symmer s 240 f5.6mc

[Gary Tarbert]

Has anybody out there had any experience with this lens - I have an oppurtunity to buy this locally for $400aud. The lens is very clean on all glass areas with only a minor ding on the outer metal. It is multicoated.
I use a 5x4 field camera so coverage is not a problem.

Thanks heaps

[Ted Harris]

A great lens at a great price. The only caveat is its size and weight. As long as you don't mind big and heavy you are getting a steller lens at a very reasonable price.

[Ernest Purdum]

A "ding" can be an indication of a possible problem. The glass can be "strained" by the metal squeezing it. If you have access to the lens before buying, looking at it through polarizers front ahd rear will show a pattern if the lens is strained. The pattern will rotate along with the lens. A strained lens will not perform as it should.

[Capocheny]

Gary,

I've owned and used a 240 f5.6 Symmar for the past 5 years and it'll produce nice sharp and contrasty images. :)

Personally, I think it's weight and size is very manageable in comparison to it's bigger brother the 360 f6.8 Symmar. However, in comparison to a Fujinon 240A... it's large.

And, for AU$400... that's a great price! I paid approximately that much in US$.

FWIW, I use the 240 significantly more than my 210. :)

Cheers

[Gary Tarbert]

Thank you all for your input i have the lens on loan for 2 weeks the seller and i go back more than a decade.
He can not show me any shots taken with it because he has not shot LF for along time
and cant recall which lenses were used for which shot.
the ding i mentioned is right at the end of the shade and will probably effect my ability to attach filters more than anything else .
a gadget guy i know has assured me he can fix it easily and cheaply.

[Kirk Fry]

Gary,

I am holding one of these monsters in my hand right now. It weighs almost as much as my complete Tachihara 4X5 (probably less but not much). Compared to any number of other 9.5-10 inch lenses (Dagors, Xenar, Ektar, Fujinon, G-Claron) it is hugh and heavy. It is designed for an 8X10 camera. It throws a huge amount of light into the inside of a 4X5 camrea that bounces around and reduces the contrast if you do not use a good compendium hood. I would classify it as one of those "no more than 50 yards from the car" lenses. Are they great lenses, yes, but only in the correct circumstances. Try it for 2 weeks, take a hike with it if that is what you want to use it for. Your 4x5 camera also has to have a large enough front lens board to take the large and heavy Copal No.3 shutter. If you use it in the studio none of these things may matter. It also takes 86mm filters, not a real handy size. I bought mine for less than the Copal No 3 shutter costs because it has a little bit of lens separation. The shutter has been repurposed to a 355mm G-claron. The glass sits in my drawer at home. Of the monster plasmats, the 240 mm seems to be least popular right now.

K