Schneider Repro-Claron 610mm f9

[Dhuiting]

Does anyone know anything about this lens, or have owned it and have some experience to share? Also, what it might be worth? I’ve been looking for information on the Internet but have not found much.


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[Louis Pacilla]

Hey Dan

It's pretty much the same as a 24" f11 Goerz RD Artar w/ great APO correction, very sharp & has the Gaussian design in this case single coated IC is around 50 degress or so at infinity( it may also us Thorium glass if that's the correct spelling). Schneider replaced the Repro-Claron when they took over the Goerz company so they now manufactured the RD Artar in longer focal lengths and they also added the Plasmat design G Claron though the longest FL for the G Claron was set at 355mm f9.

[Daniel Unkefer]

According to my Schneider literature, it has a 22" image circle at 1:10. 40.7" image circle at 1:1

The ultimate in fine correction. Will satisfy even the most exacting demands for maximum color correction over the entire spectrum. A truly valuable investment for technical close ups. Where there can be no compromise with perfect definition and contrast quality.

[Dan Fromm]

Dialyte, Lou, like the Apo-Artar, Apo-Ronar and some but not all Apo-Nikkors. All fine lenses, none of them double Gauss. Not that it matters.

Dan H., if you're contemplating selling one it should sell at par with coated (=, I think and could be mistaken, Red Dot) 24" Apo-Artar, 600 Apo-Ronar and 610 Apo-Nikkor. Look for sold auctions on eBay. The market for these lenses is a little thin so prices are somewhat dispersed.

[Jim Galli]

One nice thing about that lens is that it is a direct fit into a Compound 4 shutter with no machining. A very very nice old lens.

[Dhuiting]

Should I be worried about the rare earth thing? I’ve heard that they can have blue/pink hues in the reflections, which some have spoken about as a desirable thing, but all I read is yellowing of the lens and potential radioactivity? I’m not too worried about the latter, but the yellowing definitely sounds bad.


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[Mark Sampson]

The physicist Michael Briggs wrote what must be the definitive article on lenses with radioactive (thorium) glass. His subject was the Kodak Aero-Ektar lenses but the story is, I think, much the same for your Repro-Claron. I've lost the link but it should be easy to find- answers for your questions will certainly be found there.

[Dan Fromm]

Mark, the link is in the list, look under Kodak.

Dan, I've had one ReproClaron, a 55 in barrel. Tiny little thing. It had yellowed outer elements in each cell when it arrived. They became clear after it had basked for some time under a 20w UV-B compact fluorescent. I never carried it in a pants pocket or slept with it under my pillow.

[MAubrey]

One nice thing about that lens is that it is a direct fit into a Compound 4 shutter with no machining. A very very nice old lens.

Really...now that's interesting. Now I want one instead of my APO-Ronar in front of a packard.

[Dan Fromm]

Everything, well, nearly everything, Jim says is true but it isn't always complete. Check before you buy or buy with the right of return.

I have Schneider documentation that says the 610/9 Repro-Claron's cells fit a Compur Electronic #5FS. It also says that a 210/9 Repro-Claron's cells will fit a #1. I have one, its cells absolutely positively won't fit a #1. #3 seems more likely.

[Dhuiting]

Thanks all! Anyone hear of the “blue and magenta hues to the reflections” with this lens?



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[Joerg Krusche]

They come in Compound 5 .. and performance wide open is at least as good if not better than the other competitors .. stopped down to 22-32 they all are similar .. a very fine lens .. even more so if it comes factory mounted in a shutter




Everything, well, nearly everything, Jim says is true but it isn't always complete. Check before you buy or buy with the right of return.

I have Schneider documentation that says the 610/9 Repro-Claron's cells fit a Compur Electronic #5FS. It also says that a 210/9 Repro-Claron's cells will fit a #1. I have one, its cells absolutely positively won't fit a #1. #3 seems more likely.

[MAubrey]

Everything, well, nearly everything, Jim says is true but it isn't always complete. Check before you buy or buy with the right of return.

I have Schneider documentation that says the 610/9 Repro-Claron's cells fit a Compur Electronic #5FS. It also says that a 210/9 Repro-Claron's cells will fit a #1. I have one, its cells absolutely positively won't fit a #1. #3 seems more likely.
Good to know. I have two other lenses listed designed for the 5FS that are a perfect match for the Compound #4II: a Xenar 240mm f/4.5 and Symmar 360mm f/5.6 that fit both shutters according to the threading and my caliper. I wonder if they changed something or just made sure their 5FS's were compatible from the start.

[Jim Galli]

Everything, well, nearly everything, Jim says is true but it isn't always complete. Check before you buy or buy with the right of return.

I have Schneider documentation that says the 610/9 Repro-Claron's cells fit a Compur Electronic #5FS. It also says that a 210/9 Repro-Claron's cells will fit a #1. I have one, its cells absolutely positively won't fit a #1. #3 seems more likely.

Dan is right and it's always dangerous to make blanket statements about something like a Schneider Repro Claron. They were in production for a long period and there are differing iterations of product. For instance the 210 Repro Claron sometimes fits a diminutive Size 0 shutter and then I've had some that fit the obsolete Compur #2 Rimset. I've had 210 and 305 that both fit that same #2 shutter. The rule is to get a compound that already had a Schneider lens inside it. They were consistent on thread and barrel spacing between the different possible lenses. So a Compound that has been hosting a factory 355MM early Symmar is a direct fit to a 42CM Repro Claron. A 210 Xenar Compound fits a 355 Repro Claron. And yes, the 610 will need a #5, not a #4. A 240 - 420 Convertible Symmar in Compur #2 shutter fits some of the 305 and yes, 210 Repro Claron. But remember there were many different iterations of all of these so none of these rules is hard and fast.

[MAubrey]

Dan is right and it's always dangerous to make blanket statements about something like a Schneider Repro Claron. They were in production for a long period and there are differing iterations of product. For instance the 210 Repro Claron sometimes fits a diminutive Size 0 shutter and then I've had some that fit the obsolete Compur #2 Rimset. I've had 210 and 305 that both fit that same #2 shutter. The rule is to get a compound that already had a Schneider lens inside it. They were consistent on thread and barrel spacing between the different possible lenses. So a Compound that has been hosting a factory 355MM early Symmar is a direct fit to a 42CM Repro Claron. A 210 Xenar Compound fits a 355 Repro Claron. And yes, the 610 will need a #5, not a #4. A 240 - 420 Convertible Symmar in Compur #2 shutter fits some of the 305 and yes, 210 Repro Claron. But remember there were many different iterations of all of these so none of these rules is hard and fast.

Yeah, given the size of the 5FS, I'd go out on a limb and say that the Symmar 360mm f/5.6 had a larger adapter to fit into that shutter, similar to the way they fit the Xenotar 150mm f/2.8 into a Copal 3 (from Compur #2) or the Tele-Xenar 360mm f/5.5 into a Copal #3 (from a compound #3).

[Len Middleton]

My 355mm f9 Repro-Claron lives in a rim-set Compur #2 for those keeping score...

Use it on 8x10 and a very sharp lens

[neil poulsen]

I lucked out purchasing a factory coated example mounted in a Universal #5 shutter (w/flange) just before I sold my Fujinon 600mm C lens. I was glad to have the one and glad sell the other. Of course, the 600mm C lens is a great lens. But now, all my 8x10 lenses are of similar vintage and coating.

As you might suspect, the real driver was that I was able to pay some bills.:)

[davidrcarls]

I lucked out purchasing a factory coated example mounted in a Universal #5 shutter (w/flange) just before I sold my Fujinon 600mm C lens. I was glad to have the one and glad sell the other. Of course, the 600mm C lens is a great lens. But now, all my 8x10 lenses are of similar vintage and coating.

As you might suspect, the real driver was that I was able to pay some bills.:)

Might anyone know the IC at infinity?

[Dan Fromm]

This sticky http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?138978-Where-to-look-for-information-on-LF-(mainly)-lenses in the lens section has a link to the Schneider documentation that has the answer to your question.

Hint: 517 mm. In the future, please try to look things up for yourself before asking for help. You'll learn more that way.

[MAubrey]

This sticky http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?138978-Where-to-look-for-information-on-LF-(mainly)-lenses in the lens section has a link to the Schneider documentation that has the answer to your question.

Hint: 517 mm. In the future, please try to look things up for yourself before asking for help. You'll learn more that way.

Everyone learns differently. For some, social interaction is paramount for knowledge retention.