Schneider Xenar 3.5/240

[NormaN]

I went back to my notebook from when I purchased the lens (2009), and realize that I had it professionally polished. At the time Arax in Kyiv was doing good optical work very cheaply, and I sent the element to them to polish and recoat. I don't know what the haze was, sorry, but I was clearly not able to remove it myself.

Hello Jason

I am looking for a company that can polish and coat. Ideally in Europe.

I have heard a lot about Jason Lane but not sure if he still offers these services....

Thanks very much for the tip regarding Arax.
I see they are still active
https://araxfoto.com
I just sent them an email with an inquiry

Did you take the lenses out of the mounts at that time? Was it simply coated like the original?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Before you spend a lot of time and money on this lens, consider if you need a lens this fast. Are you planning on using it at f3.5? If not, perhaps you can find another 240mm lens in better condition that is ready to go. Also, use it before repair to see if the haze effects your images.

[NormaN]

If the lens is as sharp as my two 240 f/4.5 Xenars, the haze might be desirable for portraits;-)

Hello Chauncey

I will try to take some photos in the next few days/weeks. Unfortunately, the compound shutter is missing the cable release "nipple". So I have to use the release lever directly on the shutter.

[NormaN]

Before you spend a lot of time and money on this lens, consider if you need a lens this fast. Are you planning on using it at f3.5? If not, perhaps you can find another 240mm lens in better condition that is ready to go. Also, use it before repair to see if the haze effects your images.

Yeah maybe I'll leave it that way for now and see how the test photos come out.

[Daniel Unkefer]

If you are shooting 8x10 portraits with ambient lighting, you will need F3.5 and fast film. I'm pushing high speed film and sometimes it's not enough. Try it and at least look through it with your setup. For portraiture often diffusion or soft focus is preferred. My Xenars are more modern, F4.5's but they are lovely for portraiture. If you like sharper results (sometimes I like it clinical) consider another type of lens. I like process Apo Ronar lenses for sharp work. Anyway have fun that's usually the point. You can always fire the shutter with the trip lever, if you can't get the nipple replaced. I've got a couple Compounds like that. My repairman said using a cable release will bend interior parts in one of my Compounds. I just use the trip lever with that one, no probs. Does it have X sync or do you not need that

[NormaN]

If you are shooting 8x10 portraits with ambient lighting, you will need F3.5 and fast film. I'm pushing high speed film and sometimes it's not enough. Try it and at least look through it with your setup. For portraiture often diffusion or soft focus is preferred. My Xenars are more modern, F4.5's but they are lovely for portraiture. If you like sharper results (sometimes I like it clinical) consider another type of lens. I like process Apo Ronar lenses for sharp work. Anyway have fun that's usually the point. You can always fire the shutter with the trip lever, if you can't get the nipple replaced. I've got a couple Compounds like that. My repairman said using a cable release will bend interior parts in one of my Compounds. I just use the trip lever with that one, no probs. Does it have X sync or do you not need that

Hello Daniel

Yes I would like to use it mainly for portraits. I often shoot outdoors.
The problem is also that the shutters are not as fast as the lenses
The compound shutter with this Xenar does not reach 1/50 sec. measured with the shutter tester plug it is 1/25. The other compound shutter I have (with a Telexenar 5.5/500) is a newer model with flash sync. But the 1/50 is only 1/15.
Maybe I need to clean the piston?

I have not used a flash yet....

[Mark Sampson]

Something else to consider. Schneider's catalog lists your lens to cover the 6-1/2"x8-1/2" format, yet you want to shoot 8x10. And while your lens will likely cover 8x10 at portrait distances, it's also a fairly wide lens for that format. Unless you plan to make environmental portraits, you'll be right on top of your subjects, and you'll be dealing with the (traditionally unflattering) wide-angle perspective. Admittedly Chuck Close made a very successful career of it, but is that what you're looking for?

[Daniel Unkefer]

5x7 PlusX 2402 Aero D23 5x7 Norma 500mm Tele Xenar by Nokton48, on Flickr

Kodak Aerographic Five Inch Plus-X cut seven inches, to fit a 5x7 Lisco Holder. 5x7 Sinar Norma with my newly CLA'ed Schneider 500mm Tele Xenar at F22. Hasselblad 40mm Distagon Yellow Filter jammed inside the lenshood, it fits! D23 1:1 8x10 Unidrum on Uniroller. 5x7 Contact Print on Arista #2 RC Dektol 1:2 The Tele-Xenar is quite sharp up front as you can see. I'm liking this film for 5x7, but I can also cut it to 4x5 or even 9x12cm. Like the tonality you get with the Aerial emulsion. Tim Kelly Inspired Broncolor Balloon 90 degrees left, lighting the entire set. Main light Broncolor C171 Monolight Pulsoflex Softbox, one stop brighter than the fill, 45 left to the set. Just out of camera shot 45 right, is a foamcore freestanding panel for passive fill. Finally, the creme on the sundae, is Broncolor C70 Monolight with Snoot and Handmade Grid from an olde Broncolor Honeycomb. Selecting lighting a small portion of the background. Just because

BTW my 500mm Compound was absolutely filthy inside, according to my repairman. So I'll bet yours would benefit from a good cleaning, too.

[Bernice Loui]

Apply Neutral Density filters as needed to achieve the shutter speed needed at the exposure aperture. Extremely common practice in cinema, video and still image making. The 4 f-stop and 10 f-stop ND filters in 100mm square are part of the B&W contrast filter set, polarizer filter and holder that lives in both the Linhof TK23s and 5x7 Sinar Norma outfit cases..

On camera filter holder solves the overly common issues of trying to find thread on filters to fit vintage lenses.


Bernice

Hello Daniel

Yes I would like to use it mainly for portraits. I often shoot outdoors.
The problem is also that the shutters are not as fast as the lenses
The compound shutter with this Xenar does not reach 1/50 sec. measured with the shutter tester plug it is 1/25. The other compound shutter I have (with a Telexenar 5.5/500) is a newer model with flash sync. But the 1/50 is only 1/15.
Maybe I need to clean the piston?

I have not used a flash yet....

[jga]

Be interesting to see what its serial number says about its date of manufacture. Not only does the OP say this example is coated, it's marked on the bezel with an inverted red triangle which is how Schneider indicated the lens was coated. (Of course they eventually drop that practice as did Carl Zeiss Jena with their red "T")

David

I have a 210mm f3.5 Xenar with SN 2484517 and a 135mm f3.5 with SN 2574743, so both from 1950-51.