While I no longer engage in multi-day siege backpack trips with my LF gear, I do regularly hump my 4x5 kit to photograph scenes that exceed Weston's limit of "500 yards from the car". My Nikkor-SW 120mm f8 is a favored lens. Sharp as a tack. Wonderful contrast. A terrific focal length when I'm traversing the grand landscape. All it's superb qualities aside, it is a portly fellow whose presence is felt in both kitbag and on the end of my 4x5. I'm looking at potential svelte substitutes for those times when my L4-L5 segments are not up to the task. The Schneider Super-Symmar XL 110mm f5.6 has caught my eye and I'm looking for input and comment.

With lensboard, my 120/8 weighs in at nearly 1.5 pounds while the 110/5.6 is listed at 1/2 half pound less. The Schneider has a slightly smaller image circle, but ample coverage for 4x5.

What the lens data sheets don't tell me are things like sharpness, contrast, rendering, etc... What are the qualities of the 110/5.6?



Editorial Observation: While perusing eBay, I note that the 110/5.6 has one of the longest descriptive titles I've seen; "Schneider Super Symmar 110mm f5.6 XL 105° Aspheric MC Lens". Is that a marketing strategy?