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View Full Version : 10x8 Newbie - LOTS of info please!



paul owen
27-Apr-2005, 07:54
Need more advice please! I've got my hands on a Schneider 210mm f9 G-Claron and wondered what size Copal shutter it will mount into in order to use it on my recently acquired 10x8. I appreciate movements will be tight? I understand that stopped well down the G-Clarons have a good reputation as LF taking lenses - does this hold true for the 210 too? Any other useful/helpful advice is much appreciated! ALSO, on the subject of 10x8! I would appreciate anyone using this format to ponder a while over my lens choice and give me their impressions/thoughts! I favour wide angles BTW! 1. 110XL (for superwide shots), 2. 210 G-Claron, 3. 240mm 5.6 Symmar S and 4. a 300mm 5.6 Symmar S. Lastly!! What is the maximum coverage/format for each of these? (In reality as opposed to spec sheets) just in case I get tempted by BIGGER than 10x8! Thanks again Paul

Gem Singer
27-Apr-2005, 08:48
Hi Paul,

The 210 G-Claron would not be my first choice for a lens to use for the 8X10 format, unless I was planning on using it for extreme close-ups. I've heard that it can be used, but I still have doubts about the 110Xl's ability to cover the 8X10 format at infinity, without getting some vignetting in the corners. As far as extreme wide angle lenses, I am using the Nikkor 120SW. Not much room for movements, but it's an awesome lens for that purpose. My other 8X10 lenses are the Fujinon 250CM-W, the Fujinon 300C, and the Nikkor 450M.

Diane Maher
27-Apr-2005, 08:51
My 210 mm G-Claron is in a Compur 1 shutter. I don't know whether this is significantly different from the Copal 1 shutter. Guess I could try and see later today as I believe my 240 mm G-Claron is in a Copal 1. As for your lens selection, the focal lengths (not brands) are similar to what I have: 159 Wollensak, 210 G-Claron, 240 G-Claron, 300 Fujinon-C, 420 Repro-Claron.

Steve Hamley
27-Apr-2005, 09:17
Paul,

I take it you're shooting from the car or in a studio given the heavy glass. If not, consider the G-Clarons in the longer lengths.

You'll likely need a step up ring and larger filters or slim filters for the 110mm SS XL on 8x10, a standard polarizer vignettes badly.

You may also want to pick up a 150 SS XL, these can surprisingly be found used for about the same price as the 110mm.

For a 240, you might check Dagor77 for a Computar/Kowa, said to cover 11x14.

Steve

paul owen
27-Apr-2005, 09:55
Thanks for the replies so far! I plan on using the 10x8 from the car! My reason for getting the G-Claron was that I'd heard good things about them and managed to pick one up (without a shutter) for £30 - didn't have time to thoroughly check out the specs of the lens prior to buying it! I appreciate the 110XL is limited by its coverage but wondered about its performance on black and white film, without movements, sort of a superwide 10x8 point-and-shoot!

David Vickery
27-Apr-2005, 10:55
Hello Paul, On 8x10 I use a plain old 210mm Caltar-II S (S-K Symmar-s). Many think of this as a 4x5/5x7 lens, but I use it frequently on 8x10. It doesn't have a lot of coverage, but it works. I also use a 270mm computar, a 300mm Caltar type S (I think this is a Rodenstock) and a 14" Eastman Ektar on both 8x10 and 11x14. All three have plenty of room for movements for both formats. If I had money I would have a bunch of the Computars(f/9 versions only), Dagors, and Ektars. Not that I really need more lenses, but a 240/9.0 Computar would be sweet.

Ernest Purdum
27-Apr-2005, 11:24
Regarding shutters, if your 210mm G-Claron takes a 49mm filter, it is the later type and the cells thread right into a No. 1 shutter by Copal, Compur, Prontor or Seiko. This is true of the other later G-Clarons except for the 150mm which takes a No.0, and the 355, which needs the big (and expensive) No. 3. I'm not sure about the older model G-Clarons.

The all-black Copals are the newest and most expensive. I like self-cocking, so-called "Press" shutters, on cameras which will never be hand-held. These are less expensive than the cocking types. Regardless of brand, a convenient means of holding the blades open for focusing is an important consideration.

paul owen
27-Apr-2005, 11:43
Ernest - many thanks, much appreciation to all!

CXC
27-Apr-2005, 13:11
Paul,

I can vouch for the SSXL 110mm in B&W, no vignetting. I find it of limited use only because it is VERY wide.

I don't feel the need for as many increments as you descibe, settling for 110, 240, 355, and 450. The set will be complete if/when I buy a 600.

Jim Galli
27-Apr-2005, 13:11
All spot on. G-Claron 210 fits either Compur 1 or Copal 1. As to your other choices I'd take 240 and 305 G-Claron's in a heartbeat over their bigger f5.6 brethren. Just like them. 8X10 Kit for me is 165, 225, 270, 360, 450. The 270 G-Claron and larger will cover 11X14, most 360's will, and nearly any 450 will cover 11X14 well.

John Kasaian
27-Apr-2005, 13:58
Paul,

I don't know anything about the lenses you've mentioned, but I do have a 240 G-Claron and it is one sweet lens on an 8x10. Another lens worth considering right now is the recently discontinued Nikkor 450 M. If Robert White or Badger closes them out at great prices (like they did with the G-Claron) you might get a real deal on one and while not "wide" I think a long lens is a useful addition to any 8x10 kit and the 450 M has acres of wiggle room(mine lives aboard a 12x20) Also with 8x10 I think it isn't very cost effective to have focal lengths so close together---YMMV of course---but a 100mm difference between focal lenghts is what it takes for me to see any worthwhile difference on the gg. Less lenses means less wieght and less to carry around. My kit is roughly 159, 240/250, 360 , 450, 19" If you wanted to limit yourself to wide angles then really only two lenses, say a 155/165 and a 240 /270 would have you well covered and you could spend the rest of your money on chemicals, film and paper.

Cheers!

tim atherton
27-Apr-2005, 14:59
Paul,

The G-Claron 210mm is an excellent budget lens for 8x10 (especially at that price, even when you have forked out for a shutter - new or used). As mentioned, I think the barrel size of some of the earlier versions can vbe a bit quirky, but the later ones seem to fit right into a Copal #1 (for which you will need to get an aperture scale made for that lens - check out lens mounting to shutters at SK Grimes website)

I can't find my old email right now, but I think the 210mm G-Claron gave around 1.25" to 1.5" rise/fall when closed down to f22 or f32. Not much, but enough for many landscapes, and it's hard to find much elses at 210mm in that price range.

It is also an excellent all round lens, not at all limited to close up use only. I used one for a while for cityscape work until I found a lovely little Kowa Graphic 210mm. It produced excellent images (recently enlarged one to 40"x50" for a show and the detail and sharpness is excellent). There is also a bit of a myth about "flat field lenses"" and such

In the 240/50mm range I really like the Fuji 250mm 6.7 (no 6.3) which seems to have about the listed amount of coverage. and is an extremely nice lens that can usually ve found for an okay price (as far as lenses go anyway. Fuji's are often a touch cheaper than Nikkor and the German lenses).

Going wider (which I do a bit, but not that often) I have a later. single coated Wollensak 159mm 12.5 WA which is not too bad (and light an small) and an old Technika/Schneider 165mm Super Angulon which has tons of coverage, produces great images (despite a chip in the back element...) but is huge and weighs a ton so doesn't get used nearly as much.

Longer than 250mm there are lots of older (Ektar etc) and newer lenses to chose from at all sorts of different prices. (the first lens I got for 8x10 was an old battered 12" (300mm ish) Commercial Ektar which was pretty cheap. I don't use the 300mm range much, but I still have the Ektar because it gives really nice images in both BW and colour.)

Ernest Purdum
27-Apr-2005, 16:02
Tim, if you can manage to dab that rear element chip with india ink or similar, the chip will have no optical effect at all, except blocking an infinitesmal amount of light. This works for scratches, too, but I can visualize myself getting goo all over the lens when trying to fill a scratch.

Ralph Barker
27-Apr-2005, 17:57
Although I love the 110 SS XL as a sorta wide on 4x5, on 8x10 I much prefer the added coverage afforded by the 150mm SS XL. It's pretty big (95mm filter size) and a bit heavy (740 grams or so), but it's a sweet lens.

Tim Stahl
27-Apr-2005, 21:11
I don’t know much about the other lenses you have listed, however, the 300mm 5.6 Symmar S is a nice lens. On an 8x10 I have not run out of room for movements due to the lens; both color and B&W are even across the negative; and there is no distortion. The only drawback to this lens is its weight, apx 4 pounds with the lens board.