Schneider Symmar-S 210m F5.6 Lens - Will this work for 8x10?

[Vaughn]

I sure wish I could tell by the images presented on my screen if the corners are sharp or not. Some corners do not look particularly sharp, though I would not necessarily call them soft...just semi-soft dark corners the eye should be avoiding anyway to keep within the image.

I do like my Fuji W 250/6.7 for 8x10. If I feel the need to go to 210mm, I have a little barrel lens, a Graphic Raptar, I can break out.

[Drew Wiley]

Two things : most of these lens circle specs are relative to f/22, whereas most 8x10 shots are likely to be at much smaller apertures unless a very shallow depth of field is desired.
So the real world image circles are quite a bit bigger. Second, manufacturers own standards of what is acceptable is different, with the German brands being way more conservative than the Japanese ones, especially Fuji. Stricter still are specs for lenses intended for graphics applications.

Mere circle of illumination is a poor common denominator of comparison. But what the heck - some of the most compelling large contact prints of the 19th C look miserable in the corners due to less corrected lenses of those days. I prefer full performance way out there, but admittedly rarely use even a 240 or 250 for 8x10 format, preferring the perspective of longer ones. One of my favorites is the 80 degree 360 Fuji A - has about twice the diameter of real image circle as the 210 S under question; but still, sometimes I've been out in the redwoods wishing I had the even more rise capacity of a 355 GC. But ya can't own and carry em all.

Point blank head-on shooting, no movements, well .... that's a rare thing for me. That's the kind of thing a 300 Nikkor M can do extremely well on 8x10, but darn little else on film that big at infinity, except if some rear tilt is involved, or the corner resolution starts drifting quickly. And its rated around 330 or so image circle.

[DwarvenChef375]

Just got one of these at a garage sale, not a scratch on it… Thanks all who contributed to this thread, I found it most enlightening.

[Rick A]

I think this entire thread is "much ado about nothing". People can argue tech specs 'till the sun dies but if you have the lens on your camera and YOU like the results, nothing else matters. Use the lens, enjoy the process.

[ic-racer]

[Daniel Unkefer]

Aaaah. A Friend of mine has a Sinar Norma 210mm F8 Super Angulon (he has never used it!) and it's going into my Norma collection. It's a GIGANTO lens, I'll be using it for tabletop sweep table stuff mostly. Maybe outside. BTW the 210mm F6.8 Sinar Norma Angulon is a goodie. I have gleaned from studying that Ezra Stoller used the 210mm F6.8 on an 8x10 Norma for B&W. A Dagor formula of high repute. Recently I bought a second one cheap from Igor Reznik, it's in a barrel for my 4x5/5x7 TLR Norma cameras. The 210 5.6 would be good for carrying. Horses for Courses.