FUJI 210mm F5/.6 W Copal versus Seiko?

[Nick_3536]

From what I've been able to figure out.

1) Copal shutter versions of the lens are newer.

2) Seiko versions have more coverage

How big is the coverage of the each version? Any issues with the older Seiko shutters other then age?

While I'm asking what sort of coverage does the 180mm really have? I've seen claims of 305mm? So not enough for 8x10?

Thanks

[Gem Singer]

Hi Nick,

You will find the answers to all of your Fujinon lens inquiries at: www.members.aol.com/subgallery/byfl.htm. (There is a link to that page right here on the Large Format Photography Home Page).

Fuji formerly made a single coated version of the 210W that had a 352mm. image circle. However, it was mounted in a Copal 1 shutter. Good previously owned ones are difficult to find. None of the Fuji 180's have a large enough image circle to cover the 8X10 format at infinity.

The Fuji 240A, a small sized lens in a Copal 0 shutter, will cover the 8X10 format.

[Nick_3536]

Hi Eugene,

I got the impression all the W lenses are single coated?

My hope is to find something faster then my 240 Claron. Main use would be on the 5x7 but I'd rather get a lens I could use on the 8x10 also. I'd also rather avoid duplicating the 240mm focal length.

[David Karp]

Nick,

Not all Fuji lenses marked "W" are single coated. Check out the site Eugene mentioned and Kerry Thalmann's site: www.thalmann.com/largeformat. Kerry also wrote a very good article explaining the often confusing nomenclature of Fuji lenses in View Camera Magazine a few years ago.

[Gem Singer]

Hello again, Nick,

Did you take a look at the website I mentioned? It lists nearly all of the lenses that Fuji ever made. The "W" designation on Fuji lenses stands for their standard series of lenses (similar to the Nikkor W's). Many were made with the EBC coating. They have now been replaced with the CM-W series, all of which are EBC coated.

Off hand, I cannot think of a lens that Fuji makes, that is shorter and faster than your 240 G-Claron, that will cover the 8X10 format. I have a 250 f6.3 CM-W. It is my favorite lens for 5X7, but it just barely covers 8X10 with limited movement capability.

[Nick_3536]

Yes I've checked both websites and to be honest everything else I could find.

This is what I thought was right:

The W lenses were made up to the mid 1970s or so.

They were replaced with the WS lenses but not all were labeled WS some just said W.

These were then replaced with NW? From rereading Kerry's website I get the impression they were never labeled NW?

So could this mean a lens called a W is really a NW? Glad I asked.

Thanks

[David Karp]

Nick,

Off the top of my head, I think you are correct. For example, I have a 125mm f/5.6 labeled "W" with a 52mm filter thread. I believe it is actually an "NW."

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

The W lenses were made up to the mid 1970s or so.

The original Fujinon W line was made up until the late 1970s and early 1980s (depending on focal length). One very easy way to tell an original W series lens is the location of the lettering. All original W series lenses (including the little 150mm f6.3 and the 250mm f6.7, that was re-introduced in the mid-1980s after being discontinued around 1980) use "inner lettering". They are also all single coated (including late samples of the 250mm f6.7 Fujinon W that were made up until around 1990).

They were replaced with the WS lenses but not all were labeled WS some just said W.

The addition of the "S" did not represent a design change. Thus far, I have no clue why some Fujinon lenses carry an "S" and some don't. One theory I have is that the "S" simply designates a lens sold in shutter - which would be almost every Fujinon large format lens made in the last 25-30 years. Unfortunately, there is no consistant application of the "S" suffix. It's used in a lot of Fujinon literature, and often appears on the boxes the lenses come in, but rarely on the lenses themselves. I don't have them in front of me, but I believe the boxes my most recent Fujinon lenses (450 Fujinon C and 240mm Fujinon A) came in used the "S" suffix. I'll check tonight. The "S" suffix was not unique to the W series. Thye also used SWS, AS, CS, etc. in the literature.

These were then replaced with NW? From rereading Kerry's website I get the impression they were never labeled NW?

This is correct. Again the Fujinon literature is wildly inconsistent. Much of it uses the "N" prefix (designating "New"), but then at some point they drop the "N" from the literarure. They also did this with the SW line, briefly calling it NSW. Of course, to further confuse things, they also sometimes used the "S" suffix combined with the "N" prefix. So, you end up with literarure showing NWS and NSWS product lines. Simply stated, "New" Fujinon W series lenses are multicoated, have "outer lettering" and are labeled simply Fujinon W.

So could this mean a lens called a W is really a NW?

Yes, most definitely - if it has "outer lettering".

Finally, the current Fujinon CM-W series are labeled, using "outer lettering" as CM Fujinon - W. Which distinguishes them from previous NW series.

Hope that helps.

Kerry

[Nick_3536]

So if I'm lucky enough to find a lens with inner lettering it'll be the 80 degree type?

Thanks to all.

[Nick_3536]

I've got a lens on the way from Mpex. Might be the newest lens I own-)

[Nick_3536]

I picked up my lens from the post office today. With my luck it came in Seiko shutter which needs a bigger lensboard hole then my other #1 shutters. I wonder if I have the right size drill bit. Oh well might have it mounted this weekend.