Apo Nikkor 610 mm f9

[evan clarke]

I just got one of these, new old stock in the box. It's never been mounted. Does anybody know what these sold for new?

[Drew Wiley]

Depends what decade you'd want to target. There were made over quite a span, and inflation and dealer markup would amount to more than a 100% variable.
Also depends on the exact lens formula. They were fairly expensive. The more recent dialytes might have sold for around $700 is the 70's. Today mint ones are
all over the map in terms of asking price, right down to zero. Just depends who wants one bad enough. They are wonderful optics if you can find a shutter for one.

[evan clarke]

This appears to be fairly modern...

[jon.oman]

I picked up one a few years ago. New in box. I think I paid about $300.00 including shipping......

[evan clarke]

Thanks, I was a little more curious about how much retail was while they were still being made and sold.

[Dan Fromm]

Drew, all 610/9 Apo-Nikkors are dialytes. You may be thinking of the 600/9, which is a tessar type.

See http://www.galerie-photo.com/apo-process-nikkors-en.html for what I think is an exhaustive list of Nikon process lenses giving design types and more.

[John Schneider]

From a Nikkor price list I got from Andrew Glover (about the only auction of his not to involve a story of haggis, a femme fatale, and one of Andrew's distant relatives). Note the price difference between OEM and MSRP.

[hiend61]

This appears to be fairly modern...

Congrats Evan! and enjoy this wonderful lens. You were faster than me at ebay. It´s funny to know where one's lost auctions end. I was slower than you because I was searching data of the lens before clicking the buy it now. If I had the info provided by Dan before, This lens would be now in my bag.
This lens has exactly the same mounting measures as my Apo Ronar 600/9 in its Sinar version, 110mm, so I could use it in the same board at no extra cost. I never tried an Apo Nikkor, but I saw some wonderful pictures taken with them, and my idea was to compare it with my actual 600/9, and if I were satisfied with the results, sell my Apo Sinaron 600/9, because they are
searching crazy prices, and hold the Apo Nikkor.

[evan clarke]

Thanks, John. I almost bought one of these from Andrew but don't like to get caught up in auctions.

Hiend, I was vacillating on this one and even recommended it to someone else but finally woke up in the morning and my first thought was to buy it. I have been collecting these big lenses in anticipation of a move to 14x17 or 16x20 in the near future..Cheers, Evan

[Dan Fromm]

Evan, think again. Nominal 16 x 20's diagonal is 650 mm, actual should be a little smaller. A 610 Apo-Nikkor won't come close to covering it at infinity.

FYI, here's a link to the Apo Ronar section of Rodenstock's Process Lens Handbook: https://skydrive.live.com/#!/view.aspx?cid=8D71BC33C77D1008&resid=8D71BC33C77D1008!182&app=WordPdf

Read and, I'm sorry to suggest, weep. Remember that all too often process lenses claimed coverages are at 1:1, i.e., twice the coverage at infinity.

[petetsai]

I bought the wooden boxed one although I'd have preferred to have picked up the newer one, and nearly did too! I'm looking forward to seeing mine soon.

[evan clarke]

Evan, think again. Nominal 16 x 20's diagonal is 650 mm, actual should be a little smaller. A 610 Apo-Nikkor won't come close to covering it at infinity.

FYI, here's a link to the Apo Ronar section of Rodenstock's Process Lens Handbook: https://skydrive.live.com/#!/view.aspx?cid=8D71BC33C77D1008&resid=8D71BC33C77D1008!182&app=WordPdf

Read and, I'm sorry to suggest, weep. Remember that all too often process lenses claimed coverages are at 1:1, i.e., twice the coverage at infinity.

Thanks, Dan but no weeping,Imhave the Nikon brochure and it IS rated at 1-1 but I bought this one mainly for my 11x14. I have a 24" lens which will cover 20x24 and can use that if I decide to ever do 16x20. I'll probably go up to 14x17 because I like that size print and this 610 should cover. Thanks for the handbook link..Evan

[Drew Wiley]

I don't know about that coverage stuff. My 305 Apo Nikkor will cover 8x10 at infinity with plenty of wiggle room, my 360 and 450 with mountains of it. I don't own a ULF camera, so can't even guess the realistic coverage of my 720. Yes, process cameras do tend to have coverages listed at 1:1, but they're also listed at much
higher parameters of resolution and apochromaticity than ordinary taking lenses, in other words, a much more strictly defined usable image circle. And I've found the
usable image circles on both G-Clarons and Apo Nikkors to be far bigger than the published ones - and even under such usage, the Apo Nikkors seem incredibly sharp
across the entire field.

[Ken Lee]

FYI, here's a link to the Apo Ronar section of Rodenstock's Process Lens Handbook: https://skydrive.live.com/#!/view.aspx?cid=8D71BC33C77D1008&resid=8D71BC33C77D1008!182&app=WordPdf

That link takes us to a page which requires a user id and password.

[Ken Lee]

If a lens has ~45 degree coverage, then we can expect it to cover a rectangle whose diagonal is ~82% of the focal length at infinity.

A 610mm lens with 45 degrees of coverage should cover a rectangle whose diagonal is around 500mm or 20 inches. At 1:1 it will be twice that figure.

If a 305mm lens actually covers 8x10 (a 300mm diagonal) at infinity, then perhaps the officially stated coverage is a bit conservative ?

[Dan Fromm]

That link takes us to a page which requires a user id and password.

Ken, thanks for complaining. I can't test the thing myself. Just checked https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=8D71BC33C77D1008!182&authkey=!AIhF3y6CVJfvYdA and it says that anyone who has the link can view the file.

Please risk more frustration and try it again. If it still doesn't work I'll put the file up again.

Thanks again,

Dan

[Ken Lee]

I was unable to view that file, but was able to download it.

I've taken the liberty of hosting it on my site. You can see it here (http://www.kenleegallery.com/pdf/Apo-Ronar.pdf).

I'm no optics expert, but I've seen a fair number of MTF diagrams: the ones provided in that document are rather linear. Is that characteristic of Dialyte or symmetrical lenses: they are consistent and then just "drop off" ?

[Dan Fromm]

I'm no optics expert, but I've seen a fair number of MTF diagrams: the ones provided in that document are rather linear. Is that characteristic of Dialyte or symmetrical lenses: they are consistent and then just "drop off" ?

I don't think so. Look at the MTF curves here http://www.rodenstock-photo.com/mediabase/original/e_Rodenstock_Printing_CCD_43-62__8230.pdf for the 75/4 Apo-Rodagon-D. They're so flat they're scary.

Re the Apo-Ronar data, the more accessible it is the better.