"S" and "N"

[tracktikz]

I've been seeing "S" and "N" after the lens name.
What does it mean?
Thank you very much for your time.

Albert

[Ron Marshall]

If you are referring to Rodenstock lenses, there are the APO Sironar-N and the APO Sironar-S series. The S lens in a given focal length will have a larger image circle than the N lens. There used to be a W series with an even larger image circle.

The larger image circle permits greater movements and in some cases will cover a larger size format.

[Arne Croell]

Note that the Sinar-branded Rodenstocks ("Sinaron") use different letters. The one that is easy to mix up is:

Apo-Sironar N = Sinaron S
Apo-Sironar S = Sinaron SE

I assume the N in Rodenstocks lineup originally meant "New" (or "Neu" in German) since they followed the previous Sironar lenses without any additional letter. The "S" might stand for "Super" or "Special", the "W" for Wide since it had the largest image circle of the (Apo-)Sironars. Schneiders latest version of the Apo-Symmar uses an "L", maybe for Larger image circle?

[Dan Fromm]

What? Not luxus?

[Arne Croell]

What? Not luxus?

Could be! ;-) So the XXL would be the Ultra-de-Luxe lens series...

[Dan Fromm]

Or extra-extra-large ... For the overweight photographer.

[tracktikz]

ah~~~~
that makes sense~
thank you so much!!!!

[Brian Ellis]

You must be looking at Porsche 356s from the early 1960s - N = Normal, S = Super. There was also an S-90, i.e. a Super 90.

[timbo10ca]

If you are referring to Rodenstock lenses, there are the APO Sironar-N and the APO Sironar-S series. The S lens in a given focal length will have a larger image circle than the N lens. There used to be a W series with an even larger image circle.

The larger image circle permits greater movements and in some cases will cover a larger size format.

So why is the "S" lens considered a better lens than the "N"? I can understand a bit more $ for the better coverage, but it's quite a bit more $. I'm sure people have said than the "S" is a better/sharper/etc lens than the "N". Similar to comparing the Symmar to the Symmar-S or Super Symmar..... or whatever the Schneider equivalents are (as you can see, I'm not really up on my lenses).

Tim

[Eric Leppanen]

So why is the "S" lens considered a better lens than the "N"?

See Bob Salomon's post in the thread below. He is the Rodenstock rep in the United States. These are of course the theoretical benefits of the "S" versus "N"; how much of this will be noticeable in your own photography is a separate matter.

http://photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/00Pw5F