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View Full Version : I bought a strange Fujinon SW 150mm lens



hyperma
28-Feb-2005, 10:20
Hello,every one,I'm from China.
I bought a Fujinon SW 150mm F/6.3 single coated lens last month,number is 122600.
I didn't have too much experience about large format camera lens then.I didn't see the "All open" handle on it,that's mean I have to put the shutter speed at B,then release and hold the shutter button until finding work finished......I hope you can understand this.
The shutter leaves never open properly,just left some edges around inside,so if I turn the aperture to zero and release the shutter at "B",the lens just looks like a flower.
I also found this lens got M,X,V exposure modes,M is all speed synchro flash,X is shutter action only,the bloody tricky V is timer exposure!!!!! Hell,what I buy this mode for? To make a lovely portrait of myself on a 4x5 film?

Last Sunday I saw some pictures at thalmann.com, his SW 150 F6.3 put a diffrent Seiko shutter on just like other large format camera lens.I guess somebody changed the shutter of my lens long time ago,could you tell me where can I buy a copal or Seiko #0 shutter?

Steve Hamley
28-Feb-2005, 10:37
Hyperma,

Seiko LF shutters are obsolete if I remember correctly. You should be able to order a Copal shutter from any good camera store. Certainly Midwest Photo Exchange (www.mpex.com (http://www.mpex.com)), Badger Graphic (www.badgergrahic.com (http://www.badgergrahic.com)), or B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com (http://www.bhphotovideo.com)). Be sure the threads are the same!

Sounds like the shutter needs to be cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted (CLA).

Steve

Gem Singer
28-Feb-2005, 11:39
This must be a very early model. An unusual lens. I cannot find any mention of a lens in the SW series longer than 105mm., in my literature on Fujinon lenses. Are you certain it is a F6.3- 150SW (super wide). The SW's listed are f8 lenses. If so, it is a relatively fast lens, and it would make a great focal length for using as a wide angle lens for the 8X10 format. Nikon still makes one in the f8 configuration, and it is a huge piece of glass.

It should be no problem re- mounting it into a Copal #0 shutter, if that is the proper diameter. Replacement Copal shutters are available from the sources that Steve Hamley mentioned, as well as S.K.Grimes.

Kerry L. Thalmann
28-Feb-2005, 12:30
The lens in question is an early version of the 150mm f6.3 Fujinon W (sometimes called WS in the literature, and I've even seen one engraved as such). This is the same tessar-derived design (4 elements in 3 groups, 67 degree coverage) as the one pictured on my Fujinon pages at:

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/images/Fuji_150.jpg

Back in the early 1960s, this lens was sold as the Fujinar-W in an earlier style Seiko 0 shutter. Sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the name was changed to Fujinon W. During the mid-1970s up until this lens was discontinued in the early 1980s, it was sold in the newer style Seiko shutter, as shown on my web site. Sounds like the poster got one from the late 1960s or early 1970s after the name was changed, but before they switched to the newer style Seiko shutter.

As others have mentioned, the Seiko 0 shutter hase the same mechanical dimensions as the Copal No. 0 (and Compur 0, and some of teh Prontor shutters). The current shutter might be repairable. If not, it can be replaced (although the cost of a new Copal shutter is probably more than the lens is worth).

Eugene,

I'm sure if you look again at your Fujinon literature, you will find one or two longer focal lengths in the SW series. Back in the 1970s, they made a 120mm f8 SW. That design was replaced by the current 125mm SW during the early 1980s. Also, back in the 1970s they made the enormous 300mm f8 Fujinon SW. Of course, these are totally different designs (6 elements in 4 groups or 6 elements in 6 groups with ~100 degrees of coverage) than the little 150mm f6.3 the poster was asking about.

Kerry

Gem Singer
28-Feb-2005, 14:24
Kerry,

Thank's for the info. After further research, I finally managed to find the 120SW and the 300SW in my literature.

I just got off the phone with Jim, at Midwest. He is sending a Nikkor 120SW to me to use as an extreme wide angle lens on my Canham 4X10 camera. My Fuji 105SW does not quite cover that format, although it is a great wide angle lens for the 5X7 format.

Kerry L. Thalmann
28-Feb-2005, 14:36
Eugene,

You should be very happy with the 120mm Nikkor SW on 4x10. Back about 10 years ago, when I had my 4x10 Wisner I originally had a 115mm Grandagon-N as my widest lens on 4x10. It was a fine lens, but big and heavy. I replaced it with the 120mm Nikkor which was smaller, lighter and has more coverage. It makes a great 4x10 ultrawide.

This time around I'm going with a 110mm Super Symmar XL as my ultrawide for 4x10. It's smaller and lighter than the other two, but has more fall-off. I already had this one for 4x5, and on 4x10 I use the same center filter that I use with the 80mm SS XL on 4x5. So, it was a no brainer when re-entering 4x10.

Kerry