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Thread: Looking for info and opinions on the following lenses

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Boston area
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    109

    Looking for info and opinions on the following lenses

    I ran across a couple of what I think were good bargain priced lenses and now of course I don't know which is best to keep. I will be using them mostly on my Crown Graphic for now and I also have 5x7 Kodak No.2.
    The Kodak came with a 71/2" paragon anastigmat and my Crown came with the Xenar 135mm.
    These are the lenses I bought recently for a total price of $425. All glass looks good but the shutter on the wide view has a problem but not one preventing it from being used.
    Nikkor-W 135mm
    Fujinon-W 210mm
    Kodak Ektar wide field 135mm
    Kodak Ektar 152mm
    Kodak Commercial Ektar 81/2"
    It appears that the wide field 135 is not that common and according to ebay will fetch the most.
    I don't shoot a lot of large format but I hope to retire in the near future and would like to pursue it more.
    One question I have is would the Fujinon-W 210mm or the Commercial 8/12" be better than the Paragon 71/2" when used on the 5x7? I was quite impressed with the Paragon when I compared it to the Fujinon 210mm on my Crown. The Fuji was a tad sharper at f22.
    Another thought I had was to get a cam for the Ektar 152mm to use on my Crown in place of the Xenar 135mm for use with the rangefinder.
    What's the opinion on what to keep and what to sell? I also want to recoup most of what I paid out and keep the wide view 135mm.

  2. #2
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    Humboldt County, CA
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    9,206

    Re: Looking for info and opinions on the following lenses

    I use a 5x7 Eastman No.2...so I will reference that mostly. I am not much of a wide-angle user, so for its value, I would sell the Wide Field 135mm while the market is good. From the numbers, it does covers 5x7, so if you like wide, it sounds like a fun lens to have. I tend towards modern glass, but not particularily fussy. Is the FujiW 210mm have inside lettering or outside lettering (around the lens)? Inside -- single coated will cover 8x10 (if/when you really get the LF bug). Outside -- multi-coated will not cover 8x10...plenty for 5x7 of course.

    Most of my everyday lenses are FujiWs (180, 250, 300 and 360mm, and a Computar 210mm/6.3) so there's my bias. I have an Ilex Paragon Anastigmat 7.5"/4.5, but have not experimented with it as I have that focal length surrounded for 5x7. My longer lenses are RD Artars (19" and 24"...barrels).

    So perhaps keep the FujiW 210mm and either the Paragon 7.5" or the Kodak Commercial Ektar 8.5"...for both the old and the new for that focal length...and use them until you like one or the other, or both.
    Keep the Wide Field 135mm and see how it works in the field for you...money in the bank if you decide not to keep it (says every sufferer of GAS).
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  3. #3
    Tin Can's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    22,319

    Re: Looking for info and opinions on the following lenses

    Keep the ones with good working shutters

    They are becoming rare
    Tin Can

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