Fujinon 300C vs 300A lens

[John Gavrilis]

I own both Fujinon 300C and 300A lenses for my 4x5. The "C" (f-8.5) lens has been a great lens for me for the past 20+ years. Very sharp! Recently, a good friend & photographer passed away, leaving me with a Fujinon "A" (f-9) lens. As a landscape photographer, I'm wondering which to keep and which to sell. I had another friend say that the "A" lens is much better, but not sure in which way. The "A" lens is a bit heavier, and also requires a bit more bellows. I tested it for both near & far compositions. When looking the glass, the coating appears to be slightly different. Not sure if this means that that this will translate differently on film or not. Can someone out there help me out? For landscape work, which is better and what is the real difference? Thanks! John

[Gem Singer]

Hi John,

The Fujinon f8.5 300C ("C" stands for compact) is a 4-element lens similar to the Tessar lens formula. (Compare to the Nikon/Nikkor M series).

The Fujinon f9 300A ("A" stands for apochromatic) is a 6-element Plasmat lens formula. (Compare to the Schneider G-Claron series).

Both are mounted in Copal 1 shutters and both are EBC coated. (If the lettering is on the outside of the lens barrel, it is EBC coated).

The 300A is no longer being made and demands a much higher re-sale price.

See: www.willwilson.com/fujinon.html

[Ken Lee]

I have a 300A. It appears more infrequently.

The A series lenses represent an interesting compromise of features. They have a Plasmat-like cross-section, but open to f/9 instead of f/5.6 like most plasmats. This makes them smaller and lighter. Unlike other general-purpose lenses that are corrected for 1:10 or 1:20 distances, they are corrected for 1:5. This makes them excellent for close work as well as distance.

The 300 A has a generous 420 mm circle of coverage (compared to the 380mm of the Fujinon C). The A takes 55 mm filters while the C takes 52mm filters. The A weights 410 grams: much less than comparable plasmat lenses for the 8x10 format, but more than the very light 300C, at 250g.

So if you need maximum coverage or correction for close work, the A is a more robust design. Compared to the plasmats, it's very light. If you need a really lightweight lens for 8x10, then the Fujinon C is a better choice.

[Michael Kadillak]

Given what you have shot and have been pleased with for 20+ years and a higher re-sell price, I would keep this uncomplicated and sell the A. I have the C lens in 300, 450 and 600 and they are fabulous in every aspect. The older I get (or the more experience I garner) the more I want to go with what I know that works. Onward!

[Arne Croell]

Hi John,

The Fujinon f8.5 300C ("C" stands for compact) is a 4-element lens similar to the Tessar lens formula. (Compare to the Nikon/Nikkor M series).

The Fujinon f9 300A ("A" stands for apochromatic) is a 6-element Plasmat lens formula. (Compare to the Schneider G-Claron series).

Both are mounted in Copal 1 shutters and both are EBC coated. (If the lettering is on the outside of the lens barrel, it is EBC coated).

The 300A is no longer being made and demands a much higher re-sale price.

See: www.willwilson.com/fujinon.html

Small correction: The Fujinon C lenses are not really Tessars, they are an asymmetric derivative of the dialyte, with 4 lens elements in 4 groups (the Tessar is 4/3). The competing Nikkor-M is of course a Tessar.

For 4x5, I found the performance of the two lenses to be practically equal (http://www.arnecroell.com/lenstests.pdf).

[Gem Singer]

Arne,

If you read my response carefully, you will see that I stated "similar to a Tessar".

I am aware that the Fujinon f9 300C design is not exactly the same as the Tessar lens formula.

However, I stated that both the Fujinon 300C and the Nikor/Nikkon are 4-element lenses.

[Drew Wiley]

Both are light enough and have small enough shutters to be practical on 4x5. The 300A is
a keeper if you ever contemplate moving up to 8x10 film, and will be a distinctly superior
performer at close range, although it will probably need too much bellows draw for really
closeup work on a typical 4x5. The C lens is obviously more compact. If it was me, I'd keep
both, but the 300A should fetch a somewhat higher resale price. Helps to explain that you
do have a multicoated version, since older single-coats might still be out there. These are
both very desirable lenses.

[Ben Syverson]

The difference in size/weight is pretty insignificant, so go with the better lens. In this case, they're both good, but the A has an edge over the C.

[Ken Lee]

I have a 450C and notice that when the diaphragm is wide open, the blur rendition of a distant point-source light is very neutral and smooth: no coma, no rings, etc.

I've always liked the blur from other dialytes that I have (APO Nikkor): now you've explained it. Thanks !!

[John Gavrilis]

I'd like to thank ALL of you smart guys for your response. I'm a little wiser than I was yesterday. My gut feeling is to keep the 300A and sell the 300C, although the C is the one that I've used for over 20 years, with great results. Perhaps, I should take them both out in the field and shoot them side by side and see if I notice any difference. I shot a few tests yesterday, and the only conclusion I made was that the A needed a bit more bellows extension. Thank you all for your input. John (www.GavrilisPhotography.com)