Fujinon 125/5.6 versions?

[Havoc]

At the moment I have a Fuji 75/5.6 and a Symmar 180/310. However I feel that the 75mm is too wide and the 180mm is too narrow. So I downloaded the lens list from the site and went looking for a Fuji 125/5.6. Then I got lost because from the photos on Eb it looks like there are (at least) 3 versions of this lens. But I cannot find any reasonable distinction between them, neither from the descriptions nor from the prices. The references to the shutters are also not consistent, it can be a Seiko or a Copal but this doesn't seem to be linked to a specific type of version. I just linked the first Eb reference of the type I found.

1: a version with the front lens smaller than the shutter and the top ring of the shutter is metal.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/FUJI-FUJINON-W-125mm-F5-6-Seiko-Shutter-wista-Board-Large-Format-Lens/272935885219?hash=item3f8c3f19a3:g:AgAAAOSwEAtZXzzw

2: a version with a front element larger than the shutter, all black and a small ring around the front lens.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Fuji-Fujinon-125mm-f-5-6-lens-Copal-shutter-Toyo-lens-board-B-N-594205/112625986005?hash=item1a390829d5:g:kLEAAOSwsBtZ-kWO

3: a version with a large front element, all black but with a smaller front lens than 2 and a large metal ring around the front lens.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Fujifilm-CM-Fujinon-W-125mm-F5-6-VERY-GOOD-from-Japan-w113/272898180105?hash=item3f89ffc409:g:obMAAOSwCotZnE7w

Can anyone shed some light on which version would be the better one?

[Michael Graves]

I have the Version 2 125mm and I love it. It covers 5x7 (albeit with little wiggle room for movements) and is very sharp and contrasty. I would think that any one of them would be as good. But someone who owns one would be better suited to comment on one of those.

[Steve Goldstein]

See http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/byseries.htm

Version 1 is the original Fujinon W so-called "inside lettering" version with the identifying lettering on the trim ring and visible from the front. It's single-coated and covers 80 degrees, taking 46mm filters. Mine's in a Seiko shutter.

Version 2 is the "NW" and covers 76 degrees. It's multicoated and has the markings on the outside of the barrel. In the reference I cited above it's listed as coming in both 46mm and 52mm filter versions.

Version 3 is the "CM-W", the last version produced. It's also multicoated and covers 78 degrees. Aside from slightly greater coverage than the NW (and slightly less than the original W), all CM-W family lenses below 250mm focal length take 67mm filters, so if you get various focal lengths in that family you won't have to mess with adapter rings or multiple filter sizes.

"Better" is subjective. Optically the differences probably aren't great. If you want multicoated, get version 2 or 3. If you want inexpensive, version 1 is probably your choice. 67mm filters weigh more than the same filters in 52mm; if weight is of concern you may not want the CM-W. All the lenses in my walking-around kit (100mm to 300mm, and sometimes 75mm) take 52mm filters or are adapted up to 52mm.

[Havoc]

Thanks for the info. So for me a version 3 would be the most interesting as the SWD 75 I already have is also a 67mm size. If the image quality isn't an issue (*) then this settles it.

Never tought of looking at the subclub site for info on LF lenses. I do know the site from the Mamiya 16 cameras.

(*) from my experience with the Fuji lenses for 6x4.5 and 6x9 it won't :D

[Greg]

My first Fujinon 250mm lens was a NWS with the outer lettering. Wanted to have just a bit more coverage so bought a (older model) Fujinon 250mm W lens with the inner lettering. Side by side the W lens was just as sharp as the NWS in the center, but the W blew the NWS away toward the corners of the negative. Flare... I shoot B&W, so hard to compare the two optics. After that purchased 2 other focal length Fujinon W's. The W's are excellent lenses, and when I bought mine they were priced a good bit below the NWS's.

[DG 3313]

I have the 125mm 5.6 W (outside lettering). Great lens....sharp but, not too sharp. I leave it on my press camera for travel.

Don

[Drew Wiley]

There seem to be actually four versions if the brochures I have seen are correct. I suspect all the MC versions are optically comparable and really differ only in filter size. I chose the one with a 46 mm thread because it generally goes into a backpacking kit where I standardize on 52mm filters. It works well for 4X5 provided significant rise is not required.

[Havoc]

After some thought and more searching I bought a rather used Fujinon-W, the old version. And I'm happy I did because this lens can stay on the Wista when you close it. It is very close, I cannot put the standard cover on it or it doesn't close. But one of those modern spring types that are not larger than the front ring will work. So now I can use the camera like a kind of press camera and it makes a more compact kit.