Nikkor-SW 75mm f / 4.5 on Chamonix 45F2

[maxpina]

Hello everyone, I would like to replace my Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f / 8, with a Nikkor-SW 75mm f / 4.5 I mount them on a Chamonix 45F2, the super angulon is not very clear and in the focus I have some difficulties, any of you have experience with this folding? Can you use it? do you have to use a soft bellows? I do landscapes exclusively, do you think it would be a good buy?
I looked in the technical characteristics and the super angilon has an image circle at f22 of 216 mm and I have no problems, the Nikkor has 200mm, so slightly narrower, I don't know how to do it, thanks for the answers you will give me
Max

[Conrad . Marvin]

I have had a 75mm Nikkor SW f4.5 for a number of years and found it to be a very useful and extremely sharp lens. The image circle is 200 at f16 and I’m not sure if it improves stopping down more or not. I mounted it on a recessed lens board after a few years which is a bit tricky to use but well worth the trouble because my camera was a 5x7 with a 4x5 back and no interchangeable bellows. You can use it on 5x7 with no movements, but you will lose the corners at infinity. If your camera has interchangeable bellows, you will have no problems if your front and back standards can be placed close enough together to focus the lens.

[Doremus Scudder]

Hello everyone, I would like to replace my Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f / 8, with a Nikkor-SW 75mm f / 4.5 ...

Don't replace your 90mm lens unless it's defective. You'll find that you want them both! FWIW, my SA 90mm f/8 is one of the sharpest lenses I own.

Doremus

[Mark Sampson]

Despite the small difference in focal length, you'll find that the 75mm lens "sees" much wider than a 90mm. I bought a Nikkor-SW 75/4.5 lens 20+ years ago, for shooting interiors (at which it excelled). For landscape, out in the world, it's a rather specialized optic. Lots of foreground, big skies.
I don't know how a 75mm lens will work on your camera, but it's likely to be a tight fit.

[Bernice Loui]

If the 90mm Super Angulon is in proper optical condition with a good shutter, it should be about identical to resolution with the 75mm sw nikkor at f16 to f45.

What is likely most different is contrast, Nikkor view camera lenses are know for their higher contrast. Higher contrast is not better or worst, it is nothing more than an aspect of lens personality.

Schneider made the Super Angulon for decades beginning with modest coatings to the last versions which were multi coated and have different contrast rendition than earlier versions... which version of Super Angulon are we dealing with_?_

Nikkor view camera lenses were multi-coated from the initial offerings. Nikkor and Fujinon view camera lenses were never very popular with working photographers back then as Rodenstock and Schneider were the highly preferred brands. In actual creative-expressive image making any of the big four Fujinon, Rodenstock, Nikkor, Schneider are easily more than capable of producing excellent images.. essentially interchangeable in every way... once the print making process comes into play.

Nikkor gained popularity with view camera folks in recent times due to familiarity with the Nikon brand known to 35mm and digital camera users.

Fujinon gained popularity due to web search and that now famed "lens test" that appears so very often.

From a focal length perspective, IMO the 90mm is most often used wide angle on 4x5, 75mm is "wider" and also useful depending on the image making needs. Camera will likely be the limiting factor to use the full image circle capability of the 75mm and possibly the 90mm. Once the field folder camera and standard bellows has been compressed down enough to focus the 75mm or 90mm, camera movements will be limited. Solution is to use a bag bellows. This holds true for the majority of view cameras. One problem that can happen with field folders using really wide angle lenses with camera movement, the front bed of the camera can come into the image. This is why some field folders have a drop bed to solve this problem.

As for using recessed lens boards with wide angle lenses to aid in compressing the camera and bellows enough to achieve focus, they are a hassle. Having to deal with this on the Linhof Technikardan 23s with the 47mm or 38mm on recessed lens boards this size, do-able hassle to access shutter controls and flash sync (right angle PC connectors were done as an option).


Bernice

[Corran]

75mm will work easily on the Chamonix. I have used 47 and 58mm on one. Focus should be easy. I assume you are using a dark cloth. The best answer will be your own with some usage of the lens.

[xkaes]

Hello everyone, I would like to replace my Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f / 8, with a Nikkor-SW 75mm f / 4.5 I mount them on a Chamonix 45F2, the super angulon is not very clear and in the focus I have some difficulties,
Max

Max,
The first thing to do is figure out why you are having trouble with the 90mm you have. Do you want to replace it because you are having trouble? You might have the same trouble with a replacement lens.

[lenicolas]

I use the Nikkor 75mm on my 45N2 with standard (not universal!) bellows.
The lens focuses to infinity easily but movements become limited by the bellows. Universal bellows would fare better.
My lens is kind of soft/low contrast wide open which makes fine focus difficult. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves contrast dramatically so that’s the aperture at which I focus. I don’t know if this behaviour wide open is normal or if it’s specific to my copy of the lens, or the specific combination of this lens and the fresnel on my camera….

[mitch.goddard]

I agree that you should figure out what issues you're having with the Schneider lens before replacing it. If it's just that the image on the ground glass is too dark for you to easily focus, then the Nikkor will probably help that but keep in mind that with wide angle lenses you will have to move your head around a bit to get a good look at all 4 corners of the image on the screen and this effect will be even more pronounced with the 75mm than it is on the 90mm. Either way, you should have no issue using the 75mm on your Chamonix. I used to have a 58mm XL mounted on a standard non-recessed board and it worked just fine with the universal bellows on my 45N2.

[Alan Klein]

Check with Hugo Zhang from Chamonix.

[otto.f]

I had a 75 once on my Linhof Technica and used it for architecture. The lens is a lot wider than the 90 in the sense of oblique perspective lines. Given the the fact that I used it on a Technica, the space for movements was quite restricted for what this lens needs if you want it reasonably corrected for too dramatic perspective lines. I expect the same to happen on my Chamonix 45f2, so I don’t go wider than 90. It’s a lot of fidgetting

[maxpina]

If the 90mm Super Angulon is in proper optical condition with a good shutter, it should be about identical to resolution with the 75mm sw nikkor at f16 to f45.

What is likely most different is contrast, Nikkor view camera lenses are know for their higher contrast. Higher contrast is not better or worst, it is nothing more than an aspect of lens personality.

Schneider made the Super Angulon for decades beginning with modest coatings to the last versions which were multi coated and have different contrast rendition than earlier versions... which version of Super Angulon are we dealing with_?_

Nikkor view camera lenses were multi-coated from the initial offerings. Nikkor and Fujinon view camera lenses were never very popular with working photographers back then as Rodenstock and Schneider were the highly preferred brands. In actual creative-expressive image making any of the big four Fujinon, Rodenstock, Nikkor, Schneider are easily more than capable of producing excellent images.. essentially interchangeable in every way... once the print making process comes into play.

Nikkor gained popularity with view camera folks in recent times due to familiarity with the Nikon brand known to 35mm and digital camera users.

Fujinon gained popularity due to web search and that now famed "lens test" that appears so very often.

From a focal length perspective, IMO the 90mm is most often used wide angle on 4x5, 75mm is "wider" and also useful depending on the image making needs. Camera will likely be the limiting factor to use the full image circle capability of the 75mm and possibly the 90mm. Once the field folder camera and standard bellows has been compressed down enough to focus the 75mm or 90mm, camera movements will be limited. Solution is to use a bag bellows. This holds true for the majority of view cameras. One problem that can happen with field folders using really wide angle lenses with camera movement, the front bed of the camera can come into the image. This is why some field folders have a drop bed to solve this problem.

As for using recessed lens boards with wide angle lenses to aid in compressing the camera and bellows enough to achieve focus, they are a hassle. Having to deal with this on the Linhof Technikardan 23s with the 47mm or 38mm on recessed lens boards this size, do-able hassle to access shutter controls and flash sync (right angle PC connectors were done as an option).


Bernice

Thank you very much @bernice loui for the precious information, the super angulon that I have pinned has a sn 13.972.054 it seems to me in good condition, as regards the contrast I like to create it with development and printing, I would not want to increase it too much in the shooting phase, now that you tell me this I have to compare the shots taken with the Nikkor 210 and see how it behaves ...., this Super Angulon would also have the recessed lensboard and the system to hook the flexible shutter

[maxpina]

Max,
The first thing to do is figure out why you are having trouble with the 90mm you have. Do you want to replace it because you are having trouble? You might have the same trouble with a replacement lens.

No nom I have big problems, I struggle a little in the MAF being f8 especially at the edges, then I was excited by the idea of increasing the field of view in some of my shots, that's all ... But I wanted to make a "safe" purchase

[Doremus Scudder]

No nom I have big problems, I struggle a little in the MAF being f8 especially at the edges, then I was excited by the idea of increasing the field of view in some of my shots, that's all ... But I wanted to make a "safe" purchase

A couple of things:

First, seeing into the corners with shorter focal-length lenses and a regular skirted loupe is always a pain. My solution has been to remove the skirt or simply turn the loupe around so that the skirt is facing my eye, then hold the thing at the proper angle and move my head back and forth to find the right focus. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself doing this a lot to check corners. I now use magnifiers without any skirt; I find them a lot more flexible.

Second, yes, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/8 or f/9 is going to be a bit dimmer than the f/5.6 Plasmats, but it's only one stop - nothing a good dark cloth and a bit of patience can't remedy. For me, it's a small trade-off for not having to carry around one of the monster f/5.6 or f/4.5 90mm lenses that are twice as heavy and bulky as the f/8 versions and need larger, more-expensive filters.

I have both 90mm and 75mm lenses and find I use the 90mm much more. The 75mm only has limited coverage and doesn't allow much in the way of movements.

Best,

Doremus

[martiansea]

I got a fresnel screen for my ground glass specifically to brighten it up so I could use my 90mm f/9 Super Angulon more easily.

[speedfreak]

I’ll add that as the focal lengths get shorter the movements become increasingly small to accomplish any of the Scheimfluge principles. Given, at 75mm you may just use the hyper focal point and stop down to gain the depth of field you desire. But if you intend to use movements like swing and tilt, you’ll likely be fighting the camera detents (or imprecise locking mechanisms) for that small degree of adjustment that you need. Not impossible at all, but just an inherent feature of using short focal lengths with field cameras. I love the Chamonix cameras, but like other field cameras, precise movements with short lenses are not one of their strong suites.

[xkaes]

I’ll add that as the focal lengths get shorter the movements become increasingly small to accomplish any of the Scheimfluge principles. Given, at 75mm you may just use the hyper focal point and stop down to gain the depth of field you desire. But if you intend to use movements like swing and tilt, you’ll likely be fighting the camera detents (or imprecise locking mechanisms) for that small degree of adjustment that you need. Not impossible at all, but just an inherent feature of using short focal lengths with field cameras. I love the Chamonix cameras, but like other field cameras, precise movements with short lenses are not one of their strong suites.

Keep in mind that the wider the lens gets the less need for lens movements. Longer lenses need more movement to "make a difference".

[Bernice Loui]

Or why lens choice drives camera choice. If a short focal length (wide angle) lens is needed with significant camera movements, a light weight field folder is not a good choice due to their innate limitations. To get the absolute most from a short focal length lens creating an image that demands LOTs of camera movement means a camera with bag bellows and precise-accurate camera movements as short focal length lenses typically need minor small amounts of tilt-swing, exceptions are rise-fall, shift which can be significant.


Bernice



I’ll add that as the focal lengths get shorter the movements become increasingly small to accomplish any of the Scheimfluge principles. Given, at 75mm you may just use the hyper focal point and stop down to gain the depth of field you desire. But if you intend to use movements like swing and tilt, you’ll likely be fighting the camera detents (or imprecise locking mechanisms) for that small degree of adjustment that you need. Not impossible at all, but just an inherent feature of using short focal lengths with field cameras. I love the Chamonix cameras, but like other field cameras, precise movements with short lenses are not one of their strong suites.

[willwilson]

Most has been said. 75mm and shorter works well on a 45n. I usually carry 47mm,75mm,135mm on the wider side of things. I never used my 90mm so I don't have one anymore.