Suggestions for 300-360mm for 4x5

[jeroldharter]

I have a 360mm Symmar. I could not believe how big it was, even though I had seen pictures and knew the stats. The fact that the rear element of a 300 won't even fit in the front standard of your camera will makenyou appreciate the Nikkor/Fujinon options!

[jan staller]

I tried a recent 360 Tele Arton and found color fringing and insufficient sharpness
for the kind of color photographs I wanted to make. I then bought a Tele-Xenar APO compact and found it to demonstrably more sharp and free of fringing in difficult
scattered light situations found in rainy weather. It can be focused fine on a Linhof Technika with out the extra lens barrel.

[Richard Wasserman]

Darn!

No, the rear element is also too large to fit into the hole in the front standard.

[John Kasaian]

Nikkor M would be a fine choice. MC, lightwieght and will cover 8x10 so being a tessar, you'll have the "centercut" the sharpest part of a tessar on your 4x5. I've got one on an 8x10 aerial camera and it is ouchy sharp even at the edges.

[Adamphotoman]

You already own some very good lenses -all Rodies. And for the most part you have gone with my favourites-the Apo Sironar S. I also own several Apo Ronars MC 360 and a CL480 and I have had a 305 mm G Claron. I don't believe that you will find these to your liking for distance work. They may physically fit your camera but they may not compare with what you have become accustomed to.

The Fuji compact 300 might work for you. Or the Nikkor M. For colour work You should be able to warm up the images with CC filters. For B & W You could expose and process to adjust for differences.

However, that said, maybe you need to think about a different camera to use with longer Apo Sironar S lenses.

Or! I was thinking of building a box like lens board that could house the larger lens. You would most likely get some vignetting though. And I can't speak about whether the front standard could even handle the extra cantilevered weight.

[mudar]

I am happy with my Apo Ronar 300 in my set with the other Grandagon and Sironar lenses on my Linhof Technika!

[Noah A]

If you are going to use the lens on a 4x5 camera, I would highly recommend the latest version of the 300mm APO-Ronar lens.

I have done some controlled, but non-scientific, testing with Nikkor M 300mm and APO-Ronar 300mm on a 4x5 camera. The APO-Ronar that I used for testing was the (rare) latest "blue ring" version of the Ronar lens that came with the factory installed Copal shutter and is supposedly optimized for infinity. Both lenses were modern and multi-coated lenses produced in 1990s (Nikkor may be even later). The Ronar weighs slightly less (~10gm) than Nikkor. Nikkor has bigger image circle, but Ronar is more than sufficient to cover a 4x5 with movements. Nikkor is a small lens, Ronar is even smaller. My test results were very close to the naked eye, but under 10x loupe I would rate Ronar slightly higher for its resolution. Ronar is one of the two most used lenses in my kit as I like to shoot with longer than normal focal lengths.

// Atul

Thanks Atul, that's what I was looking for. The good news is that I found one for sale.

[Adamphotoman]

I do love the Apo Ronars. My 360 is a multicoated sample supplied in shutter from Rodenstock. It was very late in production. It is superb for close ups and medium distance. Mine was supplied with shims specifically for 4X5 work. I do think you will need to shoot it yourself. Then you compare results to a lens designed for distance.
I have no issue with it being better than your Nikkor M.
Try it against a Fuji compact.
I know the Apo Sironar S will outperform the ronar at distances.

But given cost/size/weight/and physical size restraints, I believe that the Fuji will be a better choice than the Ronar and with a whole lot less bellows too.

All I am saying is with your shorter Apo Sironar S lens choices (that you are happy with) -- you will need to compare results and you will need to see if the ronar lives up to your expectations. You be the judge.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

But given cost/size/weight/and physical size restraints, I believe that the Fuji will be a better choice than the Ronar and with a whole lot less bellows too.

In terms of weight the late "Blue Stripe" 300mm f9 APO Ronar has a listed weight of 270g. The actual weight (sample size of 1) is 253g. The 300mm f8.5 Fujinon C has a listed weight of 250g. I don't have one to weigh, but in my experience with other similar size lenses from Fuji is the actual measured weight tends to be about 20g more than the manufacturer's specs. Worst case the APO Ronar weighs 3g more, but given my experience with other Fuji lenses, I'd be surprised if the actual weight of the APO Ronar is more than that of the Fujinon.

In terms of size, again they are very similar. Both come in Copal No. 1 shutters. Here's the specs for both:

300mm f9 APO Ronar:
Front Diameter = 51mm
Filter Thread = 49mm
Rear Diameter = 37.5mm
Total Length = 47.5mm

300mm f8.5 Fujinon C:
Front Diameter = 54mm
Filter Thread = 52mm
Rear Diameter = 48mm
Total Length = 44.9mm

So, the APO Ronar is smaller around, both front and rear, and the Fuji is 2.6mm shorter front to back. Hardly seems worth quibbling about.

In terms of bellows draw, the Fuji wins, but the difference isn't all that much. The 300mm Fujinon has an ftf of 282.3mm and the 300mm APO Ronar has an ftf of 296mm. Both of the OP's cameras have more than enough bellows to use either lens for general purpose photography, Neither has enough bellows for true macro work. So, it doesn't seem like much of an issue one way, or the other.

In terms of performance, the late "Blue Ring" shutter mounted APO Ronars are amazing. They are true apochromatic lenses, incredibly sharp with no color fringing.

Kerry

[Jeff Bannow]

On a related note, how much bellows extension would be needed for one of these non-telephoto design lenses at portrait distances, like an apo ronar?