90mm/6.8 angulon which to pick?

[dave_whatever]

I doubt you will find a late linhof select - I think linhof stopped using them after a certain point in time, possibly mid 60s? Bob might know.

[Kevin Crisp]

I've had 10+ of these pass through my hands over the years. My conclusions after having tested them:

1. The common ones in the 5M serial number range are hit or miss on quality. The bad ones aren't very sharp at the edges, though they were plenty good for newspaper work in their day. The good ones aren't bad at all.

2. When you get up in the 6M and 7M serial numbers they are consistently pretty decent.

3. The ones in the 10M+ serial number range are hard to come by and good enough that you can get some movements out of them. I have on the 11M range in Copal "0" that is excellent, and another in the 7M range that is just as good.

Does this really mean anything as to a particular lens you're buying? Obviously not much, so reserve the right to test it and refund if not good enough for your purposes.

[fbf]

I have a 4247xxx "LINHOF SYNCHRO COMPUR" 1:6.8/90 and just three hours ago one of the shutter blades broke off .... The lens was very good performing but I guess that I have a paper-weight now ...

"fbf" ... Is that you Chris ?

Sup, Gabor. How is the linhof technika IV treating you?

[fbf]

I've had 10+ of these pass through my hands over the years. My conclusions after having tested them:

1. The common ones in the 5M serial number range are hit or miss on quality. The bad ones aren't very sharp at the edges, though they were plenty good for newspaper work in their day. The good ones aren't bad at all.

2. When you get up in the 6M and 7M serial numbers they are consistently pretty decent.

3. The ones in the 10M+ serial number range are hard to come by and good enough that you can get some movements out of them. I have on the 11M range in Copal "0" that is excellent, and another in the 7M range that is just as good.

Does this really mean anything as to a particular lens you're buying? Obviously not much, so reserve the right to test it and refund if not good enough for your purposes.

Hi Kevin, can I read this as later serial is generally better than earlier ones? I assume this doesn't apply to Linhof selected lenses.

[Kevin Crisp]

I think you can find many people who are of that opinion. It does seem to be a lens that improved with time, but some of the 1950's ones were quite good too. And some not so hot. If it were me, I'd get a late production one for something other than handheld work.

These do occasionally show up with separation and this is hard to fix on these.