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C. D. Keth
4-Feb-2007, 16:50
So I have two very different conflicting aesthetic preferences for portraiture. I love the older style of very soft-looking portraits. I also love very, very sharp portraits...so sharp it's a little cruel to the sitter.

Does anyone use an appropriate g-claron for the second type of portrait aesthetic? I just bought cells for a 240 g-claron and, while I eagerly wait for it and the shutter to arrive, I'm wondering if it will become a favorite portrait lens for me.

Capocheny
4-Feb-2007, 17:20
Chris,

Although I don't do portraits... I can tell you that the 240 G-Claron is a really sharp and contrasty lens.

If you want sharp, sharp portraits... it'll certainly give that to you.

It's one of my most used (and favorite) lenses on 5x7 and 8x10. :)

Cheers

Toyon
4-Feb-2007, 17:34
I've used the 240 G Claron for portraits. It is wonderfully sharp, but there is something else too - the way it handles specular highlights. Catchlights in the subject's eyes, for example, seem slightly more toned down than with a multicoated lens. That makes it a great portrait lens in my opinion. Of course if you scan and use digital sharpening you'll lose that subtle effect.

Michelle Frankfurter
18-Apr-2007, 18:20
[QUOTE=Capocheny;214916]Chris,

Although I don't do portraits... I can tell you that the 240 G-Claron is a really sharp and contrasty lens.

If you want sharp, sharp portraits... it'll certainly give that to you.

It's one of my most used (and favorite) lenses on 5x7 and 8x10. :)

Hi there--I've been working with an Ebony RW 4x5 down in Guatemala and Nicaragua, basically making street portraits. I've been using a Schneider 210/5.6 Copal 1 shutter lens. For some things, it was a little too tight. I'm considering adding a 150 but since I'm carrying everything on my back, I'd like to go light. Does this lens make sense: Schneider 150mm G-Claron 4x5 camera lens. Reading the threads, it sounds like a very nice, sharp lens. Any opinions?

Thanks,
Michelle

Ted Harris
18-Apr-2007, 18:47
It's a nice sharp lens but my preference would be a 150 Apon Sironar-S. still small and light and, IMO, a much better performer.

alec4444
18-Apr-2007, 19:06
Hoping to try the 355 Claron for an 11x14 portrait this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes if it happens. If I have the time, I may do a direct comparison to the 450 Nikkor M and the 360 Symmar Convertible. I've used the Symmar on two other portraits and have liked it, but part of what I liked was the look I got shooting it wide open at f5.6. The Claron and the Nikkor M are f9 at wide open, so I anticipate a different look. May not matter at 1:1....we'll see.

--A

Jim Galli
18-Apr-2007, 19:26
Hmmm. Not really fair because I've never tried one, but for the wiry sharp portraits you describe, I choose a Rapid Rectilinear. Superb contrast and sharpness with just a touch of fall off in the corners. The G should look similar perhaps. The 5 bladed aperture may bight you. If so, shoot it wide open.

Capocheny
18-Apr-2007, 19:36
[QUOTE=Capocheny;214916]Chris,

Although I don't do portraits... I can tell you that the 240 G-Claron is a really sharp and contrasty lens.

If you want sharp, sharp portraits... it'll certainly give that to you.

It's one of my most used (and favorite) lenses on 5x7 and 8x10. :)

Hi there--I've been working with an Ebony RW 4x5 down in Guatemala and Nicaragua, basically making street portraits. I've been using a Schneider 210/5.6 Copal 1 shutter lens. For some things, it was a little too tight. I'm considering adding a 150 but since I'm carrying everything on my back, I'd like to go light. Does this lens make sense: Schneider 150mm G-Claron 4x5 camera lens. Reading the threads, it sounds like a very nice, sharp lens. Any opinions?

Thanks,
Michelle

Hi Michelle,

If you need something a little bit wider... I'd agree with Ted and also recommend that you look at the 150 Rodenstock-S. From all that I've read about this lens... it's suppose to be quite spectacular.

Personally, I'm waiting to find a Nikkor 150SW (it's a big piece of glass and isn't one of the lighter 150s around.)

Good luck down there in Guatemala. :)

Cheers

Michelle Frankfurter
18-Apr-2007, 19:51
Hi Michelle,

If you need something a little bit wider... I'd agree with Ted and also recommend that you look at the 150 Rodenstock-S. From all that I've read about this lens... it's suppose to be quite spectacular.

Personally, I'm waiting to find a Nikkor 150SW (it's a big piece of glass and isn't one of the lighter 150s around.)

Good luck down there in Guatemala.

Cheers

Thanks!

This is a great forum. I'll hunt around for the Rodenstock. I'm hoping to find something on Ebay. One thing I noticed about the 210--the ring kept coming loose from the lens board and I had to disassemble the lens and re-tighten--a pain, especially when you're shooting in some pretty crazy situations. I considered simply gluing the ring onto the lens board. Does this make sense?

John Kasaian
18-Apr-2007, 20:16
Use one element of your G-Claron?

C. D. Keth
18-Apr-2007, 20:17
[I]Hi Michelle,
One thing I noticed about the 210--the ring kept coming loose from the lens board and I had to disassemble the lens and re-tighten--a pain, especially when you're shooting in some pretty crazy situations. I considered simply gluing the ring onto the lens board. Does this make sense?

A rubberband or rubber o-ring between the retainer ring and the lensboard should fix that problem. Or you could just use a bit of loc-tite on the threads.

Don Hutton
18-Apr-2007, 20:24
So I have two very different conflicting aesthetic preferences for portraiture. I love the older style of very soft-looking portraits. I also love very, very sharp portraits...so sharp it's a little cruel to the sitter.

Does anyone use an appropriate g-claron for the second type of portrait aesthetic? I just bought cells for a 240 g-claron and, while I eagerly wait for it and the shutter to arrive, I'm wondering if it will become a favorite portrait lens for me.It really depends on what sort of look you are tryng to achieve, what format you are shooting etc. I'd suggest that the f9 maximum aperture of the G Claron won't make things particularly easy, like say a larger f5.6 lens would of the same focal lengh. On 4x5, the perspective would be considered pretty normal - you'd be really trying to accentuate features if you were using it on 8x10 (make a big nose bigger in a hurry etc.). I like that sort of focal lengh a lot for 4x5 portraits which are 1/2 figure to head shots. They are very sharp lenses and probably pretty brutal to anyone over the age of 10, but if that's the look you're after... However, G Clarons do not have a great reputation for producing appealing bokeh, so that may count against them for this use. I'd also suggest you really consider something brighter - focussing is probably the key to getting consistent results and a bright lens certainly helps. I find that for portraiture particularly, you are often putting you head to the GG, and then up and again over and over to keep the subject engaged and your eyes simply don't have the time to get aquainted with a dim image on the GG.

Frank Petronio
18-Apr-2007, 21:11
I hate the thought of trying to focus quicking at f/9. Honestly I like the modern Rodenschneider 150/5.6s -- sharp where focused, smooth boooooookeaaaah, and not too hard to find at a good price. Stop it down if you must, but it is nicer to start with the brightest sun.

Ralph Barker
19-Apr-2007, 10:07
. . . I find that for portraiture particularly, you are often putting you head to the GG, and then up and again over and over to keep the subject engaged and your eyes simply don't have the time to get aquainted with a dim image on the GG.

One could always wear a patch over the GG-focusing eye when out in the light. A segment on the "Myth Busters" TV show proved it works.

The downside, of course, is that it's tough to do portraits when the subject is rolling on the floor laughing. ;)

John Kasaian
20-Apr-2007, 18:48
I've had no trouble with focusing at f/9 in bright daylight ( and I could well be the poster child for advertising a Mister MaGoo cartoon!) ;)