Artar 300 mm for portrait?

[norm the storm]

Hi

Are anybody have experience with this lens for portrait? What are your impressions?
I'm interested by this lens. I have a Sinar F1 and I expect to use this lens for portrait
in B&W.

Thank you

http://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360417950347&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:CA:1123

[jwanerman]

I have a 270mm Red Dot Artar that I have used on my SINAR Norma for both landscape and portrait work. It gives a wonderful perspective, excellent sharpness, and a certain hard to define creamy texture to the photographic print. Have fun!

[Ken Lee]

You don't mention the size of your film: 4x5 ? 5x7 ? 8x10 ?

If the Artar is a symmetrical Dialyte design (like many of the APO Nikkors, Ronars, etc), and if the shutter has a high number of aperture blades (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/index.php#Vintage), then you will be very happy with the results: in-focus will be sharp, and the blurred areas will be smooth. Not exaggerated blur, just smooth.

How many aperture blades does that Compur shutter have ?

[E. von Hoegh]

Probably a lot, it's an older Compur. Possibly factory mounted.

I use a 16 1/2" Artar non-RDA for portraits. Be advised, some subjects won't like the process lens resolution. :)

[norm the storm]

You don't mention the size of your film: 4x5 ? 5x7 ? 8x10 ?

If the Artar is a symmetrical Dialyte design (like many of the APO Nikkors, Ronars, etc), and if the shutter has a high number of aperture blades (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/index.php#Vintage), then you will be very happy with the results: in-focus will be sharp, and the blurred areas will be smooth. Not exaggerated blur, just smooth.

How many aperture blades does that Compur shutter have ?


4 X 5.
I don't know about the blades now.

[Leonard Robertson]

This is a relatively small, lightweight lens/shutter for a 300mm FL, which is nice. The possible problem is the f/9 maximum aperture. If you intend to use this indoors, you will find it more difficult to focus in dim light compared to an f/5.6 or f/4.5. Not impossible, but more difficult. If you like the face-only in sharp focus portraits with lots of out-of-focus background, again the f/9 max aperture isn't going to be as nice as a wider aperture lens.

Artars show up more often in barrel mount, rather than in shutter. If you intend to get the Sinar rear shutter, you may be able to find this same lens in barrel mount for much less money, and put the difference toward the Sinar shutter. Just a thought.

Len