Nikon 300mm f9 v. Geronar 300mm f9

[Two23]

I currently own the Geronar 300mm f9 and use it on my Shen Hao. I like that it is small and has a 1/500 (1/400?) shutter. A 300mm lens would be in Copal 3 and only get to 1/125, and I need more speed to photo moving trains. I now have a chance to buy a Nikon 300mm M f9. I've used the lens in the past and liked it, although I have to do a funky thing with the front standard of my Shen Hao to get enough draw. I mostly only photo outdoors, general landscape type stuff. I generally don't stop down past f16. Will the Nikon 300mm give me any advantage? I would not keep both lenses. I've really had no complaints about the Rodenstock. Isn't it basically a multicoated antistigmat?


Kent in SD

[Gem Singer]

I have used a Nikon/Nikkor f9 300M on a 4x5 Shen Hao. It worked fine.

The combination of base and axis tilts can be used to obtain added extension for close-ups. There is no needed to use that method for general photography.

Also look for at the Fujinon f8.5 300C.

[Scott Davis]

If your primary use for the lens is subjects that don't require much movement, look into a Fuji f8 300T. I used to use one on my Shen Hao and you can focus it to infinity without needing any of the funky front standard hijinks. It's a telephoto design, so you have to confine your movements to rise/fall/shift for the most part, with limited tilt or swing because the lens' nodal point is not at the lensboard. It does have enough coverage for 5x7 with (very) limited movement.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking - what kind of advantage do you have in mind - smaller, lighter, better image quality, faster shutter?

In terms of focusing, a 300mm lens is a 300mm lens, they're focused the same way (unless one is a telephoto and the other isn't, which isn't your situation). So you'd focus the Nikon the same way you focus the Geronar, i.e. you can focus at infinity fine but if you want to focus closer than infinity you'd need to use front base tilt to extend the lens beyond the front of the camera bed and then use front axis tilt to bring the lens parallel to the film plane (or for whatever tilts you wanted to use). That gains about another 2 inches of extension with the Shen IIRC.

I'm not sure what you mean by "a 300mm lens would be in Copal 3 . . . " The Nikon 300M is in a Copal 1 and I thought the 300mm Geronar was also.

[drew.saunders]

This link may be helpful: http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/lenses.html
It shows the info for the APO-Ronar 300/9, but not the Geronar. As you can see, not every 300mm lens requires exactly 300mm of bellows draw to focus (that's the "Flange Back" number listed). When I was looking for a 300 for my Tachihara, and deciding between the Fuji 300/8.5 C and Nikkor-M 300/9, the 7mm less bellows draw was an advantage for the Fuji. The Fuji ended up being cheaper at the time, so those two factors led me to get the Fuji, and it's been a great lens.

This thread from 11 years ago: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ead.php?t=1821
Has a response that the Geronar also takes a #1 shutter and needs a flange focal length of 282mm, but has a smaller image circle (340mm) than the Fuji (380mm) but a bit bigger than the Nikkor (325mm), which probably won't be much of a difference for 4x5 use.

A 300/5.6 would definitely require a #3 shutter, and they're pretty huge.

[Photomagica]

To ease the bellows draw, consider an extended lensboard. I've used a 305mm Apo Nikkor on an extended board on a Wista and the combination worked very well. It was necessary to line the tube of the extended board with black flocking to suppress flare.

You are correct that you are unlikely to find a lens around 300mm that is much faster than f9 with a shutter that will run as fast as 400 or 500. Thus you may want to keep you f9 lens and use faster film when photographing trains.
Bill

[Two23]

You are correct that you are unlikely to find a lens around 300mm that is much faster than f9 with a shutter that will run as fast as 400 or 500. Thus you may want to keep you f9 lens and use faster film when photographing trains.
Bill

That's pretty much the conclusion I came to also. I have decided to stick with the Geronar because (1) larger image circle (2) I don't use 300mm that much and can't justify putting the extra $$ into one.


Kent in SD

[Eric Rose]

I use my Geronar fairly frequently and love it. Prints 30x40 have not lacked in sharpness and contrast with this lens.

[desertfox73]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, and have a question that's unrelated to this particular thread, though it is related to the Nikon 300mm f/9 lens.

I spent last week in the Great Smoky Mountains photographing dogwoods. It was beautiful, and I found myself using the 300mm f/9 quite often - it worked well for filling the frame with a single dogwood's blossoms. I often had to tilt the camera upward when composing my shots, at which point I tilted both of the standards forward so that they were parallel to the tree trunks (and each other). I then focused as I normally would. Everything seemed normal, and I didn't make any other adjustments. Focusing seemed easy enough.

I got my transparencies back today, and the images where I used this lens (and tilted the camera) are out of focus. I know everything was in focus when I set up, and I know I locked everything down tight before making the exposure.

Does anyone know of any lens-related explanation for why the images would be out of focus? Is there something I'm not accounting for when I make the camera movements - perhaps something specific to this lens? I know the lens should be sharp, but the images are nowhere close to those made with my Schneider 150mm f/5.6.

Sorry to derail the thread - if I need to go elsewhere for this question, please feel free to direct me. Again, I'm new (and a self-taught LF-er), and haven't quite figured out how to navigate this forum.

Thanks,
Steve

[Gem Singer]

Was the image in sharp focus on the ground glass before you inserted the film holder?

Were you using a sturdy tripod? Did something move during the exposure (ie, the wind)?