recalculate the aperture values for your lens.
Works only when the lenses have similar optical designs, when a Tessar typ lens were mounted you get diffrencies when you calculate the values for a symmetrical lens like the Claron.

Sorry, the question were not for me but maybe it helps?

[Joseph Kashi]

I’m wondering, if you transfer a barrel lens into a copal shutter, how you you calibrate and mark to f-stops for Aperture?

The repurposed shutter came from a 210mm lens, so the 240mm lens was only 1/3 stop smaller than the marked apertures on the shutter. I just add 1/3 stop exposure to my calculations that take the usual factors, bellows extension, reciprocity, filter factors, etc. It's pretty straightforward, especially if you can do a bit of mental math.