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davidb
25-Oct-2007, 13:44
I just bought a Schneider 180mm Apo-Symmar L lens.

The front element seems to not sit completely in the shutter.

I checked a variety of sites and this "appears" to be correct.

Looking at the photos on Badgers site, this seems correct.

Is this right?

Bob Salomon
25-Oct-2007, 14:19
Why not ask Schneider tomorrow?

davidb
25-Oct-2007, 17:29
yeah...i'll do that.

davidb
25-Oct-2007, 21:25
No one owns an L lens?

vinny
25-Oct-2007, 22:37
I had a 150mm L for a year or two. It was the only lens i've ever purchased new. It'll probably be the last i'll ever purchase new as well. I don't know about the front element being off but the lens was garbage compared to anything else i've used since. It handled flare well and was contrasty but wasn't very sharp at typical shooting apertures like 22 or 32. I sold it and didn't lose much on the deal.

davidb
25-Oct-2007, 22:46
that's encouraging.

Michael Alpert
26-Oct-2007, 06:50
. . . I don't know about the front element being off but the lens was garbage compared to anything else i've used since. It handled flare well and was contrasty but wasn't very sharp at typical shooting apertures like 22 or 32. I sold it and didn't lose much on the deal.

vinny, I am really surprised by your statement. I have a 210L, purchased second-hand. It is very sharp when used at f22-f32 in 5x7, with more coverage than most 210mm lenses.

davidb, after you have contacted Schneider or your dealer, please do not let this thread drop. Let us know the cause of your problem and the solution.

naturephoto1
26-Oct-2007, 06:54
My Apo Symmar L f5.6 120mm is very sharp. I have not tested it enough but it seems to approach the sharpness of my larger Schneider Super Symmar HM 120mm HM which may be the sharpest 120mm lens ever offered for LF. The Super Symmar HM 120 is considered by many to be one of the sharpest LF lenses ever offered.

Rich

BradS
26-Oct-2007, 08:58
Must have been a lot of manufacturing variation...
My own experience was similar to vinny's. Had been using a comparatively ratty looking older 135mm Symmar-S with mild case of schneider-its. Well, I decided to "upgrade" and sprung for a brand new 150mm APO Symmar-L. The new 'L' was garbage! OK, it wasn't complete garbage. It was actually pretty darned good but, even to my eye, it was clearly not performing as well as the Symmar-S. I couldn't believe it. I thought, "I must be doing something wrong". I did back-to-back tests and everything. Like vinny, I sold the new 'L' and took a small loss. :(

davidb
26-Oct-2007, 09:46
Okay so I just called John at Schneiders Service dept.

Apparently, this is the way the lens was sold, without a plastic ring (of sorts) that sits between the front cell and the shutter. So without this ring, you can see the gold colored ring that is on the front side of the shutter. I've attached a photo from Badgers website of the lens, and you can see the gold ring. So, this is correct and there is nothing wrong with the lens.

Thanks for all the help.

davidb
26-Oct-2007, 09:48
BTW, this lens was made in 2001 and the L model has been replaced with a T model.

naturephoto1
26-Oct-2007, 09:58
BTW, this lens was made in 2001 and the L model has been replaced with a T model.

David,

Are you sure that the lens has been replaced with a new model? The lens is still listed in the current Schneider LF brochure and the Schneider USA website.

Rich

davidb
26-Oct-2007, 09:59
This is what I was told by John. I too checked the website and see no mention of the new T model.

John Sioringas' phone 800-228-1254

Scott Rosenberg
26-Oct-2007, 12:59
that's encouraging.

the only person that needs to worry about that lens is the guy vinny sold it to... it has no meaningful correlation to the lens in your bag. perhaps it should have been returned to the manufacturer rather than passed off.

i'm sure you'll find way more people that are pleased with the performance of their schneider L glass than those that aren't.

davidb
26-Oct-2007, 13:29
I am not worried. I got it for a great price and I am sure it is a great lens.

Stephen Best
26-Oct-2007, 15:10
BTW, this lens was made in 2001 and the L model has been replaced with a T model.

There's an Apo-Digitar 5.6/180 mm T. Maybe your informant got confused between the two ranges.