Fujinon Large Format Lenses Sorted By Focal Length [Archive]

willwilson

6-Feb-2009, 09:08

This lens chart that I referenced often is no longer available. I have reposted it on my website in case anyone has been looking for it. You can find a link to it on my articles and links page. If anyone has pictures of specific lens examples they would like to contribute, I will add them to the page.

http://www.willwilson.com/byfl.htm

or

http://www.willwilson.com/articles.html

Bjorn Nilsson

6-Feb-2009, 09:35

You have a ? on the filter size for the single coated A 360 lens. I can confirm that it is 58mm.

//Björn

willwilson

6-Feb-2009, 10:18

Great, thanks Bjorn!

ic-racer

6-Feb-2009, 10:26

Thanks for keeping this available. I'm a fan of the Fuji lenses.

mrladewig

6-Feb-2009, 11:29

I have a 125 -NW, multicoated with writing on the outside of the barrel with a 46mm filter size. The 125 is an odd duck with so many thread diameters.

venchka

6-Feb-2009, 11:52

David Karp

6-Feb-2009, 12:02

That's the one I need to save my pennies for.

I have heard of these with 46mm filters, but not seen one. The ones that I have seen for sale are 52mm (like mine), so be careful while shopping.

That little 125 Fuji NW is a nice, nice lens.

venchka

6-Feb-2009, 12:07

Stop it! I have no money now.

I found out first hand last night when I scanned some negatives for a friend. One of the negatives was made by his 125mm Fujinon-W. I just saw it briefly when we were out shooting. If I were to guess, I would say that it had the 52mm or 55mm threads. Lovely, lovely, sharp all the way out to the Kodak label on the film, lens.

One of these days. Assuming I don't decide that my 127mm Ektar suits me just fine. Another tiny, altogether not shabby at all lens.

David Karp

6-Feb-2009, 12:09

Sorry. :)

You are right, I have seen some 55mm filter versions on Ebay too.

Eric Woodbury

6-Feb-2009, 12:35

Nice posting. I'll take one of each.

venchka

6-Feb-2009, 15:30

I'm going to put 52mm & 55mm filters in my bag. The next time I see Steve's 125mm Fujinon-W I will find out for sure which size filters it takes and write down the serial number.

Matus Kalisky

7-Feb-2009, 07:32

That is great. Once the "old" web about Fujinon lenses expired/disappeared there was no complete list out there.

Do you plan maybe to expand the information by e.g. adding the weight of the lens and lens cap size?

GPS

7-Feb-2009, 07:58

Adding FFL if available would be useful too.

David Karp

7-Feb-2009, 09:55

This helpful table on the Ebony site includes the flange to focal length data for lenses from the Big 4: http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/lenses.html

Unfortunately, it does not include data for many of the discontinued series.

GPS

7-Feb-2009, 10:54

Thanks David!

venchka

3-Mar-2009, 07:15

I have a 125 -NW, multicoated with writing on the outside of the barrel with a 46mm filter size. The 125 is an odd duck with so many thread diameters.

That's the one I need to save my pennies for. I already have a very nice assortment of 46mm filters. Nice and small for carrying here, there and everywhere.

As luck would have it, one of these appeared shortly after I originally posted the message above. I was fortunate to get the lens. The seller said that it had the 52mm filter ring. That was fine with me. The lens arrived yesterday. It's tiny. I got it cleaned up and mounted on a board. I got out the only 52mm filter I have. It was way too big. HUH? So I reached in the bag with the rangefinder gear and pulled out a filter wallet full of 46mm filters. :) :cool: Sure enough. My B+W 46mm yellow-green filter screwed right in.

New lens. Yellow-green, yellow-orange and red filters. I am all set.

Thanks to Jim, David, Drew, mrladewig, and everyone else who spoke so highly of this lens. Thanks to Steve P. for giving me a negative from this lens to scan.

I'm taking the lens out to play on Saturday.

For the record: Fujinon-W 125mm 1:5.6. 46mm filter ring. Serial number 4401xx. Markings on outside of barrel. Reflection colors indicate multi-coating. A guess: EBC. Copal #0 chrome speed setting ring shutter.

sienarot

7-Mar-2009, 22:32

For the record: Fujinon-W 125mm 1:5.6. 46mm filter ring. Serial number 4401xx. Markings on outside of barrel. Reflection colors indicate multi-coating. A guess: EBC. Copal #0 chrome speed setting ring shutter.

I have one that fits this description exactly, except my serial number is 4404xx

venchka

9-Mar-2009, 09:39

Based strictly on an eyeball examination while hanging wet negatives yesterday, my new lens is a keeper.

David Karp

9-Mar-2009, 10:08

Great!

venchka

9-Mar-2009, 10:10

Great!

I'm not too sure about me. I have a ways to go to get to "Keeper" status. :D

Eric Woodbury

14-Mar-2009, 17:54

Gem Singer

14-Mar-2009, 18:28

If the lettering is located on the outside of the lens barrel on a Fujinon lens, it is EBC (multi) coated.

If the lettering is around the lens ring of the front element, the Fuji lens is single coated.

These single coated lenses were usually mounted in Seiko shutters. However, there are exceptions. Some were mounted in early Copal shutters.

venchka

14-Mar-2009, 18:35

I'm still confused. I'm looking at used 125mm Fujinon Ws on the web. One is advertised as MC, but how do I know for sure what model it is and do I care? Sounds like there is a CMW, a couple of NWs, a W, some are coated, some not, and some disagreement on filter size and I suppose weight. What I'd like is MC and low weight. All the different image circles are big enough. If I know the front diameter and that it's MC, am I in good shape?

Nothing scientific from me, but I think you have it correct. Jim Galli said that he owned or owns a single coated 125mm lens with 46mm filter threads. I recently purchased a version of this lens with the lettering around the outside of the front cell, 46mm filter threads and, according to Kerry Thalmann's light reflecting test, multi-coated. The wording on the lens is Fujinon-W 1:5.6/125mm. My lens is sitting on the scale now. 4" sq. Zone VI board, 2 caps, skylight filter: 262 grams. By comparison, my Nikkor-W 1:5.6/180mm lens in similar trim weighs 493 grams.

I have seen one other Fujinon-W 5.6/125mm lens. It belongs to a friend and is small like mine. However, we haven't put the two lenses side by side to compare filter threads. We did confirm that our lenses are small enough to fold up inside his Shen Hao or my Zone VI cameras.

Long winded way of saying: Look at the coating to know if it's EBC or not. Measure the filter threads. There isn't anything written on the lens to tell you which version it might be. It is a very nice, very small (some of them) lens.

Good luck!

Gem Singer

14-Mar-2009, 19:48

If you would like to know more about Fuji lenses, read Kerry Thalmann's article entitled, "Fujinon Lenses, Past and Present", published in the November/December 2001 issue of View camera Magazine.

Also, check out Kerry's website. He has several pages devoted to Fujinon lenses.

Over the past seven years, I have owned and used approx. eighteen Fujinon lenses. That's almost every lens in the current Fuji catalog. Drove Jim (Midwest Photo) to distraction buying, selling, and trading Fuji lenses with him.

Most were CM-W's, but some were C's, NW's, T's, and SW's. Mostl were EBC coated, mounted in Copal shutters. Still have a set of four CM-W's that i use for both 4X5 and 5X7.

They are great lenses.

Eric Woodbury

14-Mar-2009, 23:23

They are great lenses and I have new appreciation for more of them. I have had the 450C for the longest time and briefly had a 300C (but I'm not a big fan of that particular focal length). Recently, I have had fun re-apportioning my lenses and have acquired the 65SWD, 180A, 240A, and 360A. I really like the length of the 240. I haven't yet used the 360. I thought that as long as the kit was mostly Fuji, I'd see if the 125 was a fair replacement for the 110XL (a great lens, but quite heavy for hauling around).

venchka

16-Mar-2009, 05:47

Eric,

Comparing the 125mm Fujinon-W to the highly touted 110mm XL is way beyond my pay scale.

All I can say is that the Fuji lens is tiny and your wallet may be the big winner.

Eric Woodbury

16-Mar-2009, 10:02

Venchka

thanks. I know that the Fujinon will not be a 110mm XL, but it won't weigh as much either. I don't need a 288mm image circle for 4x5 landscape and abstract work. It won't help my wallet any, tho, as I already have the XL. I will keep it for the 5x7 and for closer to the car.
I've ordered up the 125. We will see what happens.

venchka

16-Mar-2009, 10:21

There you go.

I'm jealous. Enjoy! Let us know how the comparison goes.

Eric Woodbury

18-Mar-2009, 20:06

venchka

18-Mar-2009, 20:14

Cute little rascal, isn't it?

Heroique

19-Mar-2009, 12:55

Got the 125 today. Just for the record, this one is EBC, 55mm front threads, 42mm rear slip on, and 203 grams. f/5.6 to 45. Ser# 591xxx. The shutter appears to be an older style, but the shutter speeds are right on the money.

Recently, I found the same lens locally (w/ 55mm front threads), and its performance has made me :) & :) again. Its serial # is even the same as yours: 591xxx. And my 42mm rear slip-on covers 40.5mm back threads.

I think the 55mm version had a short run before its successor appeared, with 52mm threads.

My shutter, like yours, is an older style: it's a "Copal C" with a silver-dentiled shutter ring. This style (I think) succeeded the older "Copal S" with a silver-finely-serrated shutter ring, and preceded the current "Copal B" all-black shutter ring.

Here's a relevant quote from an older thread by Kerry Thalmann:

"[Fujinon] did seem to have trouble settling on the filter size for the 125mm Fujinon-W. I find examples of 46mm (late 1970s), 55mm (~1979-1982) and 52mm (~1983-1993), but no 49mm filter size in the 125mm Fujinon-W.

It's most likely the version with the 52mm filter size that was made for most of the 1980s into the early 1990s. The image circle is specified at 198mm and the weight is listed as 210g (early brochures list the version with 55mm filter threads with a weight of 123g - a physical impossibility).

... Fuji began using their EBC multicoating process on some large format lenses (the original SWD series) in the mid-1970s. By the time they switched the 125mm Fujinon-W from the Seiko to the Copal shutter (late 1970s), it was EBC multicoated."

Harley Goldman

19-Mar-2009, 15:33

I recently got a 125mm W with the 46mm filter size. It is multi-coated and has the older Copal shutter.

venchka

19-Mar-2009, 17:56

They are suddenly everywhere. Good find!

engl

13-May-2010, 20:12

Does anyone know if there are any differences between the Copal C and Copal S shutters? Except the look of the speed setting ring.

I just picked up a Fujinon W 125/5.6. Multicoated and outer lettering, also serial# 591xxx, but it has the Copal S shutter. It takes 55mm filters. Given the size and shape of the front element, Im surprised this lens was offered with a 46mm filter ring, seems like it would induce vignetting/reduce coverage.

venchka

14-May-2010, 05:04

The tiny 46mm filter version works just fine.

ic-racer

14-May-2010, 08:47

SYNOPSIS of that list for 8x10 users to help in your search:

ALL lenses in #3 shutters have good coverage
ALL 210mm 5.6 with INSIDE lettering have good coverage
ALL 240mm f9 lenses
ALL 250mm lenses with 6.7 aperture have good coverage
ALL 300mm and longer lenses EXCEPT the "T" telephotos have good coverage

Pitfalls seen on e-bay:

250mm 6.3 lenses listed as 8x10 coverage
210mm 5.6 lenses with outside lettering listed as 8x10 coverage
300mm, 400mm or 600mm "T" lenses listed as 8x10 coverage

MIke Sherck

14-May-2010, 12:36

Every time one of these threads extolling the virtues of Fuji lenses comes up, the asking prices shoot up. I'm tired of shooting myself in the foot: Fuji lenses are at best third-rate large format lenses and I'll take these sorry dogs off your hands at no more than a somewhat ruinous discount.

Now stop it! :)

Mike

ic-racer

14-May-2010, 12:41

Oh yes, MIke reminded me that although some can cover 8x10, they are pretty blurry and distorted all the way around (wink wink).

Vincent Malaud

18-May-2010, 02:33

ic-racer

18-May-2010, 05:10

Hello,

I am also contemplating to replace my 135mm optar by the 125mm Fujinon. There is one thing I am not so sure about, I have a 3,25x4,25 graflex, would the Fujinon fit on the original lens board? Or do I need to find another lensboard with a different copal number?

Thanks

Probably Ok. Best to take the lens/shutter out and measure the hole diameter. On the LF Home Page there are articles with the hole sizes for the various shutters.

engl

18-May-2010, 06:44

I did the same swap, a Graflex Optar 135/4.7 replaced by a multicoated Fujinon-W 125/5.6 (55mm filter version). I was able to use the old lens board from the Optar with the Fujinon, and the lens also fit neatly into my Pacemaker Crown Graphic when folded. My camera is the 4x5 version, but the lens should be the same I think.

If you copy is anything like mine I think you will be very happy with the Fujinon. I did some comparisons using a DSLR as a "digital back" to compare sharpness (my Optar shutter isnt quite working so I dont have photos to compare). Sharpness at F16-22 or so is similar as expected, but contrast is much higher throughout the aperture range on the Fujinon. At bigger apertures the sharpness and contrast difference is major, with the Fujinon being tack sharp at F8 (on a 15megapixel sensor which is 1/35th the size of 4x5 film). Any softness with the lens would be due to mis-focusing or diffraction at small apertures. It also keeps sharpness much better to the corners, has a much bigger image circle, flash PC connector and is easier to find filters for.

Hello,

I am also contemplating to replace my 135mm optar by the 125mm Fujinon. There is one thing I am not so sure about, I have a 3,25x4,25 graflex, would the Fujinon fit on the original lens board? Or do I need to find another lensboard with a different copal number?

Thanks

Don Dudenbostel

19-May-2010, 19:23

I just checked my 125 W / 46mm filter version and its multicoated too. I bought it used several years ago for peanuts. Its realy an exceptional little lens. I've been shooting LF since 1964 and really didn't know anything about Fuji until a few years ago. I have a friend that bought Fuji glass with his Master Technika in 1974 and I bought all Schneider with my Master T in 1975. My friend Bill was the only person I knew with Fuji glass until the past few years. I now own a 600c, 250 6.7, 135 NW and the 125 W and could not be more pleased.

Philippe Grunchec

20-May-2010, 09:36

I have a Fujinon A 9/240 (multicoated), but mounted in a Sinar DB: could it be transfered to a "normal" shutter... and who could do that?
Thanks in advance?

willwilson

5-Dec-2011, 11:05

***Update***

Well, I received a phone call from ?Joe? today. Joe, are you on the forum?

He is apparently the author of the Fujinon database I put on my website back in 2009 when the site at that time went down. He thought I was stealing his info, so I have removed it from my site and posted links to his new site. I am just glad that somebody likes fujinon enough to make a database like this!

?Joe's? old page used to be (which went down in 2009): http://members.aol.com/subgallery/byfl.htm
The new page is: http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/index.htm

Lens info for everyone!

Also, ?Joe? I would like to publicly apologize if I offended you by posting your info. I was only trying to keep the information alive for the greater good of the photo community.

P.S. Sorry to dig up this old thread...Happy shooting everyone!