Xenotar 150mm f/2.8

[chachahavana]

Dear All, I need some help and advice.

I bought a super good conidition Xenotar serial no. 9021588 which has a diapham and custom made to fit a Hasselblad FE ( the model with shutter ) with a focusing tube. There are no compur shutter on it.

I've tried to take it apart and it's simple, the front element, the rear element and the diapham part is like a compur shutter but there is only the iris but not the shutter. which could all easily screw apart. I meant to use it on my 4x5 field Shen Hao, can anyone suggest how I could fit it to a shutter?

Do you think this is original a barrel lens and please suggest how I could trace the history/record of this lens.

Thank you very much in advance !! Have a nice weekend !

Chachahavana

[Peter K]

The Xenotar 1:2.8/150mm was mounted in one of this shutters: Compound #II/5, Compur #2 and Compur#3. But only the last, Copal #3 will be produced today. So if your lens was produced for a Compur #3, you can mount it in a Copal #3. But if not you will need adapter rings etc. The dimensions for the Compound shutters you can find herehttp://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=223663&postcount=1

[chachahavana]

Thank you very much Peter !!

[Bob Salomon]

Thank you very much Peter !!

Once you get it mounted into a shutter then you will have to calibrate the aperture scales. You might just let a camera repairperson do the whole job at once.

[chachahavana]

Yes, that is another question that I have.

On copal 3 shutters, the largest aperture that I've seen is F/4.5, do they make one for f/2.8.

Thanks you !!

[Bob Salomon]

Yes, that is another question that I have.

On copal 3 shutters, the largest aperture that I've seen is F/4.5, do they make one for f/2.8.

Thanks you !!

When you buy a new shutter the aperture scales are blank so you can calibrate them however your lens requires. The only reason that you have not seen one marked larger then .5 is that you have not seen one marked for a faster lens.

[chachahavana]

I have a copal 3s with f/4.5, when it is turn to f/4.5, it is fully opened already. If I screw the f/2.8 Xenota on it, can I get f/2.8 even though the marking is still at f/4.5 ?

Sorry I am a bit stupid with this, that's why I still couldn't figure out!

Thank you for the patience.

[Skorzen]

The aperture markings on a shutter are only valid for a specific lens focal length mounted in them. F2.8 on a 150mm requires a ~53.6mm opening. As long as the size of the opening is at least 53.6 you will get to 2.8.

[Peter K]

The aperture markings on a shutter are only valid for a specific lens focal length mounted in them. F2.8 on a 150mm requires a ~53.6mm opening. As long as the size of the opening is at least 53.6 you will get to 2.8.
53mm is the size of the entrance pupil, not the diameter of the mechanical aperture! The maximum aperture of a Copal #3 is 45mm, but the Compur #2 has only 35mm. And the Xenotar was also mounted in this shutter. So a #3 shutter will always fit.

As Bob mentioned before, the aperture scale has to engraved different for every lens. But this can also made "at home".

There http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=32332&highlight=aperture+scale #2 is a measuring method to determine the f/stops described by Emmanuel BIGLER. This methode was invented by August von Steinheil (1801 - 1870) but it works very well also today.

[chachahavana]

Hi friends

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge on the shutter with me, I will give it a try !

cheers

[Misko]

Can I mount any Xenotar on Compur #3 or Copal #3 shutter (even with an adapter made for the difference on diameter)?

[EdSawyer]

If you have adapters to adapt the threads (diameter, length being the critical measurements) then sure, a xenotar 150 could work in a Copal 3. Some of the latest ones from Schneider were delivered that way.

[Jim Galli]

Look for a clean used Schneider K 240mm f5.6 Symmar Convertible in the Compur shutter. It is the correct shutter for the Xenotar. You still have some work to do making a usable aperture scale though.

[Corran]

Or a Tele-Arton 270mm f/5.5. Mine is in a Compur #2 just like my 150mm Xenotar.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

If you have adapters to adapt the threads (diameter, length being the critical measurements) then sure, a xenotar 150 could work in a Copal 3. Some of the latest ones from Schneider were delivered that way.

A secret is that a 150/2.8 Xenotar will also fit into the Copal #3 shutter of a 240/5.6 Symmar Convertible. These lenses all have brass adapters to allow a #2 threads to fit into a #3 shutter. Sometimes it is difficult to get the adapter unscrewed, but they do fit once removed.

jason

[Misko]

My favorite would be to get myself Symmar-S 240 or Sironar-N 240 in Copal #3 and make adapter myself. If you guys think it would be possible - I think I will hunt decently priced Symmar or Sironar for this actions in Copal #3s (I believe Copal is better choice than Compur simply because of the possible age of shutter and possible serviceability - do you agree?)

[evan clarke]

Fortunately, it's a wonderful lens wide open so you don't have to worry about the aperture scale!!

[EdSawyer]

Not all the compur II 5/2 shutters from stuff like Symmar 240s will work with Xenotar 150. I know because I have some. In some cases the tube length is too long, making the overall length of the lens too long. This requires either deeper threads on the lens elements or a shorter tube... neither of which is simple.

Bryan, don't you mean the tele arton 240? I think that is the correct one. Somewhere I read the 270 is in a smaller shutter (bizzarely).

Personally I'd prefer a compur II if I was going to put this lens in a shutter. Smaller, lighter, and faster than the copal 3 and with more aperture blades usually.

-Ed

[Corran]

My Tele-Arton 270mm is in (Linhof) Compur #2, definitely, but now that I think about it I've read there are multiple versions of it. I have the one with 58mm filter threads.

[Misko]

Seems I will have to live with the lens w/o a shutter for a time being & then slowly decide what to do :)

[EdSawyer]

The 150 xenotar is best used, on a camera with a focal plane shutter, at least if you want to use the larger apertures in relatively bright light. The 1/200 fastest speed on the compur 2 is not going to be fast enough to shoot it wide open outdoors during the day for example. Which is why something like a speed graphic is a great choice with a lens like this.

-Ed

[Misko]

I personally have Graflex Pacemaker & that is great option for this lens. On the other hand - I have Cambo 4x5 monorail camera that I would like to use with this lens - hence a need for a shutter. Using it with flash in some cases on Pacemaker is easier with the installed central shutter than what it is with Graflex' focal plane shutter.

[EdSawyer]

Misko, that all makes good sense. I have a pacemaker speed I use with the xenotar primarily. I do also have a compur 2 for it, but as mentioned need to shorten the tube somehow to make the overall length correct. good luck in your quest. If you can find or easily make compur 2->Copal 3 adapters, please post details.

[nonuniform]

I have the Xenotar 150/2.8 in a Linhof shutter, which, I forget who made that shutter. I use it in my Crown Graphic all the time, love that lens. For shooting wide open, I use an ND filter. Since I'm using the RF, it works fine. Note, I'm using the side RF, which is easy to adjust but needs to be tweaked often.

[Corran]

Well just FYI, there is a 270/5.5 Tele-Arton on eBay right now for $250, which is in a Compur#2 and I believe would fit the Xenotar. I will double-check when my 150 gets back from the shop, on my Tele-Arton shutter.

If anyone buys that lens, I'd pay a little bit to get the lens cells (my Arton has a busted rear element). But let me make sure it works, but IIRC when I had them both in my hands, the shutter was identical, save the aperture scale of course.

[EdSawyer]

Keep us posted re: tele arton.

[SergeiR]

Well just FYI, there is a 270/5.5 Tele-Arton on eBay right now for $250, which is in a Compur#2 and I believe would fit the Xenotar..
it does.

[Corran]

Update! So the Tele-Arton 270mm f/5.5 shutter is the right size for the 150mm Xenotar, but the front element of the Arton, being slightly smaller, has a spacer installed in the front assembly of the shutter to seat it at the right distance.

So it wouldn't be usable out-of-the-box, as the front element of the Xenotar screws in much further away than it should, but I believe the spacer is removable. It has a hole for a set screw. I'm not removing mine...because I need it for my Arton! I do believe it would work though, it just might need to be sent to a specialist to do the necessary work.

As it happens, I looked at the Arton on eBay today and he dropped the price to $210, which is quite a deal. I'm thinking about buying it just to have a parts Compur. However, if someone wants it for their Xenotar, I would be willing to offset their cost and buy the Arton cells for my damaged lens. If no one's interested I'll just buy the whole thing. Let me know.