help deciding which lens...

[its Laurie]

I recently bought myself a horseman 450 and i need to get a lens for it.

up until now i had been borrowing a friends sinnar with a 150mm schneider lens although i cant recall which one it was.

I have seen a couple of lenses for sale that are within my price bracket. these being...

Rodenstock 150mm F5.6 Sironar N
&
SCHNEIDER SYMMAR 150MM F5.6

does anyone have any knowledge of these lenses and if so which one would be better choice of the two. and any pros and cons of each.

any help on this would be muchly appreciated.

thanks. Laurie

[Bjorn Nilsson]

They are very equal in terms of performance. I.e. there is absolutely no way that you (or anyone else) could tell these lenses apart when looking at prints.
Now, a Sironar N is probably newer than a Symmar. (The Symmar was the first version, which was later replaced with Symmar S and later again with Symmar L.) It could be that your specimen is a Symmar S, if it's the same price as the Sironar N.
Else, if these lenses look the same in terms of visible usage and shutter consistency/performace, I'd go for the newer one. Given you data that would be the Sironar N, but again only for the reason of getting a newer lens. I still would be content with any of them. If only one of them is in a Copal shutter I'd go for that one, as the Copal is easier to maintain nowadays.

//Björn

[Louis Pacilla]

Hi Laurie

Both are fine lenses w/ just about equal coverage & for the most part performance. It will come down to which is newer looking. If it looks beat up on the out side Theres a good chance the insides are not all that well either. Just my reasoning but this at times does not hold water .

One thing is the Schiender is a Symmar & not an S or APO or the one after that. The Rodenstock Is a newer Sironar N & not simply a Sironar so the Rodenstock will have a newer shutter which really does not mean it will work better . However ,the lens has not been alive as long soooo could last longer? Maybe not.. The Sironar N should also( & this is the deal maker) should be multicoated. I believe the Symmar is pre Multicoated. Probably single coated . The Multicoating will help mostly w/ color & slide film. That being said at times the single coating can be t be a plus. Smoother tones & just a bit less cutting.

I guess if it were me. I would go w/ the Rodenstock.

Again you really can't go wrong either way. buy one of them & go have fun.

Peace
Louis P

[Louis Pacilla]

Yea. What Bjorn said.

[its Laurie]

thanks a lot guys. yeah the rodenstock seems a little newer. and is in a copal shutter where as the schneider is in a synchro and seems to be a little slow on the slower speeds.

thanks for your help.

take it easy.
Laurie

[neil poulsen]

Good choice.