Fuji 90mm f8 SW or Nikon 90mm f8 SW

[r.e.]

Fine with me. ... Welcome to my ignore list.

Thanks. Next time I ask someone a simple question, I'll be able to get a response without your "assistance".

[Drew Wiley]

It's not a simple question. The fact you don't even realize that is just one more reason you should listen to the why of it. But learn the hard way if you must, and consider yourself ignored hereafter. You didn't start this thread to begin with, and don't think every comment I've made applies to you. Other people exist, and some of these threads get studied hereafter by people who actually are interested in appropriately balanced answers taking into account more than one variable.

[r.e.]

consider yourself ignored hereafter.

Thanks, the sooner the better. Immediately would be great.

[pdmoylan]

Have owned the Nikkor 90 F8 extensively and for a short time the 90MM F8 Fuji. My conclusion is the same as others in this thread who have used both. It's basically a toss up, and although I preferred the Nikkor, I found no faults with the Fuji.

[Alan Klein]

How would people compare either Fuji 90mm f8 SW or Nikon 90mm f8 SW with a Nikkor SW 90mm f4.5?

[Greg]

I have found the Nikkor SW 90mm f4.5 to be just so much easier to focus and use verses the f8 optics. No one has mentioned the 90mm f/5.6 Schneider Super-Angulon XL. I initially acquired mine to use with my whole plate camera. It covers the whole plate format with a little less than one cm to spare. My IVa central ND filter is pretty much always just left on the lens. Lately I have been using it more and more on my 4x5. It allows for extreme movements which I have come to love. Yes it is a huge lens in comparison to other 90mm optics, but I'm not backpacking or hiking very far with it so its size and weight are of no consequence to me. The cost of the 90mm XL is surprisingly low if one is not in a hurry. Mine actually cost me less than my Nikkor SW 90mm f4.5. Now for the IVa central ND filter, that's another story. It took me over a year to find one FS and it wasn't cheap.

[Bernice Loui]

Once the f4.5 / f5.6 90mm wide angles are considered Nikkor cannot be the only f4.5 90mm to be considered. These MUST also be on the list:

~90mm f4.5 Rodenstock Grandagon.

~90mm f5.6 Fujinon SWD.

~90mm f5.6 Schneider Super Angulon.

Larger full aperture can make focusing easier, these as a group have larger image circles of designed in optical performance, slightly lower geometric distortion (often makes zero difference for image results), physically larger, heavier and bulkier than any of the f8 / f6.8 90mm wide angle lenses of this lens family design.. They are all as a group more similar than different.

~Exception being the 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon XL which is the largest of this group, largest image circle of 259mm@ f22 with excellent optical performance.


Seems folks new to LF view camera that have origins in the 35mm or digital world recognize the Nikon brand which is familiar and known to them. This marketing created bias can be carried on to lens brands in their LF view camera preferences. Fact is, the big four LF view camera lens brands Rodenstock, Fujinon, Schneider, Nikon-Nikkor all share optical excellence and are all as a group more than good enough for the needs of most LF image making today.

Those new to LF view camera should only consider a modern lens from the big four with a know and proven good shutter. More important is to develop image making skills as this LF view camera stuff is significantly different than 35mm or digital or medium format or any fixed box camera.

Camera brand is far lower on the priority list due to the fact the innate way any view camera works is no the same as a fixed lens box based camera.. Discard the "Nikon -vs- Canon" wars too as this ideology simply does not apply to LF view camera image making.


Bernice

How would people compare either Fuji 90mm f8 SW or Nikon 90mm f8 SW with a Nikkor SW 90mm f4.5?

[tgtaylor]

Hi Thomas,

Do you only use negative film with this lens, or also reversal? B&W? Colour? Both?

B&W, Color, and Reversal - especially the latter in the beginning. I've read about the possibility of fall off but after close inspection of slides and prints never saw it. I project 6x7 chromes with a Pro Cabin 67Z projector onto a large Da-Lite projection screen and the illumination is even across the screen. My experience is apparently not unique as I have read the similar reports from others. Perhaps this is due to manufacturing sample variation, I don't know. For the record I have the MC Grandagon - not the later "N" version.

Thomas

[r.e.]

Once the f4.5 / f5.6 90mm wide angles are considered Nikkor cannot be the only f4.5 90mm to be considered. These MUST also be on the list:

~90mm f4.5 Rodenstock Grandagon.

~90mm f5.6 Fujinon SWD.

~90mm f5.6 Super Angulon.

...

Seems folks new to LF view camera that have origins in the 35mm or digital world recognize the Nikon brand which is familiar and known to them. This marketing created bias can be carried on to lens brands in their LF view camera preferences. Fact is, the big four LF view camera lens brands Rodenstock, Fujinon, Schneider, Nikon-Nikkor all share optical excellence and are all as a group more than good enough for the needs of most LF image making today.

I'd just like to add that filter size for the lens, and for the front of a centre filter if desired, is a consideration that rarely gets discussed, but can have significant cost ramifications.

The Lenses, Filter Thread
Nikkor: 82mm
Fujinon: 82mm
Rodenstock: 82mm
Schneider Super Angulon XL: 95mm

The Centre Filters, Front Thread
Rodenstock 82mm: 112mm
Heliopan 82mm 0.45 ND: 105mm
Schneider 95mm IVa: 112mm


Why can it matter?

In my case, I have the Rodenstock Grandagon-N f/4.5 75mm and the matching Rodenstock centre filter. The lens takes 67mm filters, and the centre filter has a front thread of 82mm. Acquiring one of these 90mm lenses instead of, or in addition to, the 75mm would have cost ramifications if I also wanted a centre filter.

I'm standardised at 82mm for screw-in filters and also use Lee System 100mm² filters. In other words, I was already set up for the 75mm lens and centre filter when I purchased them. As it happens, I have one lens (a Nikkor W f/6.5 360mm) that takes 95mm filters. I'm not set up for 105mm or 112mm at all. A decision to acquire filters for those diameters would be expensive, especially if, as is likely, I wanted to include some neutral density filters. A polariser would come in at something approaching reasonable cost only because I'd get a linear rather than circular polariser.

Interesting what Bernice says about brands. Maybe it's just me, but my recollection is that discussions on this forum ten or more years ago tended to favour Schneider and Rodenstock, with Nikon down a step. When Nikon got out of making large format lenses, there were very attractive prices on remaining stock at B&H. What I notice about recent discussions is that all four of the major brands are seen as more or less equivalent. I think that this is good advice (four out of nine of my own lenses are Nikkors), but I think that it's something of a change from earlier days on this forum. I seem to recall that there were lengthy debates on brands, and within brands (especially Schneider), in hair-splitting territory. Again, maybe my memory on this is faulty. I've mentioned it only because for some people it might elicit a smile

[r.e.]

B&W, Color, and Reversal - especially the latter in the beginning. I've read about the possibility of fall off but after close inspection of slides and prints never saw it. I project 6x7 chromes with a Pro Cabin 67Z projector onto a large Da-Lite projection screen and the illumination is even across the screen. My experience is apparently not unique as I have read the similar reports from others. Perhaps this is due to manufacturing sample variation, I don't know. For the record I have the MC Grandagon - not the later "N" version.

Thanks Thomas. Very much appreciated.