75mm Lens Selection

[Lester Moore]

I recently purchased a Toyo AX and have rented the 75mm Nikon SW lense and fell in love with it. The other lenses that I plan to get initially are the 150mm Ro denstock Apo-Sironar-S and the 300mm Nikon M. Has anyone found any significant differences between the Nikon 75mm and the Schneider and Rodenstock 75mm lenses other than a slight difference in price?

[Bob Salomon]

How about the availability of ceter filters?

The Nikon has the same hot spot as all of the other wa lenses.

[Ben Diss]

Bob,

You may recall the thread on center filters some months ago. I did a number of tests with the Nikkor SW 75mm using the Heliopan .45 center filter and found that it very nicely corrects the falloff. The same center filter works perfectly on the Nikkor SW 75/f8 also. Most importantly, it costs less than half of the Rodenstock and Schneider filters.

[Ben Diss]

Should have read:

... The same center filter works perfectly on the Nikkor SW 90/f8 also...

[Sean Donnelly]

I use a Rodenstock Grandagon-N 75 mm f/4.5. While I haven't used the Schneider or Nikon, they are nearly identical in specification, and the three manufacturers have comparable reputations for quality.

When using my 75 mm, I often have les coverage than I need for the movements I want to use. If I were to replace this lens, I'd buy a Schneider Super Angulon XL 72 mm f/5.6. For moderately higher cost, size, and weight, this lens has greatly increased coverage compared to the lenses you're considering.

Incidently, I also use a Rodenstock Apo-Sironar-S 150 mm f/5.6 and a Nikon M 300 mm f/9. The 75/150/300 mm combination has served me very well, and the latter two lenses are best-in-class. I think you'll be pleased with your choices.

[Sean Donnelly]

Unless you shoot primarily color transparencies, I recommend that you postpone buying a center filter for whatever wide-angle lens you choose. Only occasionally do I find the fall-off to be objectionable.

[Stpephen Willlard]

I use the Nikkor SW 75mm, Nikkor SW 120mm, Nikkor W 210mm, and the Nikkor M 300mm for mountainscapes. I believe that you will find the jump from a 75mm to the 150mm and 150mm to 300mm to be to much in most cases.