Schneider Super-Angulon 165

[André Thomas]

I'm new to 8x10" and only have an old Symmar 360 which I like a lot for b/w. In 5x7" my preferred lens is the Super-Angulon 120. Since I have this lens I seldom use my 90 or 150 lens. So my next lens for 8x10" should be in the range of 165mm. Unfortunately there is no new lens with 165mm.

I found some posts about the Super-Angulon 165 and some say it's a poor lens. Are there any user in this forum that will share there experience with this lens?

The next lenses that come to mind are the Super-Symmar HM 210, Sironar W 210 or Angulon 210. My 8x10" camera is a Wisner traditional. I will use this camera to take b/w pictures of landscape and buildings in the classic look with tilt but not with much shift (for architecture I have my 5x7" Linhof Kardan).

I also think about the new Super-Symmar XL 150 but I don't know if it is to wide for my taste. The good news would be, that I could use the centerfilter of my Super-Angulon XL 72.

I would be very happy to get some thoughts from you.

Thank you, André

[Carl Weese]

The 165mm Super Angulon is an excellent lens. It has generous coverage for 8x10 with lots of room for adjustments. There is fine definition and contrast across the whole image field. It's very big and heavy though, a potential drawback if you are hiking with it. Depending on what you will be doing with it, you may need a center filter, which will be enormous and expensive.---Carl

[Ole Tjugen]

I use an even older Angulon (non-super) 165mm and think it's a great lens! Coverage is tight on 8x10", but great on 5x7". I also have a 121mm Super-Angulon for use on 5x7" and 18x24cm (my big camera is very old), but it seems I prefer wider lenses than you do.

The Super-Angulon 165mm is a big and heavy lens, the 210mm Angulon is a lot lighter.

[André Thomas]

Carl,

Is your good experience with the single coated or the later MC version? The weight of both lenses is different, so the MC - lens sould be re-designed. It is a lot easier to find the single coated version.

André

[Daniel Grenier]

André;

I too have a 165 SA and I really like it. I certainly don't think it's a poor lens at all. As Carl mentioned, it is very heavy and bulky. This is serious glass and it requires careful attention when using it because of its weight and massive glass surface. One thing you may find, as mine does, is the imfamous "Schneideritis" problem. Some can explain the cause better than I can but in essence, there are sme white spots around the edges of the lens (inside, off the glass). Mine got this affliction just recently but I cannot see any image degradation because of it. It looks unappealing and not a positive thing when you want to buy/sell a lens.

Expect to pay between $550-800 for a decent MC 165 SA (in Copal) on ebay. Can't help you with your other options, though. Good luck.

[tim atherton]

I'm not sue how much they were re-designed between single and MC, but for one thing they use different shutters - the older version uses a much smaller and somewhat lighter one (Compur #1? vs Copal #3?)

I have an older SA 165mm (single coated I think) I bought cheap beacause it a chip cracked in the rear element (chip still in place, but about 7mm or so). Even with that it's still a very sharp and nice lens - it's just big and clunky. (It's also a "Technika" Super Angulon, so one supposedly "cherry picked" by Linhof from the Schneider procuction line - I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes in the quality, if at all.)

In the 210mm range try going the Kowa 210mm f9/6.8 route - get one in barrel and mount it in a copal #1 shutter. Tiny, sharp and relatively cheap with lots of coverage. They are getting harder to find on ebay etc, but still come up - anywhere between $99.00 if you are lucky and $200.00+ if you aren't...

Rumour is you can also cobble together the rear element fom a Computar 150mm with the front from a Computar 210mm and get a decent 165mm ish lens that covers 8x10!

(I secretly suspect Kerry may be planning a View Camera article on the Kowa/Computar lenses - if he does one, they will probably become rarer than hens teeth... :-) )

[Ed Burlew]

I have a Wisner Traditional and use the heavy lenses such as the Symar 210xxl and the grandagon 155. There is a serious problem with using these lenses on the Wisner front standard!!!!!!!!!!! The problem lies in the short self taping screws that are used to secure the brass stips that hold the lense board to the front standard. These are very short and can pull out witha heavywiegth lense on them. The fix is really easy. I went to a hobby shop that sold model airplane parts and purchased self taping wood screws that ere of the same diameter but are alot longer. I then simply removed the wisner brass screws and as I removed each one I carefully replaced it with the longer and much stronger steel screw. I have full confidence in this fix and have used the haevy lenses for the last two years with out any problem. I encourage all Wisner owners to do this simple and under $5 fix.

[Ralph Barker]

I would concur with others about the quality of the 165mm SA. Although very big and very heavy, it performs well. I much prefer the current 150mm Super Symmar XL, however. Still rather large compared to many LF lenses, it's far more convenient than the 165mm SA, and only marginally wider. Depending on what you shooting, you may or may not need to use the center filter. So far with my 150 SSXL, I've gotten by without one.

[John Kasaian]

Andre,

I don't have one. I wish I did. Lots of wiggle room but they are huge heavy lenses as others have already mentioned. I'm not sure my ol' girl can handle one, though I know they are being used on 'dorffs. If you can get by with a painfully tight image circle there are lower cost alternatives---159mmWA and EWA Wollensak, 165mm Cooke, 190mm WF Ektar and others.

[Ryan McIntosh]

The Super Anglon 165mm for 8x10 is an AMAZING lens!!!! I had the chance to use one for a really short time...and I wish I had it back. It belonged to a friend.

You can pick one up on Ebay for about 500-600 dollars in a good copal shutter.

[Oren Grad]

If you're willing to carry a heavy lens around, you might also consider the 155mm Rodenstock Grandagon/Grandagon-N. It came in a Copal 1 and is a bit lighter than the late-model 165 SA, though still quite heavy (around 1450g). As with the 165 SA, the 155 Grandagon is also starting to show up on eBay and elsewhere at very attractive prices.

[Tom Keenan]

There is a lens like the one Tim describes on the Glennview site now for $400. This is a rear 150mm Computar cell and a 210mm front. Given the reported quality of the Computar lenses, I wonder whether this isn't worth a look.