Fujinon w verses rodenstock sinaron s

[ENDA BOWE]

Hi,
I am researching a 180 lens to buy.
What l would like to ask of your experience, which of the above lenses are lower in contrast?
It is fine tonality and a medium contrast lens l am after to produce large ctypye prints, photgraphing low contast lighting conditions, landscape and portraits.
In testing a new Rodenstock Grandagon lens, l found it was very sharp but too contrasty.
I have researched the lens coverage on most lenses, this is not a big issue for me.
I shoot with a 5x4 wista.

Thank you.
Enda

[Drew Wiley]

Both Sinarons and Fujinons in their current configuration are multicoated with relatively
high contrast. You'd have to go back quite a ways to find single-coated versions of
these. A 210 G-Claron is a very nice single-coated lens with just a little less contrast,
but also a slightly smaller maximum aperture. Otherwise, you might look for a Dagor in
an appropriate focal length or a 210 Fujinon L, which was a single-coated tessar.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

You mention testing a Grandagon lens, but not which one. If it's a 165 or 210 (don't even know if they made a 210, but still...) all of the Grandagons are wide-angles and as such casts big image circles, which if not properly masked off will produce flare. This could explain the lower contrast. In general Grandagons are known to be quite contrasty. (I take it you are writing about lenses in the same focal lengh range as the one in your subject line.)
If you want the very best, go for a Rodenstock Sironar S in any focal length it is made. There is nothing better in the "normal" plasmat range of lenses. (Not concidering e.g. the Schneider Super Symmar lenses etc.) Now, going that route takes a big wallet and if you have the money to spend, go ahead. I personally found a Linhof selected Schneider Symmar-S 150mm with which I'm very satisfied. I don't think that a Sironar-S would make my photography any better.
The Sinar Sinaron-S is really a Rodenstock Sironar-N, rebranded by Sinar. It's too close a call between any of the big four (Schneider, Rodenstock, Fuji or Nikkor) to tell if anyone is better than the other as the design is (more or less) exactly the same. Given the same age they are about the same and one specimen of one brand could surprisingly outperform all the others, but that is only that single specimen which happens to be built on a very special day by ...
My personal advice is to find a nice-looking lens which have a good and smooth shutter. At working apertures, that lens will serve you very nice indeed.
Last, please learn how to use the search function on this and other forums. Even though you are looking for a 180mm, the same question and answer(s) apply for 150, 210, ..., 360 etc. Once you've got the hang of it, it's easy to find the info you need from all of this stored knowledge.

//Björn

[Don Dudenbostel]

Look for one of the Symmar convertible lenses. I had one thirty five years ago and loved it but needed a 210mm and traded it for the 210. They're single coated, excellent sharpness and moderate contrast. Also the price is quite cheap for the 180mm's. Also the older Fujinon W single coated lenses with the name / FL on the inner retaining ring are very nice. I have the 125mm and find it very sharp and has a very large image circle. I believe the earlier Fujinon W series with the engraving on the retaining ring have larger IC's. Most were mounted in Seiko shutters which are fine.

[ENDA BOWE]

Thanks guys
Enda