which lens do i want?

[ravvysan]

hello everybody, i'm in the market for a used 210mm lens for my old 4x5. currently, i'm looking at two different lenses - a Rodenstock 210 5.6 Sironar-n, and a Schneider 210 5.6 Symar-s. the rodenstock is about $100 more than the schneider, which at the moment is somewhat of a concern. so, can i justify buying the cheaper lens because it's cheaper, or will i simply be disappointed? i am willing to go the extra hundred bucks for the rodenstock if it will truly be worth it. any suggestions?

[Gem Singer]

When they were new, both of those lenses were very close in quality and price.

The price differential you are seeing is probably due to the age and condition of the individual lenses and shutters.

If you want to save, look for a Caltar II-N 210 MC. It's the same as the 210 Rodenstock Sironar-N, sold as Calumet's house brand, at a lower price.

KEH has a few 210 Caltar-N's listed on their website. The selling price is based on the present condition of the lens and shutter.

[Bill_1856]

Nothing to choose between the lenses (they're both Great, presuming they are Multicoated), so go with whichever one has the newer/better shutter.

[Ron Marshall]

As Gem said, check out the prices at KEH Camera Brokers (the largest used dealer in the world). Their prices are fair and will give you an idea of current market prices. Buying from a private seller is somewhat cheaper than KEH, but there is more risk involved.

[Glenn Thoreson]

Well, if you're like me you'd want all of them. :D
I second the suggestion to try KEH.com. They are very conservative with their grading scale and I doubt you would be disappointed. Often, their prices are better than the norm, too.
You won't be disappointed with either of those lenses.

[ravvysan]

hey, thanks for all the quick responses so far. seems so be a KEH crowd in the house, eh? after further looking, i am considering gem singers suggestion about the caltar lens. the caltar lens available at keh is a caltar-n, which i discovered was made by schneider, rather than rodenstock. so.....any thoughts about that?

[Ron Marshall]

hey, thanks for all the quick responses so far. seems so be a KEH crowd in the house, eh? after further looking, i am considering gem singers suggestion about the caltar lens. the caltar lens available at keh is a caltar-n, which i discovered was made by schneider, rather than rodenstock. so.....any thoughts about that?

If you are referring to the Caltar II-N, it is made by Rodenstock.

[Gem Singer]

The Caltar-S lenses are Schneider Symmar-S lenses that were formerly marketed by Calumet as their house brand

Caltar II-N is a Rodenstock Sironar-N that is still being offered by Calumet.

[John Kasaian]

You might want to look for a 203mm f/7.7 Ektar for $200 or less. Wollensak made a 203mm that is supposed to be comparable and they usually go for a bit less. Save your $$s for film :)

[Drew Wiley]

In my experience KEH tends to be conservative in their ratings, so unless the lens is
rated "BGN" you'll get something pretty nice. There is generally a nice selection of
210 plastmats, and most anything from Schneider, Rodenstock (except Gerogon), Fuji,
or Nikkor will be excellent for general use. Be aware of differing filter sizes among some
of these lenses. Sironar N (or Caltar II) and Symmar S lenses are only barely behind the latest lens offerings by these same manufacturers. Unless you intend on making huge enlargements you might not ever notice the difference between these and the
current versions, which are indeed slightly sharper, but at much more expense.

[ravvysan]

ok, thanks for all your help everyone! i have decided to go with a caltar II-n, should be here sometime next week. (the camera came with a caltar 135mm, which seems to be giving good results so far, so why not stay consistent, eh?)
however, it is coming sans lens board. so my next question is, which lens boards will fit an old calumet 400 series camera?

[ravvysan]

well, i called calumet and they told me that only calumet or cambo boards will work. anyone have luck making boards for this camera?

[Gem Singer]

Once again, look at the KEH website.

They have many Calumet/Cambo lens boards listed.

You will need a flat board with a 40-42 opening (Copal 1 shutter) for your Caltar 210.

[Vick Vickery]

Ravvysan, Calumet gave you bad info...you probably got hold of someone who is only familiar with their current 4x5 offering, a re-branded Cambo camera. The Calumet 400 DID NOT uses the same board as any Cambo camera! Your Calumet 400 takes a 4" square board, not the 6 3/8" board of the Cambo, and they are frequently available on eBay; you might also check with KEH...bet they have some of them around the place. The boards are easy to make from plywood.

[ravvysan]

vick, unfortunately you are correct! :( after talking to the calumet folks, i ordered a cambo board from keh - and of course when it arrived the other day, it was the wrong size. and they don't carry a calumet board with the correct hole size i need, guess i'll keep looking....