Goerz Dagor 6” f/6.8

**rajat** · 2-Sep-2020, 13:09

Hello!

4x5 newbie here. Borrowed a friend’s Speed Graphic and fell in love with the process. Got a camera and wanted a 150mm lens with more of a vintage rendering. Not interested in ultimate sharpness, flare control, etc. I’ll really only be shooting portraits and would like old school rendering.

Heard nice things about Dagors in general but can’t seem to find much on the 6” f/6.8. Anyone have thoughts on that?

Thanks in advance 🙏🏽

**Luis-F-S** · 2-Sep-2020, 13:19

**Mark Sawyer** · 2-Sep-2020, 13:26

The signature of the cyanotype process will overwhelm the look of most vintage lenses, unless you're going with something that has an extreme signature like a swirly Petzval or a soft focus of the wide-open Verito ilk. The higher contrast of a more modern coated lens will also serve well in making the contrastier negatives needed for cyanotypes and many other alt-processes.

But if you're determined to use a vintage lens, a Dagor is a good choice, as it has only two interior air/glass surfaces, so is more contrasty than most uncoated vintage lenses. 210mm would be the preferred focal length for portraits on 4x5.

**rajat** · 2-Sep-2020, 14:02

Originally Posted by Luis-F-S

Thanks for these! I’ve seen some info on Dagors but not specifically on the 6”. Since you have one, do you like it! I found a nice copy in a Compur shutter. Worth getting for $350? Or should I look for something else?

**rajat** · 2-Sep-2020, 14:07

Originally Posted by Mark Sawyer

The signature of the cyanotype process will overwhelm the look of most vintage lenses, unless you're going with something that has an extreme signature like a swirly Petzval or a soft focus of the wide-open Verito ilk. The higher contrast of a more modern coated lens will also serve well in making the contrastier negatives needed for cyanotypes and many other alt-processes.

But if you're determined to use a vintage lens, a Dagor is a good choice, as it has only two interior air/glass surfaces, so is more contrasty than most uncoated vintage lenses. 210mm would be the preferred focal length for portraits on 4x5.

Thanks Mark! To be clear, I’m not jumping into cyanotype just yet

but I enjoy the rendering of portraits from the likes of Avedon, Paolo Roversi when they shot LF. I know there’s more to their work but just using that as a yardstick of them type of rendering I’m looking for. Not sure if that makes sense!

**Mark Sawyer** · 2-Sep-2020, 14:34

Don't know about Roversi, but Avedon used a Schneider Symmar-S 360mm and a Fujinon 360mm f/6.3 lens. Both would be considered pretty modern. 360mm on 8x10 is equivalent to 180mm on 4x5, so take that into consideration, perhaps.

**Daniel Unkefer** · 2-Sep-2020, 14:38

There is also the Schneider 165mm F6.8 Angulon which is a bit longer than 150mm but a great lens IMO.

**Nodda Duma** · 2-Sep-2020, 15:29

I just acquired a 6” Dagor for my 4x5, probably a few years younger than yours. I haven’t developed the plates I shot with it this weekend, but will post results. The image looked very nice on the ground glass.

**Luis-F-S** · 2-Sep-2020, 20:25

Originally Posted by rajat

Thanks for these! I’ve seen some info on Dagors but not specifically on the 6”. Since you have one, do you like it! I found a nice copy in a Compur shutter. Worth getting for $350? Or should I look for something else?

A fair price if the shutter is in good shape. L