Alternative for f/6.8 90mm Angulon ?

[Cor]

For my lightweight and compact travelling kit I have a Galvin 4*5 plus f/ 6.8 90mm Angulon and a 150 and 210 mm f/9.0 G-Clarons. While the G-Claron perform good in my hands, I start to doubt the Angulon a bit (though the jury is still out, I should run a decent test against my f/8 90mm Super Angulon (MC) )

Anyway the usual supects (Schneider, Rodenstock, Fujinon, Nikkon) have comparable lenses in the 90mm length (I mean compared to the Super Angulon), all of these are bulkier and heavier.

Is there a 90mm lens performing above the 90mm Angulon (yes I know that there is quite some variation between different Angulons) but is less bulkier and heavy, and preferable in the 100-200 euro's range ?

Image circle is less important to me for this application.

Thanks,

Cor

[Taija71A]

____

Nikon Nikkor SW 90mm f/8 Lens.
(*At the 'upper end' of your Price Range).

Weight: 360g.
Image Circle: 235mm.
--
Best regards,

-Tim.
_________

[Old-N-Feeble]

I don't know much about ultralight 90mm lenses. One of the members here likes the Congo Wide Angle but quality was inconsistent so you may have to buy two or three to find a good one. Otherwise, you could buy several examples of the Angulon and test for the best... I understand the later versions were better.

[ic-racer]

The ones I can think of are probably of comparable image quality to the Angulon you already have:
90mm W.A. Optar
100mm f/6.3 WF Ektar

This little Topcor/Horseman is made for 6x9 but, in practical terms, it may cover 4x5 as well as these others. Although only listed as 150mm image circle, it is of modern design and construction and very sharp right up to the edge of the image field with a sharp cutoff at the limit of the image circle. That is in contrast to those older lenses which have more image circle, but get blurry near the edge of the field.

Topcor/Horseman 90mm (6x9 lens) 210g, 6 elements/4 groups. I have used this lens on 4x5.

[Bob Salomon]

Rodenstock 90mm 8.0 Geronar-WA. Much smaller and lighter then the Grandagon-n 4.5 and 6.8, Covered 170mm (85° angle). Came in modern Copal 1 shutter. 58mm filter thread. 41mm total length. 87mm FFL.

[Fotoguy20d]

I think the 100mm Dagor will just cover. There's also the 75mm rectagon.

[Michael Graves]

The 6.8 Angulons have had a checkered history. There have been some spectacular lenses and some spectacular failures. The one I currently own is very good. It gives me a little wiggle room for movements on 4x5...albeit not much. Sharpness and contrast are quite good, and the shutter works well. Therefore, I shall carry it to my grave. (O graves, for those of you with a morbid sense of humor).

The one I have is my fifth version. The first one was great until the shutter died. I sent it to Carol and she said she couldn't fix it. Now THAT'S a rarity! I let her have the old shutter for parts and sold the elements for $30.00. I bought another one off eBay (yes, I know what you're thinking, and I paid the price). The optics were mediocre at best and the shutter didn't work below 1/25 of a second. I bundled it with a Speed Graphic I sold and sent it on it's way. Next I bought one from a forum member. The lens was acceptable and the shutter worked fine, but the focus-lock button refused to engage and i had to use a locking cable release in order to focus. So I put it up on eBay with a description that said the focus lock didn't work and you had to use a locking cable release to focus. I got less for it than I got for the elements of my first one. Found another one (don't remember where that one came from) and it was just like the previous one. Okay image quality...couldn't lock the shutter open to focus. Sold it for a loss. My current one came bundled with a Linhof Technika III, Model V that came with a 135mm 3.5, a 150 5.6 Xenar a 360 Tele-Optar and a pristine 90mm 6.8 that was perfect in every way.

Buy an Optar...they're less stress.

[IanG]

I'd test your Angulon, I bought one ina bout 1988 but was quite disappointed with it and sold it, I tried another about 5 years later I wasn't totally happy but a friend loved it so he had it instead. I'd bought a Grandagon after selling the first one.

I needed a light weight 90mm lens about 7 years,so I bought another 90mm Angulon as it was a bargain price, this one is excellent at f22 prints look similar in quality to the Grandagon.

Rodenstock 90mm 8.0 Geronar-WA. Much smaller and lighter then the Grandagon-n 4.5 and 6.8, Covered 170mm (85° angle). Came in modern Copal 1 shutter. 58mm filter thread. 41mm total length. 87mm FFL.

How common were they (the WA) Bob, I don't remember them being advertised here in the UK, I have the 150mm f6,3 & 210mm f6.8 Geronars and they a great small lenses for backpacking. There are 3 90mm Geronaron WA's on Ebay though at the moment.

Ian

[Bob Salomon]

I'd test your Angulon, I bought one ina bout 1988 but was quite disappointed with it and sold it, I tried another about 5 years later I wasn't totally happy but a friend loved it so he had it instead. I'd bought a Grandagon after selling the first one.

I needed a light weight 90mm lens about 7 years,so I bought another 90mm Angulon as it was a bargain price, this one is excellent at f22 prints look similar in quality to the Grandagon.



How common were they (the WA) Bob, I don't remember them being advertised here in the UK, I have the 150mm f6,3 & 210mm f6.8 Geronars and they a great small lenses for backpacking. There are 3 90mm Geronaron WA's on Ebay though at the moment.

Ian

How common in the UK, don't know. We sold a bunch of them when the Geronar series was available as they were excellent student lenses (which was what they were designed for). An awful lot of US schools bought them with their view cameras.

[Steve Goldstein]

Rodenstock 90mm 8.0 Geronar-WA. Much smaller and lighter then the Grandagon-n 4.5 and 6.8, Covered 170mm (85° angle). Came in modern Copal 1 shutter. 58mm filter thread. 41mm total length. 87mm FFL.

But be aware that this lens is an oddball in that IIRC it requires a Copal 3 mounting hole even though it's (mostly) a Copal 1 shutter.