Apo nikkor 760/11 at infinity

[hiend61]

I was offered an Apo Nikkor 760/11 in very nice condition. I have never used Apo Nikkors. Most of my shots are at infinity or near. Any advice from users?. Thanks.

[Drew Wiley]

A big lens. Should work superbly at infinity. I have one of these too.

[hiend61]

It´s big!!!, but fits in the same board of my Apo Sinaron 600/9. The problem is that the seller lives at 500 miles from my home and does not accept
returns, so I can´t try before buy. I suspect it will be a good performer. Ken Lee has an Apo nikkor 610/9 and it seems he gets good results at infinity.

[Carsten Wolff]

I had the 480mm version which was very nice at infinity, so I'd think you'd be happy with it.
(I ended up getting a fujinon-c 450 quite cheap and added a teleconverter to get to 765mm, as I liked the size, bellows-draw and copal shutter conveniences.)

[James E Galvin]

I have one of those. Got it put into an ilex #5 shutter by Grimes. Superb performer. On pics of a large tree, I can see the veins of the leaves with a 10X magnifier. I use it on a Calumet C-1 8X10. I picked 760mm as about the longest lens the C-1 bellows will reach. F/11 might worry you about ground glass brightness, it is not a problem even at sunrise. Seems long lenses light up the ground glass better than expected.

[Ken Lee]

Here's a test (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/aponikkor610/Nikkor610Test.php)of a 610mm APO Nikkor at infinity. I presume the 760 will be similar in performance, which to my reckoning leaves little to be desired.

[Dave Wooten]

Do we know definitely what is the largest format covered at infinity?

[Dan Fromm]

Dave, this link http://sdrv.ms/1i4czGa will take you to a page of links that includes one to what Nikon says about Apo-Nikkors. Coverage is given in degrees, you'll have to calculate -- that's what Excel and such programs are for -- to convert to the circle's diameter. Apo-Nikkors are like Apo-Ronars, MTFs go to zero outside the coverage the manufacturer claims.

[Dave Wooten]

Thanks, I do have that lens and know it covers 14 x 17, I was hoping it might work on 20 x 24, but sounds like that might be stretching it.

[Drew Wiley]

This is a process lens, so the image circle would be rated at f/22 typically toward infinity, then a much large image circle rating at 1:1. Neither published image circle applies to conventional photography. What a legit process lens has to do is apochromatically retain precise dot shape within the full field - a far more stringent standard than we apply to taking lenses. We also tend to use smaller f-stops. And I'm assuming the intended application is contact printing rather than enlargement.
So in effect, the usable image circle will be much much bigger than the published one. How big? You have to ask someone who uses the same lens for an analogous
purpose. I'd imagine 16x20, comfortably... but beyond this, would probably depend on what kinds of front tilts you anticipate using.

[Drew Wiley]

I'd frankly question Ken's assessment. For one thing, he's rating a lens with other variables, including flatness of film in the holder, and based on a different model
(enlargement) other than contact printing, and then with yet another variable, the scanner. I do not own a ULF camera, but all my other Apo Nikkor process lenses
actually give better infinity performance on my 8x10 than ANY official view camera lens I own (and I've got some very nice ones coveted for their crispness). Yet
I must admit that the 760 is the one lens I haven't installed on a board to test. What I do know is that the most skilled extreme tele-photographer I've ever met
happens to use Apo-Nikkors on a big 8x10 Toyo view camera using Nikon film or digital cameras at the film plane, and the optical quality is superior to anything he's
been able to obtain with either Nikon telephoto lenses or compact quality telescopes (he was once a Celestron dealer). Of course, in that game learning how to
anticipate atmospheric effects is half the battle, but it does speak for the versatility of Apo-Nikkors.

[Ken Lee]

I'd frankly question Ken's assessment.

Perhaps I've misunderstood: my assessment is that the 610mm APO Nikkor "leaves little to be desired". Are you suggesting that it leaves much to be desired ?

[Drew Wiley]

Sorry, Ken.... long day and tired eyes by now... I thought you said, leaves "a" little to be desired, but on rereading your post, see that I was incorrect. I've had to
process thousands of lines of data these past few days, and goofing off on this forum is one of my few breaks from the tedium. Fortunately, my software has numerical cross-checks, so any typos in my input programs will instantly flag a discrepancy. It obviously won't be an appropriate evening for spotting prints, however!

[NancyP]

Thanks for the page with all the LF resource links.

[Hugo Zhang]

I have used this lens with my 16x20 camera and it covers at infinity. I even didn't bother to put it into a shutter as my lens has a metal cover which I can just flip up and down and I use small apertures.

[angusparker]

Another alternative to this lens in the APO-Ronar CL 760mm f14 - lighter and smaller all around. Can also be put in an Ilex #5 by SK Grimes. If you have either lens put in a shutter, make sure to get a filter thread made for the lens - most process lenses don't take screw in filters. I haven't had too much trouble focusing it at f14 but if you want the extra aperture and can handle the weight go with the Nikkor - both lenses are really sharp and you can't go wrong.

[Dave Wooten]

I have used this lens with my 16x20 camera and it covers at infinity. I even didn't bother to put it into a shutter as my lens has a metal cover which I can just flip up and down and I use small apertures.

Since I have that lens, maybe I should get a 16 x 20 instead of 20 x 24:)...I have always been afraid of what is hiding in dark corners:)

[Kirk Gittings]

The problem is that the seller lives at 500 miles from my home and does not accept
returns, so I can´t try before buy.

Buyer beware!

[hiend61]

Here's a test (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/aponikkor610/Nikkor610Test.php)of a 610mm APO Nikkor at infinity. I presume the 760 will be similar in performance, which to my reckoning leaves little to be desired.

Ken, I have seen your test long ago, and you're guilty of my interest in Apo Nikkor lenses, but having a bunch of Apo Ronars from 240 to 600, my interest is in the 760. Longer Apo Nikkors will not fit in a Sinar board.

I also presume that the 760 will perform in a very similar way. Identical construction, almost same measures, close focal distance..., and most important, Will fit in the same board of my Apo Sinaron 600.

By the way, After a long and patient search I found the shim that my Apo Sinaron 600/9 lack, and now is a truly stellar performer at infinity, like my beloved Apo Ronar 480/9.

[hiend61]

Another alternative to this lens in the APO-Ronar CL 760mm f14 - lighter and smaller all around. Can also be put in an Ilex #5 by SK Grimes. If you have either lens put in a shutter, make sure to get a filter thread made for the lens - most process lenses don't take screw in filters. I haven't had too much trouble focusing it at f14 but if you want the extra aperture and can handle the weight go with the Nikkor - both lenses are really sharp and you can't go wrong.

I´m very happy with my Apo Ronars (240, 360, 480 and 600), and I would not mind to have a 760 if I could get one, but I haven´t seen more than 2 or 3 for sale ever.

[angusparker]

Really? The 760 Ronars pop up on the Bay about every month as barrel lenses. Very rarely in a shutter, usually Ilex #5.

Should also mention the 30" Artar f12 as another worthy option. Can also be mounted in a shutter on a sinar board. Sometime seen custom mounted on a Copal 3 but f16 due to smaller opening.

[hiend61]

Really? The 760 Ronars pop up on the Bay about every month as barrel lenses. Very rarely in a shutter, usually Ilex #5.

Should also mention the 30" Artar f12 as another worthy option. Can also be mounted in a shutter on a sinar board. Sometime seen custom mounted on a Copal 3 but f16 due to smaller opening.

I live in Spain, and when I search on the Bay I only see the articles that are for sale worldwide, and many US sellers don´t want to sell out of the US, so I do not see many lenses that are for sale just in the US.

[angusparker]

I live in Spain, and when I search on the Bay I only see the articles that are for sale worldwide, and many US sellers don´t want to sell out of the US, so I do not see many lenses that are for sale just in the US.

The Ronars are sold a lot on the German version of the Bay - search there.

[hiend61]

Dave, this link http://sdrv.ms/1i4czGa will take you to a page of links that includes one to what Nikon says about Apo-Nikkors. Coverage is given in degrees, you'll have to calculate -- that's what Excel and such programs are for -- to convert to the circle's diameter. Apo-Nikkors are like Apo-Ronars, MTFs go to zero outside the coverage the manufacturer claims.


Dan: Thank you very much for this valuable piece of info.