Apo Ronar 300mm coverage

[Richard Årlin]

I know Apo Ronar 300mm is a 4x5 and a 5x7 lens, that's why I bought it. I felt a bit parsimonious looking at it and a 300 Nikkor-m and went for the Ronar. I did know it would not fill the 8x10 format but at the time I did not plan just that. Now I miss a normal and a longer lens for my 8x10 Shen-Hao ( I have a 158 and 240mm). I would want either a 450mm Fuji c or perhaps a 13-14" and a 19" red dot artar. (I just missed a 19" on Ebay. ) I never bothered to put the 300mm Ronar on the 8x10 even thou I have thought of using them together for some tabletop stillifes. Not until today, focussing on infinity thru a window using all shift and tilts I could find without vignetting... how strange. Anyone care to make a comment

[Bob Salomon]

Rodenstock rated it at 264mm at f22. Of course it was a process lens so it was not designed to do landscapes on 810.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Richard. My understanding is that "official" specifications of image circle for the Apo Ronar® series is 48 degres, but this is defined as a circle of best sharpness for copying flat artwork at a finite distance. The useable circle of illumination is bigger but with a probable loss in image quality. 48 degrees for a 300 mm yields a diameter of 267mm in infinity-focus (actual spec on datasheet : 264mm .http://www.butzi.net/rodenstock/apo-ronar/p20.htm

I have seen a demo of an old 480mm apo-ronar on the 30x40cm film format, image diagonal = 500 mm, 48 degrees = 427 mm (actual specs = 396mm) and there was no vignetting whatsoever on the subsequent contact print.
The MTF curves of the 240mm apo-ronar suggest 220 mm useable circle @1:20 and 420 mm @1:1.
http://www.butzi.net/rodenstock/apo-ronar/p12.htm

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Mechanical vignetting isn't much of a problem with dialyte-type lenses like the Apo-Ronar. My 14" Artar has an image circle which easily illuminates the whole of 11x14 even with decent movements. However, the area of sharp coverage is much smaller. Judging by 11x14 contact prints with my 14" Artar, I would guess that the sharp circle is about 400mm or so. Stopped down, the corners are still softer than the center.

These lenses were designed for printers, who needed much higher resolution than we do. I would guess that--as long as you contact print--you can easily use your 300mm Ronar with 8x10 with modest movements.

[Richard Årlin]

I will certainly try it on 8x10. It is a wonderful lens on 4x5 and 5x7. I have been trying to get (used mostly) separate series of lenses ideally suited to each format, only just beginning with 8x10. Talking of vignetting, there's nothing like the Noctilux at f.1

[Armin Seeholzer]

Hi Richard

I use it also on my 8x10 without any problems but you have to stop down to f32 to get the corners sharp!

Cheers Armin

[Scotty230358]

Although it is a process lens and not specifically designed for infinity use many commentators have remarked that this is a very accomplished lens when used at infinity. I have one which I use for 5x4 and have been impressed by its performance as a landscape lens.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I once did a test 8x10 300mm Symmar vs 300mm Apo-Ronar. Subject was a landscape, sharp from 3 feet to infinity. At F32 the Apo-Ronar did not cut it, it was mega-soft in the corners. It is a 5x7 lens.

[Armin Seeholzer]

At F32 the Apo-Ronar did not cut it, it was mega-soft in the corners. It is a 5x7 lens.

Hi Daniel

Was this an old barrel or a newer one in a Copal shutter the MC or the single coated one?

Mine is from around 1999! And sharp from 3 feet to invinity so you had to tilt a bit much maybe, to much!

Cheers Armin

[CP Goerz]

A 300mm Ronar in ALL versions covers 8x10 with movement and is sharp, if it was blurry on your 8x10 then there must be another issue at work.