150 mm lens for 5x7

[Peter Cast]

Hello everybody.

I am looking for 150mm lens that will cover 5x7 with image circle 260-290 mm. I know the tab made by Michael K. Davis and it is not much helpful to me plus all new lenses seem to me a bit too expensive.
Is there other lens that fits my demand? What are your experiences with older types of lenses?

Thanks for help.

Peter

[Justin Cormack]

The Graphic-Kowa and Computar 150mm f9 have an IC of 290mm, as well as being tiny.

[Kevin Crisp]

The G Claron is small and relatively inexpensive. I've never run out of movement so at a minimum you can get an inch and a quarter or rise.

[Jim Noel]

6" Dagor covers beautifully.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

The three mentioned are all great choices. The 150mm f9 Graphic-Kowa, also sold as the 150mm f9 Computar and 150mm f6.8 APO Kyvytar, would be my first choice. They are getting hard to find, but if you find one in a barrel, the cells will fit directly into a Copal No. 1 shutter.

Another hard to find lens that is similar to (but even better than) the G Claron is the 150mm f9 Germinar-W.

Additional modern 150mm lenses that cover 5x7 are the 150mm f5.6 APO Sironar-W and the 150mm f5.6 Super Symmar HM. The APO Sironar-W was originally sold as just the APO Sironar (no "-W" suffix). You can tell it's the right lens (80 degree coverage) by the 72mm filter size.

You didn't mention a budget, but you did ask about older lenses. These two aren't 150mm, but they are close. The 135mm f6.3 Wide Field Ektar and 135mm f6.8 Meopta Largor will both cover 5x7. These are older single coated lenses made in the 1940s and 1950s. The 135mm f6.8 Meopta Largor was made for the 13x18cm Meopta Magnola camera and came in a Prontor 0 shutter. It's absolutely tiny (weighs 102g, including the shutter). And since it was made in your home country, you can probably find one locally at a very agreeable price.

Kerry

[Kevin Crisp]

The APO Symmar is officially, per Schneider, a 5X7 lens, I don't know what the actual coverage is and have never used mine for that format. Since the older Symmar wasn't rated for 5X7 and certainly won't cover it in my experience, I suspect the 150 just barely covers.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

The 150/9 lenses Kerry listed (G-Claron, Computar, Germinar-W) are sharp and have the coverage you request, but I find them a bit slow and dim for anything but outside use. The 80 degree Sironar-W and Super Symmar HM are fantastic lenses, but expensive and only about 250mm of coverage. This is enough for field use, but probably won't cut it for architecture. The 135/6.3 WF Ektar is also a great lens, but coverage is a bit tighter than you requested on 5x7, also about 250mm stopped down. There are two 165mm lenses which have ample coverage; The 165mm f6.8 Angulon (Kerry is selling one) and the 6 1/2" f8 Wide Angle Dagor. Of these two, I have found the f8 WA Dagor to be sharper, but obviously a bit dimmer, and generally more expensive.

[redu]

Many of those lenses mentioned above are primarily designed for graphic / process applications. They are doing perfectly well for certain reproduction ratios while i am sure they wouldn't be performaing their best at infinity; at least without stoping them down beyond f22. Having said that another such process lens that would cover 5x7 with generous extra coverage spared for the moves, is Konica Hexanon 150mm f9 GRII. But again these are process lenses. OTOH it might be a good idea to look into Nikkor 150mm f8 SW for a general purpose lens.

[Kevin Crisp]

Is there really any need for discussion about whether a G Claron works well at infinity?

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Many of those lenses mentioned above are primarily designed for graphic / process applications. They are doing perfectly well for certain reproduction ratios while i am sure they wouldn't be performaing their best at infinity; at least without stoping them down beyond f22. Having said that another such process lens that would cover 5x7 with generous extra coverage spared for the moves, is Konica Hexanon 150mm f9 GRII. But again these are process lenses. OTOH it might be a good idea to look into Nikkor 150mm f8 SW for a general purpose lens.

The difference is the 150mm Graphic-Kowa/Computar/APO Kyvytar (Copal 1, Compur 1, Prontor 1), 150mm G Claron (Copal 0, Compur 0, Prontor 0) and 150mm Germinar-W (Copal 0, Compur 0, Prontor 0) are all driect fit in the standard shutters listed here. The 150mm Konica Hexanon GRII is not a direct fit in any standard shutter. So, it is much less desirable than the others mentioned.

The 150mm f8 Nikkor SW is a huge lens with a 400mm image circle that is overkill for most 5x7 applications.

Kerry

[Jim Galli]

One that may be available to you cheaply is the Agfa Repromaster, 135 f8 and 150 f8. No shutters and not easily adapted to them, but fine plasmat type and very sharp. I was very impressed with the 135 f8 on a 5X7. Efke 25 film and stop it down. Or learn the pleasures of a Packard shutter. 60 years ago not having a shutter was never a show stopper. Maybe they were smarter than us.

Here ya go (http://cgi.ebay.com/REPROMASTER-210MM-150MM-F9-LENSES-/200635809077?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item2eb6d37d35). You can break into 8X10 with the 210 while you're at it, and all for the princely sum of $49 bucks. No attachment to that seller, just did a quickie search.

[drew.saunders]

The Fuji 150/5.6 lenses, all 3 versions, are 223mm IC and above, according to http://www.willwilson.com/fujinonlc2.html. The older ones can be quite reasonable in price. Keh has two "W" (might be CM-W or NW) for under $350.

[Steve Hamley]

Peter,

Your stated range of (SHARP) coverage for a 150mm lens means 82-88 degrees of sharp coverage. Not many lenses that are not a wide angle design will do this. The 135mm wide field Ektar, the Super Symmar HM, and the Apo-Sironar-W would probably work. If you can stand 165mm, a 6-1/2" Wide Angle Dagor would probably work for you, although I think they're a bit overpriced.

Cost, weight, and filter size aside, a 150mm Super Symmar-XL would also be nice, I use one on 5x7 and whole plate when I need a respectable bit of rise. I shoot old churches and they are typically on hills so the horse leftovers drained away from the church, so if you want to level the camera you frequently need a lot of rise.

Cheers, Steve

[John NYC]

Is there really any need for discussion about whether a G Claron works well at infinity?

None. They are super fantastic at f/22 at infinity.

[Ari]

The Fuji 150/5.6 lenses, all 3 versions, are 223mm IC and above, according to http://www.willwilson.com/fujinonlc2.html. The older ones can be quite reasonable in price. Keh has two "W" (might be CM-W or NW) for under $350.

The older W version, with lettering inside the barrel, has an IC of 254, and Drew is right, they're usually very reasonably priced.

[Jim Galli]

What was I thinking about! This one (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=78761&highlight=Dagor), of course.

[JosephBurke]

The Fuji 150 5,6 easily fits your needs. Sharp, and relatively inexpensive compared to the other options listed.