Fuji C 300 versions

[Lenny Eiger]

Hi there. I've been looking for a Fuji C 300 for my 4x5. I have a Nikon T 360 I want to let go of... Someone has offered me a Fuji in a chrome Copal. Does anyone know if this is an "earlier" version? I have also seen distinctions of letters outside the lens vs inside, etc. However, no clear indications as to whether to wait for a newer version or not... Are there differences in this lens vs the newer ones, coating, sharpness, etc.

I am also curious how it stacks up against the Nikon 300M which is roughly the same weight...

I'd appreciate any insight...

TIA,

Lenny

[Gem Singer]

I have owned both of those lenses. Still use the Nikon/Nikkor 300M for 4x5 and 5x7.

The chrome Copal shutter is an earlier model.

If a Fujinon LF lens is labeled on the outside of the barrel, it is EBC coated. If labeled around the lens ring, it is single coated.

The Nikon/Nikkor f9 300M weighs 290gms and has a 325mm image circle.

The Fujinon f8.5 300C weighs 250gms and has a 380mm image circle.

Both are 4-elment designs, are mounted in Copal 1 shutters, and take 52mm screw-in filters.

Both are tack sharp and contrasty.

Personally, I prefer Nikons mounted in newer all- black Copal shutters.

[Gem Singer]

BTW, the Fujinon chart shows only one version of the 300C, and it is EBC coated.

It does not indicate whether, or not, Fuji made an earlier single coated version of this lens.

(see:www.willwilson.com/fujinon.html)

[Drew Wiley]

There apparently was an earlier single-coated version. I have not used it. The Fujinon
will have more coverage; it will cover 8x10 with limited movement, but is not in my opinion an ideal candidate for this format. It would be wonderful on 5x7. But since you're shooting 4x5, the Nikkor M would be an excellent choice too. Either one should
give you better sharpness and movement than the 360T in question. Sometimes you
can have too much coverage and need to be especially careful how you shade your
lens in high flare situations. That's why I prefer the 300M for 4x5 use (plus the fact that it has only 6 air/glass interfaces), whereas I prefer Fuji C's and A's for 8x10 use.
But you can't go wrong with any of these. I'd snap up any of them for the right price.

[Peter De Smidt]

The outside lettering = EBC might have exceptions. One way to check would be to look at the reflections. Kerry has shown examples of how to distinguish multi from single coated Fujinon lenses in various places. For example, see: http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/fujinon.htm

I had a Fuji 300c EBC lens for a number of years. It was excellent.

[Lenny Eiger]

Thanks all. This is great info and very helpful.

Lenny

[Really Big Cameras]

The Fujinon C series was introduce in 1982 and has always been multicoated. There is no such thing as a single coated Fujinon C.

Ironically, there was an earlier single coated version of the Nikkor M - sort of. It was called the Nikkor Q. Q for quattro, as in four - the number of elements in the lens.

Both the Nikkor M and Fujinon C are four element designs, but the Nikkor is a tessar type (4/3) and the Fujinon is a dialyte (4/4).

Kerry

[Drew Wiley]

The Fuji tessars were the L-series, comparable to Nikkor Q. I have two 360 A series
Fuji lenses which are unquestionably multicoated, but have no EBC notation. The
lettering is on the outside of the rim.

[mdm]

If you are trying to say an f4.5 300mm Fujinon L is comparable to an f9 300mm Nikkor M or f8.5 Fujinon C, you probably have never seen one. Copal 3 and heavy as.

[Thom Bennett]

Lenny, if it's any help at all that painting you scanned for me recently was shot with a Fuji 300C. Love that lens and I use it on the 8x10 and the 4x5.

[Drew Wiley]

David - optically comparable. Thicker glass for sure. Fuji 210L was in a small shutter,
while Nikkor M 450 is in a big 3 shutter. So even the Nikkor 450 is in a totally different
weight league than the 450C Fuji. The Fuji L's in 420 are certainly heavy, but being
prized to this day by studio portrait photogs, weight and extreme sharpness are not the issue. Frankly, if I was in that business I'd want an even heavier lens with an even wider max aperture. All I meant, that, beginning with the Fuji L's, the venerable tessar design was becoming distinctly modernized, and that Nikkor M's follow upon this trend.
My own field use involves Fuji C's, Fuji A's, Nikkor M's, and G-Clarons. All are compact
and remarkably sharp, but differ in coverage and other nuances.

[Steve Hamley]

Just a note on Drew's comment about the 420L tessar for portraits, I note that Timothy Greenfield-Sanders used a Nikkor 450M for his supermodels at 40 (IIRC) spread that was in "View Camera" a few months ago.

Cheers, Steve