Dagor (formula) lens question

[Greg]

I will soon be starting an architectural documentation project with my 11x14. My present main lens is a 14" Goertz Double-Anastigmat (Dagor formula). I love the Bokeh that it projects and would like to acquire a wider angle Dagor formula optic to compliment my 14". I would appreciate any info on what to look for. I do know of a 9 1/2 inch (240mm) Goerz (Berlin) Dagor (I believe to be a Series III) in a Compur possibly FS. My Burke & James catalogue lists it as covering 11x14 at f/45, but I've been stung before by one of their listed coverages. Would appreciate any advice, especially from actual users.

thanks in advance

[Hugo Zhang]

Greg,

Dagor 9 1/2 inch f/6.8 lens is an 810 lens with an image circle of 14 inches. It does not cover 11x14 at infinity. I know this because I tried it a few years ago. Zeiss Goerz-Dagor 21cm f/9 lens has an image circle of 18 inch and it may do the work if you just shoot architectures which I suppose that will usually not be shot at infinity. Zeiss recommended it for 8x10 work, but it does cover my 11x14 ground glass at infinity nicely, even I have not exposed any 11x14 negatives with that lens yet. Zeiss Dagor F/9 usually costs 2-3 times more the regular f/6.8 dagor.

https://www.cameraeccentric.com/static/img/pdfs/zeiss_3.pdf

[Hugo Zhang]

Or a Protar V f/18 lens of 8 1/4 inch which has an image circle of 18 1/2 inch.

[Luis-F-S]

Or a SF Fuji 250 at f45 should cover- but not a Dagor.

[Greg]

Or a SF Fuji 250 at f45 should cover- but not a Dagor.

Yes from personal experience a SF Fuji 250 does indeed cover 11x14 and even a bit more, but even if you stop the lens down all the way the corners look terrible.

[Tin Can]

architectural documentation

how close up?

matters

[Corran]

My G-Claron 240mm didn't quite cover 8x20, but should do 11x14. This is the newer plasmat version - I've never seen an older dagor design, but perhaps they exist. My 305mm "dagor" G-Claron covers 8x20 easily and would provide lots of movements on 11x14.

In fact, didn't I buy the aforementioned 240mm GC from you, where you included an 11x14 sheet shot with it? I could be misremembering!

[Luis-F-S]

Have both the 240 & 305 G-C Dagor design but I’ve not tried it on 11x14

[Greg]

My G-Claron 240mm didn't quite cover 8x20, but should do 11x14. This is the newer plasmat version - I've never seen an older dagor design, but perhaps they exist. My 305mm "dagor" G-Claron covers 8x20 easily and would provide lots of movements on 11x14.

In fact, didn't I buy the aforementioned 240mm GC from you, where you included an 11x14 sheet shot with it? I could be misremembering!

I possibly could have sold you a 240mm G-Claron, just don't recall.

Settled on using my 200mm f/6.5 TAYLOR-HOBSON Cooke Series VIIB wide angle anastigmat with one caveat... The lens produces a super sharp image, very much like my other G-Clarons. The lens is too sharp (subjective use of the term) for me when compared to my 14" Goertz Double-Anastigmat. After reading another thread in this FORUM, for the heck of it I unscrewed the front group of elements on the TAYLOR-HOBSON lens. To my pleasant surprise, the image that it projected resembled the one from my 14" Goertz Double-Anastigmat. To be honest the difference is very, very, I mean very subtle. For most people it just wouldn't matter, but it just matters to me.