Wista 45SP folding with 90/6.8 Angulon + 135/5.6 Sironar-S + 240/9 Fujinon A

[pmazolo]

Hi,
doing some research I have chosen these lenses:

90/6.8 Angulon - not much movement, but I dont think I need that on the 90mm. The only really small 90mm I could find. Good enough?

135/5.6 Sironar-S a bit expensive, but this is my most important lens...therefor not the Sironar-N for example...

240/9 Fujinon A - The only 240mm in a Copal #0. Bright enough?

First of all they are very small and light to carry.

I think they are bright enough for focusing on the Wista with just the hood, no cloth?

I was also hoping they would all fit on flat panels and fold into the SP? Or will I have to use recessed lensboard for some of them to use and fold inside? Or use the trick to reverse the lens when folding....?

(Also, Could you suggest any good alternatives for me?)

Rgds
PM

[Rob_5419]

No doubt other field/technical camera users will chime in.

I try to avoid using a recessed board as far as possible. You might feel the same way after trying to change the aperture/shutter speeds in the small recess within the smaller size of lensboards that fit your SP.

The 90mm f6.8 is a fine lens. Its coverage is very limited and it is good enough. Otherwise the 90mm S.A. f8 is a fine lens with some coverage too. Most people prefer the historic Nikkor SW 90mm f8 which has greater covering power. I prefer the 90mm Super Angulon XL f5.6 which has the greatest covering power for that focal length

The 135mm Sironar-S is great if you like that focal length. Personally I don't (!) so I only have a 135mm Sironar-N. The Rodenstock 180mm Sironar-S is my fav. focal length.

Are you using the Wista bright screen fresnel? With the hood you should manage with an f8 no problem. f9 is pushing it.

[Frank Petronio]

The 135 is super and it folds up into the camera, as the 90 should as well. IDK about the 240 but maybe.

If you get a 90 Angulon look for a late model one (serial numbers over 5 million) in a good shutter. The Linhof selected ones are better, even the older ones.

I've never seen a bad 135 Sironar unless it has been abused, and the 240 has a great reputation. It is slower but with longer lenses the f/9 isn't as much of a hardship as you might think since you have sort of a tunnel vision thing going on.

The SP is great and the Wista fresnel is excellent, no need to replace it. I think a longer Wista hood loupe that allows you to loupe with the hood extended (the loupe is 5 inches long) is nice to have. I rarely use a dark cloth and only for very bright or extreme conditions -- and a t-shirt/jacket will suffice.

[pmazolo]

Is there any special reason for the >5million serial? Any difference between >2 or >3 or >4 too?

Woud you say the Sironar-S is worth the money over the N? Image quality wise....

And will the 90 and 135 fold into the SP on flat boards?

/PM

[Bob Salomon]

Is there any special reason for the >5million serial? Any difference between >2 or >3 or >4 too?

Woud you say the Sironar-S is worth the money over the N? Image quality wise....

And will the 90 and 135 fold into the SP on flat boards?

/PM

Get a modern 90 and forget the Angulon. There is a big difference in performance between a modern multi-coated 90mm and any version of the Angulon.

[pmazolo]

Get a modern 90 and forget the Angulon. There is a big difference in performance between a modern multi-coated 90mm and any version of the Angulon.

But they are huge and heavy...and expensive.... (how/what difference is seen in a 1x1.5 meter print from 2 meters viewing distance would you say?)

/PM

[pmazolo]

Are there any reasonably small/light modern 90mm with f6.8 or better?

[Frank Petronio]

The nicest compact modern 90s like the 90/6.8 Grandagon or 90/8 Nikkor are still to large to fold, but they will be more flare resistant and much sharper at wider apertures. The old Angulon really needs to be stopped down to f/22 or so to be critically sharp but then it will be just as sharp as any modern lens, if it is a good example.

Schneider's quality control got better throug the 1960s and the later examples are more consistently better... the Linhof selects are usually always best.

Don't pay over $250-$300 for an Angulon, you can find a user modern 90/6.8 Grandagon for $400 if patient.

Both the 90 and 135 will fold on flat boards, I know for sure.

The Sironar N may test slightly less sharp than the S, which also has greater coverage. But in real life, the images from an N are absolutely as good as images from the S, and I would only get the S if I needed huge movements (not needed for landscape, but maybe for architecture, in which case the SP might be limited in movements...). You CANNOT see the differences between the lens on film or prints, and other factors weigh so much more than the test results from a lens chart.

[Brian Ellis]

Nice choice of focal lengths. However, I think the Angulon is a good choice in 90mm only if you limit your photography to landscapes, portraits, etc., things that don't require any significant movements. Also, be sure to buy the Angulon with a right of return so you can test it. Many of the Angulons were made back in the days when Schneider's quality control wasn't what it is today.

As for the 135, I have the 135mm Sironar S - it's a nice lens but IMHO it will provide you nothing that the N (or the Nikon 135, which I also used to have) won't give you except IIRC a slightly greater angle of coverage. In other words, the photographs you'll make with it aren't going to be noticeably sharper or otherwise better than some less expensive 135s though you'll have more flexibility. So if it were me I'd get the N or the Nikon or another 135mm lens of comparable quality but lower price and use the savings to get a 90mm f8 Super Angulon or another 90 with better coverage than the Angulon. But obviously lens selection is highly personal, my comments are relative quibbles.

I'm not so sure about Frank's statement that used Linhof Select lenses are better. If you read about what Linhof does (or did) with these lenses it's mostly a matter of matching a particular lens to a particular camera when they left the factory together and closer manufacturing tolerances. If you don't own the camera/shutter to which the lens was originally matched then that benefit disappears and the manufacturing tolerances when the lens came from the factory may or may not still be applicable when the lens is long gone from the factory. So personally I wouldn't pay the extra 10% or so premium that used Linhof Select lenses sometimes command.

[BradS]

Get a modern 90 and forget the Angulon. There is a big difference in performance between a modern multi-coated 90mm and any version of the Angulon.

I have to agree with Bob on this one. The 90mm angulon is near worthless except straight on. If shooting the landscape, the first thing you're going to want to do is give a little front tilt and the little angulon will just not cover....it's small and less expensive but so what if you cannot use it?