PDA

View Full Version : lens choice



william_3670
1-Nov-2003, 21:50
i purchased a tachihara 8x10 double extension.i am now looking at a lens.specifically the rodenstock 240 sironar s. due to the shorter bellows and my desire to do 1:1 along with some landscapes and possibly an occasional nude. the image circle seems adequate @372mm,it's multicoated and corrected for 1:1. my question is does anyone out there have any experience with this lens when used on 8x10 for these types of applications. thank you in advance. william. ps. i'll only be shooting b&w.

John Kasaian
1-Nov-2003, 22:37
william,

I'm not familiar with the 240 Sironar S, but I do have a 240 G Claron which is single coated, and its a darn great lens for the price. For B+W, I don't think there is much of an advantage to multicoated lenses. While its been said that there is less of a problem with flare from a multicoated lens, I'll hazard that any lens can be made to flare nicely under the right conditions and the best remedy is a lens shade, especially with wide lenses like the 240 on an 8x10. If the Sironar S is as sharp and contrasty as the 240 G Claron, IMHO, it may be too sharp and contrasty for most portrait situations.

John O'Connell
2-Nov-2003, 11:21
Well, I've used the Rodenstock Sironar MC 210/5.6 for 8x10 and it's sharper and flares less than my G-Claron. My only beef with the 210 was that the image circle was barely sufficient for 8x10. I'd jump on a deal for the 240/5.6 Sironar.

I used my 210 on 8x10 at 1:1 and above quite a bit. It was excellent in contact prints -- definitely superior to the 159mm Wolly that I now use when at 1:1, even in contact prints.

I don't find that the #3 shutter is that much of a pain, so I can't see a reason not to get a plasmat in 240mm myself.

g. wiley
3-Nov-2003, 03:16
You might want to consider the Fuji 250mm f6.7 (not the 6.3). It's got more coverage at 399mm and weighs alot less than the Rodenstock. Of course they were discontinued in 1990 so you might have to search a bit to find one, and they are single coated like the G-claron. I have the 6.3 version, which doesn't have enough coverage for 8x10 at 312mm ( though the current CM-W version has 320 coverage). I use mine for smaller formats like 6x9 and 4x5. On the few occassions that I have used portraits, I've felt it was the right lens for the job. I've always enjoyed the way this lens handles the out of focus areas, and immediately found it had some unique qualities that caused me to favor it over my 180mm Symmar. It doesn't have the same clinical razor sharpness of my Fuji 125mm f5.6, though I've used it for general copywork and thought it did a decent job.

Of course all of this is in reference to the f6.3 version. The f6.7 was designed to be a 8x10 wide angle, rather than a slightly longish lens, so probably has different characteristics.

neil poulsen
5-Nov-2003, 01:18
If you're interested in the Fuji f6.7 250mm lens, check out Midwest Photo Supply. They get them in occassionally. I got mine there for $389 or something close to that. Once they're put on sale, they go fast. I got mine before it had been put on display.