Industar 300mm f4.5 Does anyone use one?

[scrichton]

I'm looking for some samples from this wide open. Seems really nice and cheap for a long fast lens.

Look forward to seeing what you guys produce.

Steven

[scrichton]

Failing that a recent 300mm 4.5 tessar wide open, I belive they should be pretty similar

[Dan Fromm]

Steven, not directly relevant but I have a 210/4.5 Industar-51. Same design, i.e., tessar, as the 300. KOMZ's quality control wasn't the best and there's no guarantee that the lens in hand is as good now as it was when it left the camera, so its hard to draw conclusions about a manufacturer's product slate from a single old lens.

All the caveats having been issued, I don't regard my I-51 as fit to use. Its just a little too soft -- evenly soft across the field -- from wide open to f/22.

Please forgive my failing memory. I don't recall which camera you're using. This may matter, since the lens you're contemplating is in barrel and can't be put in shutter inexpensively. It can be used on a Speed Graphic or similar press camera with focal plan shutter or front-mounted, which can entail more expense. I bought mine because it was in a crude adapter to M39x1 on a Zenit M39x1 bellows, all for $20. And I have an M39-1-to-#1 adapter.

[scrichton]

Will be used on either a sinar F with the norma shutter or a speed graphic. I'm really looking for samples that's all. I've had russian stuff before that is terrible but there is always the 50:50 chance it is great.

[scrichton]

Lens arrived yesterday in the typical russian way (smelly) So I mounted it up had a good look with a loupe and fair enough not amazing, but totally sharp enough for 99% of the time. Massive enlargements might be not so good. But in comparison to the 270mm process lens I have it is much lighter, multi-coated and has a nice circular aperture.

In other news though split my dallmeyer pentac apart and freed up the aperture and also managed to polish all the crap off the elements. Stunning is a word that springs to mind on this one :D

[Ernest Purdum]

There is a Russian behind the lens shutter made just for these lenses. (I think up to 300mm, not quite sure.) It shows up on eBay fairly often. It is a pretty crude device and makes amazing noises, but if you've got a big enough lensboard its a step up from a Packard.

[Roboflick]

Can this lens be mounted on a speed graphic board? I'm thinking of buying one. They are cheap enough might be fun for portraits

[Roboflick]

Anyone using one on a speed graphic?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I doubt a speed graphic has enough bellows for anything but landscapes with a 300mm lens.

[Dan Fromm]

12.5", Jason, according to the bible, 10th edition. If the lens is mounted in front of the board, that would add a tiny bit more extension.