Rsuggestions for a smallish 150 lens

[Hollis]

I shoot a wista 45sp and one of the best attributes of it is that I can keep a 150 on the camera and fold it up and have it ready without having to dig through a bag to find my lens. It's quite essential for my type of photography being spontaneous and quick on the move. That being said, my 150 is a Schneider symmar S in copal 0 and honestly, I'm not in love with it. Was wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to another 150mm 5.6 that is on the smaller side but hopefully a bit sharper than the one I have now. Ok, lemme know...

[E. von Hoegh]

I shoot a wista 45sp and one of the best attributes of it is that I can keep a 150 on the camera and fold it up and have it ready without having to dig through a bag to find my lens. It's quite essential for my type of photography being spontaneous and quick on the move. That being said, my 150 is a Schneider symmar S in copal 0 and honestly, I'm not in love with it. Was wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to another 150mm 5.6 that is on the smaller side but hopefully a bit sharper than the one I have now. Ok, lemme know...

How on earth can you quibble with the sharpness of a Symmar-S? You could have a bad example, but it's much more likely the cause of unsharpness is not the lens but something else. You won't find a significantly sharper 150.

[C. D. Keth]

You should see if your lens is perhaps missing a shim. There's not going to be anything significantly sharper. Any modern 150 from a big maker will be essentially as sharp as another. Of you want REALLY small, you could get a G-claron but for your normal lens I don't think the reduced focusing and composing brightness is worth it.

[David Karp]

I have a 150 mm Fujinon W that takes 52mm filters. It is a very nice lens. Another option would be a 150mm Caltar II-N, which is made by Rodenstock.

[IanG]

I have a 150mm Sironar N which is superb, but it's no better than my Symmar S lenses, so I agree with above.

Ian

[EdSawyer]

I have a nice Apo Symmar which is a nice step up from the Symmar S, that I could offer. It's in a DB board but would drop right into your existing Copal 0 shutter. (it came out of a copal 0 shutter originally.) Details: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...r-DB-mount-275

[E. von Hoegh]

If you replace the lens without determining the source of the unsharpness, you'll be out the money and still have fuzzy negatives.

My alltime favorite tiny 150mm/6" is a Goerz Dagor.

[Drew Wiley]

For critical use like big enlargements or use with roll film backs, most more modern lenses are in fact noticably sharper than Symmar S or the old dagors. G-Claron has a nice combination of tiny size and excellent optics, but is not a bright, so might be a little slower to focus. Fuji W's are well priced on the used market and fairly amazing in the recent multicoated versions. You've also got the upgraded
Schneiders and Apo-Sironar S lenses (already mentioned). The dagors are prized for a somewhat different reason, a kinda nuanced look due to only four air/glass interfaces. I think every single lens
I now own is sharper than the Symmar S I started with way back when - but that doesn't mean it was
a slouch by any means! I sold it only because it had served me faithfully thru all kinds of harsh terrain
and simply got worn out.

[dave_whatever]

If you can run to a sironar-s (or sinaron-se) they are a fair bit more compact than the symmar-s. 49mm filters instead of 58mm for a start.

[Noah A]

There's certainly a difference between the latest lens designs and those from a generation or two ago. Of course for many shooters who do contact prints or small 2-4x enlargements, the difference won't be extreme.

But yeah, for the large color prints I do I have noticed quite a difference between lenses like the Symmar S and Sironar-N and the latest Apo-Symmar and Apo-Sironar-S.

I'd strongly recommend you check out a 150 Apo-Sironar-S. Mine folded into the Wista VX I used to shoot with, and it's really sharp even in 40x50in. and larger prints.