View Poll Results: Which lens would you keep?

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  • Nikon Nikkor W 150mm 5.6

    6 50.00%
  • Fujinon W 150mm 5.6

    6 50.00%
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Thread: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

  1. #31

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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Back in them color transparency centric days overall color balance of the lenses from the big four were zeroed out by cc filters on the lighting on camera or a combo. This once extremely common LF practice essentially negated any significant differences across brands.. Once this is done and sticking to one lens brand tended to keep the color corrections mostly equal-uniform.

    In these days of color film, this degree of color tweaking IMO is not really needed given how LF film color images are made then printed.


    Bernice


    Quote Originally Posted by pdmoylan View Post
    I would also check each lens’ flare characteristics. I found Fuji lenses had less controlled flare than Nikons. Color wise I found Nikons a tad more accurate but both are cooler overall than Schneiders. Just my experience. In my comparison of the respective Fuji and Nikki 90f8, the Nikon had greater coverage, more contrast, slightly less saturation than the Fuji. I have always preferred Nikons but that’s just me. The Fuji 300 and 400 teles though good we’re not apo and seemed slightly less sharp than the Nikon counterpart. I used ghe Nikkor 150mm w lens for more than 20 years and have only great things to say about it. Great for closeup work as well.

  2. #32

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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Not to diminish the OP’s intentions, but perhaps a more important question: is 150mm the right choice in focal length. It’s about the same as a 40mm lens in 35mm language (163mm diagonal being equivalent to 43mm in 35mm speak). After a couple of years of using the 150mm somewhat exclusively, and subsequently purchasing a 90mm, 210mm, and 300mm over two years, I found the expanded focal lengths freeing and rarely used the 150 thereafter even for closeups. All things being equal, sell the lens you get the highest price for and apply the proceeds against a different focal length.

  3. #33

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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Much about brand identity and brand name recognition.

    Nikon built a brand identity and brand name recognition from decades of marketing and brand name building in the 35mm film world. Nikon built a HUGE and loyal following on this foundation of 35mm film cameras. Today Nikon's primary business is semiconductor processing devices and microscopes (one of Nikon's original offerings) , photographic cameras are a smaller of what makes Nikon go today. This brand affiliation might stick with those moving from 35mm film or digital to the world of view camera..
    https://www.nikon.com/


    Fujinon (now Fujifilm) is a very different image making organization. Fujinon is one of Japan's optical "power houses" while they are in the photographic camera and film business, Fuji is much about chemistry and exotic optics. They are one of the two companies in the world that produce extremely complex video zoom lenses with 100 to 1 zoom range with a full aperture of less than f2 (f1.7 or so). These video zoom lenses are extremely complex with lots of motors that are servo uP controlled with proper ergo controls for the camera operator.. like this.. cost only $164K special order from B&H. Have a gander at the products Fujifilm offers beyond optics.
    https://www.fujifilm.com/


    Canon is the other Japan optical company that makes video zoom lenses like this at the similar to identical cost of six figures like Fujinon.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    It demands an extreme amount of optical and uber precision mechanical production and design to attempt a zoom lens like these.. Nikon does not do these optical extreme designs.

    Keep this in mind when thinking about Nikon -vs- Fujinon. These 100x large aperture video zoom lenses are FAR more complex, no simple effort to design then produce.



    Bernice

  4. #34

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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    Why not shoot with both and decide which you prefer?
    +1. No need to get all Tristram Shandy about this.

  5. #35

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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Typically those big boxy video lenses are controlled from a master control room - the cameraman is just responsible for lining up the shot. I've seen them in person the couple of times I've gone to the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show in Las Vegas. The major companies usually have full size studios set up and all the hardware lined up and you can just grab something and frame with it. Neet tripody gadgets with fingertip height control, all kinds of pricey fun stuff.
    Last edited by Jim Andrada; 29-Jul-2021 at 00:12.

  6. #36
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    Well, back when a full selection of both was in stock in the local pro store, there were serious experienced salespeople too, who swore by Fuji above any other brand of similar lenses - whether Nikkor, Rodenstock, or Schneider. That was prior to the pricey Apo Sironar S series. Doesn't surprise me; and the Fuji W and NW equivalents probably do indeed have a slightly larger critical image circle than the Nikon. But literature-wise, I have found the Fuji brochures a bit over-optimistic with regard to published image circles, and Schneider somewhat too conservative. It would be hard to go wrong with either the Fuji or Nikon 150; but if I were personally shopping for that focal length, I'd look at Fuji first. It was certainly the more popular brand in Japan where the largest quantity of good used lenses is found. And my own experience with Fuji LF lenses supports that. I do use a set of Nikkor M lenses too, but there's no 150 of those, and if there was, it's coverage with respect to 4X5 format wouldn't be ideal.

    I don't know why still photographers scratch their heads about Fuji lenses. I once did too. They didn't market very aggressively here like the two big German brands did. But in other applications like pro video or television they have a stellar reputation and command top-end pricing. I use their A-series LF lenses, C-series, and a bit of NW. Superb quality relative to their intended application niches.
    I like my Fujinon 75mm SWD f/5.6 a lot. But I'm not an expert. (If you click into the photo after it opens it will zoom in a little.)
    https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=...N05&view_all=1

  7. #37
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Seeking 4x5 Lens Advice - Which Lens To Keep - Fujinon Or Nikkor 150mm 5.6

    I'd probably opt for the Fuji due to the probability of a slightly bigger image circle. But if you took the identical color shot with both, I doubt anyone could detect which was which.

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