Fujinon L 300mm 5.6

[axs810]

I've used the Nikon W 300mm f/5.6, Fujinon L 300mm f/5.6, and Fujinon W 300mm f/5.6...can't go wrong with any of those but my favorite was the Fujinon L 300mm f/5.6

[kleinbatavia]

The one I got is the nikkor M 300 9. I am guessing the image won't look as nice on the GG, but I am trying to find ways to shave some weight off my kit for medical reason... If the nikon is good, I may even let the fuji go. Not too sure about that though, may keep it to shoot from the booth of my car.

[Drew Wiley]

The Nikkor M's are rather compact lightweight super-crisp optics with reasonably generous image circles. Wonderful lenses when you want that hard-sharp look
and put a premium upon portabilty. I have no idea what the preceding single-coated Nikkor Q's were like, since I've never seen one. But Fuji L's are more the traditional thick-glass heavy tessar design, and except for the 210, in big no. 3 shutters. Fuji W's are general-purpose plasmats, Fuji A's pretty much the pinnacle
of plasmat design as far as I'm concerned, but now rare and expensive, and the C's wonderful little infinity-corrected dialytes with a rendering similar to Nikkor M's yet bigger image circles. Just depends what you are doing. Old-school tessars seem to have the advantage when it comes to out-of-focus smoothness or bokeh. But those tiny little Nikkor M's, Fuji A's & C's are the cat's meow when it comes to super-sharp contrasty multicoated performance at minimum weight. I'd keep both.

[kleinbatavia]

Hello Drew, the compact and lightweight design is the main (and only) reasons I got the nikkor. Will probably keep the 300mm L too, but for personal reasons I am looking for ways to shave some pounds off my kit. Time will tell...

[welly]

I've used the Nikon W 300mm f/5.6, Fujinon L 300mm f/5.6, and Fujinon W 300mm f/5.6...can't go wrong with any of those but my favorite was the Fujinon L 300mm f/5.6

That's interesting. I've got the Fujinon L 300mm f5.6. It's huge and, apparently, the budget offering. What do you prefer about it over the Fujinon W? Not that I'm complaining about the Fujinon L, I love it and have captured some of my favourite and best photographs with it. It's just huge

[Drew Wiley]

I'll be packing an older 360 tessar tomorrow with the 8x10, once again for its subtly smooth out-of-focus rendering with intricate forest branches etc. But on those
multi-day backpack trips at high altitude, it's always going to be lightweight little Nikkor M's and Fuji A's, etc. Three of them weigh less than that single old tessar.
It's nice to have choices, though most of us probably have a budget barrier in that respect.

[StoneNYC]

Here you go Sal. This is the older style shutter with the finer "teeth" on the speed ring, not the chunkier later style. It has 10 aperture blades and you can see the "nonlinear" aperture scale. Both my lenses in newer Copal 3 with the chunky serrations on the speed ring have only 7 aperture blades.

Wow, do you know if the older blades can be fitted into the modern black copal 3's? You may not know, but figured I would ask, would make much better bokeh. Thanks for sharing this. I'm familiar with the differences between various black copal versions but not so familiar with the silver copal versions.

[Steve Goldstein]

Wow, do you know if the older blades can be fitted into the modern black copal 3's? You may not know, but figured I would ask, would make much better bokeh. Thanks for sharing this. I'm familiar with the differences between various black copal versions but not so familiar with the silver copal versions.

I have no idea, but why? The only way I'd even consider this is if I had a totally dead and non-resurrectable old-style donor shutter to begin with. It would be a shame to consider killing a perfectly good working-but-old shutter for this, better to just put whatever cells you want into it and pay SKG to create a new scale for you (and maybe a CLA).

You can occasionally find old Copal 3 shutters on eBay for shockingly little money - I saw one a few weeks ago with decent glass (I forget what) sell for something like $135. Deals like this aren't frequent, but if you're patient and persistent you can find them.

[axs810]

That's interesting. I've got the Fujinon L 300mm f5.6. It's huge and, apparently, the budget offering. What do you prefer about it over the Fujinon W? Not that I'm complaining about the Fujinon L, I love it and have captured some of my favourite and best photographs with it. It's just huge

I prefer the Fujinon L 300mm f/5.6 compared to the W version because of the bokeh. It just seems smoother but at the same time holds a semi realistic look to it without getting too bokeh-ee (if that makes any sense? lol)

[StoneNYC]

I have no idea, but why? The only way I'd even consider this is if I had a totally dead and non-resurrectable old-style donor shutter to begin with. It would be a shame to consider killing a perfectly good working-but-old shutter for this, better to just put whatever cells you want into it and pay SKG to create a new scale for you (and maybe a CLA).

You can occasionally find old Copal 3 shutters on eBay for shockingly little money - I saw one a few weeks ago with decent glass (I forget what) sell for something like $135. Deals like this aren't frequent, but if you're patient and persistent you can find them.

Why...

Because in my experience EVERY silver copal I have EVER used has either gotten stuck mid exposure or isn't accurate at all or acts differently depending on the angle of the front standard etc, every single one, where EVERY black copal I've ever had works great, never needed a CLA or anything, BUT I prefer the Bokeh of the earlier shutters with rounded and higher count blades.

I asked SK Grimes if they could do it, and they said they couldn't manufacture new ones as the cost would be high, but your post made me wonder if since they are both copal in design, it the older blades could be fitted into modern black copals.

That's why.

Just a thought. Yes it's entirely possible I just had really really bad luck, and I don't like the idea of disassembling a perfectly good shutter, but an already broken one with good blades I would certainly consider.

I would keep the extra parts for the future, I wouldn't throw away anything. I don't generally condone hacking things up unless there's a really good reason.

Thanks, appreciate the info.