LENSES THAT SURPRISE!! your vote?

[Gary Tarbert]

Hi all, What would your vote be for the lens which is inexspensive but continues to impress you?Please do not confuse this thread with the recent Mud suckers thread.
The reason i ask this question is when i bought my first LF camera it had attached a Fujinon W 150 f6.3 before i took my first image with this set i had my dream lens kit planned and the Fujinon wasn't part of it.
I still own this lens because when i drop a tranny on the lightbox taken with this cheap little optic the image quality is impressive .
So much so that if i am looking at any new glass in the future Fujinon will be a strong consideration based on the performance of this little beauty!!
So what other little gems are out there ?
BTW I don't have a 300 Fujinon 300f8.5 is top of list any comments?

[Dan Fromm]

127/4.7 Tominon, ex-Polaroid CU-5. I bought it for the #1 Copal Press shutter it is in, tried it out and found that on 2x3 it is a super lens. Expected it to be good close up, found it is very very good at all distances. Probably won't do on 4x5, too short to put good image in the corners, but for 2x3 it is a keeper.

[JPlomley]

Rodenstock 135mm APO Sironar-S. Sharp, sharp, sharp. Reasonably priced on the used market, lightweight, excellent coverage (208mm IC), but probably a bit close in FL to your 150mm.

[evan clarke]

Nikkor W 135mm. Many say it's not sharp, but right now my most frequently used lens..tack sharp, nice look...EC

[David A. Goldfarb]

Symmar convertibles are usually excellent values.

[philbed]

Well I give a double answer

1/ a late (SN 11 XXX XXX) 90mm Angulon 6,8. I have owned a older 90mm some years ago and it did nover very much 4x5. This one give me a very good image circle and it's as sharp as my 90mm Nikkor.

2/ a very late (SN 14 XXX XXX) 360mm TeleTessar 5,5. I have rent a new 400mm ApoTessar to compare. Hard to say which lens is the best !!!!!

Oh, the appendix.I pay for the two lenses less than a third of the price of a brand new Schneider (arond $300) !

[Scott Davis]

I got it cheap ($150 +/-), and didn't realize what I was getting at the time. The lens is a Goerz Am.Opt. WA Dagor 4 3/8" f8. I don't think I've taken a single bad image with it, and the coverage on it is amazing - 5x7 with movement. The shutter is an older Rapax which when I got it was unreliable. It's still fussy a CLA later, but wow- what a great lens. I've recently seen some people trying to capitalize on the Dagor label on this lens and asking insane money ($600-1000).

[Nick_3536]

The whole Fuji W line. I've got the 150mm F/5.6 [not the 6.3 which is really a different lens then the rest of the line] the 210mm ,300mm and the 360mm.

All much cheaper then similar vintage lenses. But tend to have better coverage.

[Hugo Zhang]

It has to be my Wollensak Convertible 13" lens. I got it with my Kodak 2D camera kit. Sharp with full contrast.

[Ken Lee]

My old 150mm f/4.5 Braunschweig Heliar is sharper than my new 150mm Rodenstock APO Sironar-S.

And the bokeh ... forgettabout it.