Rodenstock S 300 5.6

[Don Hall]

I know they are large and I know they are heavy, but has anyone had any experien ce with these monsters for 4X5 ? I have the opportunity to pick one up at a rea sonable pric and was wondering if I would see any improvement in image quality a t infinity compared to my Nikon 300M. Also, since the filter size is 100mm, can a step down ring, say to 82mm or even 67mm be used to accomodate those size filt ers and still have an adequate image circle for 4X5 with some movements ? Obviou sly it would only be used for "road kills", not backpacking !!

[Michael Kadillak]

I can only tell you that my expectations to use large relatively inexpensive lenses for similar applications have simply not occurred. I found that they just collected dust. Put the horse in front of the cart. Avoid the urge to acquire a lens that is obviously excessive in size, weight and coverage for your application. The 300M Nikon is a tiny footprint relative to the monster you describe.