Will a Fujinon 150mm f/5.6 fold into a Crown Graphic?

[maxcooperavl]

Just ordered a Crown Graphic from eBay and though it comes with a 127mm Ektar, I'd like to try a modern lens. I like what I hear of the Fuji 150mm W and NW lenses, but I definitely don't want to lose the convenience of folding the camera up with the lens attached. Are these small enough to fit inside? Are there any specs on just how much clearance there is?

Thanks in advance!

[Neal Chaves]

No problem with either of those Fujis. When coupled to a carefully-cut cam, that lens could deliver astounding hand-held results.

[Joseph Kashi]

Several months ago, I refurbished the rather similar Meridian 45B, which also uses a side-mount Kalart rangefinder. Originally, I planned to use one of my 150 mm Fujinon NW multicoated lenses on that Meridian.

However, if I recall correctly, the 150NW was close to, or just beyond, the published working focal length range of the Kalart RF and I was very unclear that the Fujinon 150 NW would reliably calibrate and sych with the RF. Same with the 6" AOC Dagor in an Acme 3 shutter that was my backup option. The Meridian would physically close with the Dagor, though I am not sure about the 150mm Fujinon NW.

My solution that would clearly work within the RF spec was to buy a first-generation single-coated 135mm Fujinon W. That folded nicely into the camera, synched to the Kalart RF, and turned out to have very good optical performance, comparable to the later EBC-coated 150MM NW.

These older 135mm Fujinon W lenses with the inside lettering are currently not very expensive and cover 5x7 with a bit to spare. They're a 6/4 Plasmat construction, while the later multicoated 150NW series is usually a 6/6 modified Plasmat. Both are more than good enough.

[maxcooperavl]

Thanks for the info! I don't plan on using the rangefinder, actually, so not worried about calibration there. Is there a published spec somewhere about how much clearance the CG has, or should I just wait til it's in my hands and measure?

Also, while we're at it, would anyone like to school me on whether I'd notice a difference between the W and NW lenses if I'm only shooting black and white?

Thanks so much!

[Dan Fromm]

[QUOTE=maxcooperavl;1607958Also, while we're at it, would anyone like to school me on whether I'd notice a difference between the W and NW lenses if I'm only shooting black and white?[/QUOTE]

As the man who was sentenced to death and was offered a choice of two execution methods, being torn apart by four wild horses or being burned at the stake, said, they are both very bad.

[Alan9940]

Also, while we're at it, would anyone like to school me on whether I'd notice a difference between the W and NW lenses if I'm only shooting black and white?


The Fuji 150W will easily fit into a Crown Graphic when closed. That was my main lens for this camera back when I owned one.

Probably the biggest difference between the W series and the later NW series is that the former were all single-coated (except for the 300mm and the 360mm, I think) and the latter are all EBC (multi-coated.) IMO, you wouldn't see any difference in B&W photography; you might be able to detect some difference in color photography, but I wouldn't concern myself even in that instance.

[Drew Bedo]

I regularly use a Fujinon 150 W on my4x5, but on occassion I have put it onto my 8x10 Kodak 2D for landscapes at infinity. If I am careful and get the image circle well centered it just covers the format. Of course, the 2D has no front movement except rise/fall.

[maxcooperavl]

As the man who was sentenced to death and was offered a choice of two execution methods, being torn apart by four wild horses or being burned at the stake, said, they are both very bad.

Ok, I'll bite. What's so bad about them?

[LabRat]

Ok, I'll bite. What's so bad about them?

It's different from being a spectator... ;-)

Steve K

[Joseph Kashi]

What's your experience with the sharpness of the Fujinon 150 W toward the outer parts of an 8x10 film sheet?

Fujinon rated the original single-coated 150W as 80 degrees/245mm image circle and rated the later multi-coated 150mm NW lens as 76 degrees/224 mm, and those compute out within a few millimeters. I've found with my late NW copies of Fujinon W/NW lenses that they installed mechanical vignetting to sharply cut the corners beyond their published angle of coverage.

To cover 8x10 to the corners with any sharpness, a 150mm lens would need to have an angle of coverage of about 90 + degrees even if one was ignoring the last several MMs of the corners. That's a stretch for a WA Dagor or Angulon, let alone a normal Plasmat.

Of course, if you're doing studio portraits, then having the outer thirds very soft is a nice benefit. I suppose that it depends upon the lens and the uses made of it.

[EdSawyer]

a 135mm xenotar will fold up inside a crown graphic too, so any fuji 150 should be no issue, as mentioned. Another note: a 150 Xenotar will fold up inside a speed graphic, on a recessed board.

[gordi]

Several months ago, I refurbished the rather similar Meridian 45B, which also uses a side-mount Kalart rangefinder. Originally, I planned to use one of my 150 mm Fujinon NW multicoated lenses on that Meridian.

However, if I recall correctly, the 150NW was close to, or just beyond, the published working focal length range of the Kalart RF and I was very unclear that the Fujinon 150 NW would reliably calibrate and sych with the RF. Same with the 6" AOC Dagor in an Acme 3 shutter that was my backup option. The Meridian would physically close with the Dagor, though I am not sure about the 150mm Fujinon NW.

My solution that would clearly work within the RF spec was to buy a first-generation single-coated 135mm Fujinon W. That folded nicely into the camera, synched to the Kalart RF, and turned out to have very good optical performance, comparable to the later EBC-coated 150MM NW.

These older 135mm Fujinon W lenses with the inside lettering are currently not very expensive and cover 5x7 with a bit to spare. They're a 6/4 Plasmat construction, while the later multicoated 150NW series is usually a 6/6 modified Plasmat. Both are more than good enough.

I have had the same issue with the Hugo Meyer on my 45B. Lo and behold, it's all set up for a 210mm anyways, so I'll be moving to that as soon as I run out of other things to spend money on. For what it's worth, not only does the Schneider 150mm Convertible Symmar fold up neatly into the Meridian, my Fujinon-SWD 65/5.6 does as well, albeit just barely. The internal focusing rack is what drew me to this camera in the first place, as I occasionally handheld shoot HP5 at 1600 in bars/at events with an Olympus T32/bounce grip.

[LabRat]

Well, the practical thing to do is to put a blank lensboard on camera, close camera and stick a ruler through lens hole and measure distance to closed bed...And note if anything from bed rail might contact outside shutter...

That's your baseline...

Steve K

[maxcooperavl]

Well, the practical thing to do is to put a blank lensboard on camera, close camera and stick a ruler through lens hole and measure distance to closed bed...And note if anything from bed rail might contact outside shutter...

That's your baseline...

Steve K

Yes indeed! Now that I have the camera in hand, I can proceed, but I have a hard time finding data on how big the Fujis are . . .

It's moot now because I've decided to buy a 90mm. :)