advise on expanding my lens setup

[Havoc]

I've sent lenses to Carol at Flutots in the past, why not post shutters to the US for repair? I'm in the UK, never had a problem with Flutots, stop being insular the EU isn't everything!
Pete

I'm not insular, just practical: customs and post service in Belgium is PITA. Not a big issue if you just order, it adds only about 4 weeks to the delivery time if it comes from outside the EU.

But today the shutter from Kumar arrived. So now I can swap out the defective shutter and have it send out for repair. Right now I have 2 addresses in Holland that say they can do the repair (depending parts).

Also have some film in transit so if the good weather persists for a couple more days...

Something which may be an issue, is filter size.

The SWD f/5.6 90mm uses 82mm filters. Image size is 236mm, angle of coverage is 105º

The SW f/8 90mm uses 67mm filters. Image size is 216mm, angle of coverage is 100º

When looking for a 90mm I weighed up the alternatives and went with the SW f/8 90mm lens over the SWD version solely because of the filter size.

Yes, saw that as well. The uniform filter size is why I intended to stay with the Fuji CM/W line with their 67mm size.

[Mick Fagan]

You actually decided on size rather then coverage, fall off, distortion, color curves, etc?

Yes I did.

Size, fall off, coverage, distortion are all important things to consider; so is the fact I am strictly an amateur and only have myself to please.

Another consideration for me, was the ability to use my 67mm centre filter (which I have for my Fujinon SWD f/5.6/65mm) on the 90mm if I needed to. As it turned out, using the centre filter on the 90mm in some instances has been beneficial.

I didn't consider colour to be an issue for me, the build and glass quality of these lenses is more than adequate for my needs. Around 30+ years ago I was working in a big studio complex, having a colour corrected in camera transparency was the order of the day for magazine reproduction and overall efficiency. I do appreciate that how a lens handles different colours also effects the outcome in B&W.

Mick.

[jim10219]

Something which may be an issue, is filter size.

The SWD f/5.6 90mm uses 82mm filters. Image size is 236mm, angle of coverage is 105º

The SW f/8 90mm uses 67mm filters. Image size is 216mm, angle of coverage is 100º

When looking for a 90mm I weighed up the alternatives and went with the SW f/8 90mm lens over the SWD version solely because of the filter size.

Mick.

Quite true. I bought the SWD 90/5.6 and absolutely love the lens, but I hate the filter costs. I've basically whittled my filter collection down to two sizes, 52mm (because I already owned a bunch of 52mm filters from my Nikon and Pentax small format lenses), and the giant 82mm filters, plus a bunch of step up rings. My collection of 82mm filters are mostly generic brands due to the exorbitant costs of any brand of filters this large. So if you go that route, be aware of the financial consequences that await you further down the road.

Still, the 90/5.6 SWD is my favorite and most used lens.

[Bob Salomon]

Yes I did.

Size, fall off, coverage, distortion are all important things to consider; so is the fact I am strictly an amateur and only have myself to please.

Another consideration for me, was the ability to use my 67mm centre filter (which I have for my Fujinon SWD f/5.6/65mm) on the 90mm if I needed to. As it turned out, using the centre filter on the 90mm in some instances has been beneficial.

I didn't consider colour to be an issue for me, the build and glass quality of these lenses is more than adequate for my needs. Around 30+ years ago I was working in a big studio complex, having a colour corrected in camera transparency was the order of the day for magazine reproduction and overall efficiency. I do appreciate that how a lens handles different colours also effects the outcome in B&W.

Mick.

Being an amateur is no reason not to strive for the best possible results! Virtually all pros, at one time or another, were amateurs!

[consummate_fritterer]

Being an amateur is no reason not to strive for the best possible results! Virtually all pros, at one time or another, were amateurs!

Adding to that statement; Many 'amateurs' are better than most 'pros'.

[Bob Salomon]

Adding to that statement; Many 'amateurs' are better than most 'pros'.

Our experience was that most of our best customers were amateurs!

[Mick Fagan]

Being an amateur is no reason not to strive for the best possible results! Virtually all pros, at one time or another, were amateurs!

Very good point Bob, however, life is always a trade-off.

I did look for an 82mm centre filter, very hard to find, but find I did. Two places in Germany, one in the UK. Pretty much looking at $850 AUD for one, didn't matter from which country.

As an amateur, I decided that as I had an existing graduated 67mm centre filter that worked very well on my Fujinon SWD 65mm f/5.6 lens, it was going to be used on a 90mm lens as well. Also, if I ever get a 75mm lens in the future, which is a possibility, then it will use the same 67mm filter.

Trade-offs...

Mick.

[Havoc]

Being an amateur is no reason not to strive for the best possible results! Virtually all pros, at one time or another, were amateurs!

Very good point Bob, however, life is always a trade-off.

I did look for an 82mm centre filter, very hard to find, but find I did. Two places in Germany, one in the UK. Pretty much looking at $850 AUD for one, didn't matter from which country.

As an amateur, I decided that as I had an existing graduated 67mm centre filter that worked very well on my Fujinon SWD 65mm f/5.6 lens, it was going to be used on a 90mm lens as well.

I think both viewpoints are absolutely correct. There is indeed no reason not to strive for the best as an amateur, but as an amateur the trade-offs are different from a pro.

When your photography is a business, in brings in money (well, it should) and the added cost of an extra set of filters is a business decision. If this bit of added result means possible monetary gains then shelling out for another set of filters makes sense (if your businessplan makes sense). But if you are just an amateur then every bit of money you put into your photography is money you cannot use for more basic needs of life.

For me this is the difference between a hobby and work, "if it makes me money it is work, if it costs me money it is a hobby". The line will be somewhere different for each of us. To some 850 is loose pocket change, for others it can mean saving up for a loooong time.

That said, I went with the SWD 90/5.6. Reason is that I'm very happy with my SWD 75 and for some (maybe idiotic) reason I'd like to stay in the same family of lenses. I have used the SWD 75 without a center filter and the max movement I could get out of my Wista and was very happy with the result of the lens and B/W film. Maybe if I would go to E6 film I'll need a filter, but I cannot justify the cost of E6 film.

So when customs has finished playing with it, the line-up will be SWD75, SWD 90, CMW 125, Symmar 180/315 and CMW 250. On the Wista this covers the range it can take with the standard bellows and rail. The next investment is film, film, film and a basic darkroom course.

[schafphoto]

Bruge is ugly?

I guess he could be looking at the Ugly Belgian Houses instagram. One of my favorites.

[Jac@stafford.net]

If I had waited until I could afford a superior lens, I would have lost three years experience and a few remarkable images.