I'm a newcomer to large format and recently bought my first outfit. The lens was advertised as a Schneider Symmar S 150 5.6 - they've sent me a Sinar Sinaron S MC 150 5.6.
Obviously there's something gone wrong, or they've had me on. Can anyone shed some light on the differences in quality and price on these lenses? I paid £290 for this lens.
Cheers
just a bit more info..
the Sinar lens has a 72 degree angle and doesn't have the white stripe around the lens
I beleive the Sinaron-S is a Rodenstock lens, not a Schneider.
It is a Rodenstock Apo Sironar N. Sinar does not sell Schneider lenses under their own name. Only Rodenstock lenses.
A Symmar S isn't a current lens while the Sinar Sinaron /Rodenstock Apo Sironar N is price for the Sinaron new in the UK is about £400 ex VAT the current 150/5.6 Apo Symmar L is about £550 EX VAT.
I think the general conclusion would be that a symmar S and a Sinaron S would be of comparable quality.
Most of my Sinar branded lenses are from Rodenstock. However, I do have a 480mm Symmar S with Sinar stamped on the barrel.
Originally Posted by Bob Salomon - HP Marketing
The Sinaron is of more recent date, as others have pointed out. Also, in terms of quality, one could normally not tell them apart. It's really like choosing between a similar type Merceders and BMW. They are both excellent cars, it's just down to personal preferences which one you choose.
In short, as used lenses they should be of approxemately the same value, with a possible plus for the Sinaron, as it is a newer lens. It is even possible that the Sinaron could bring a few ££ extra, as it is a "cherry picked" specimen by Sinar.
If the lens looks OK, I wouldn't complain. As a matter of fact, I would choose the Sinaron if I could take one of the two, but either one would leave me satisfied.
(You can find a lot of threads on this subject. A short conclusion would be something like: Given a fairly modern lens (i.e. last 20-30 years) with multicoating, any of the four major manufacturers of Schneider (Symmar S, ...), Rodenstock (Sironar N), Fujinon W and Nikkor W will provide you with an excellent plasmat type lens. In terms of performance there is no telling these lenses apart, as they all perform very similar. The one that stand out of the crowd is the Rodenstock Sironar S, which is a different lens, with more expensive glass and a few degrees more coverage. The Sironar S also have a heftier pricetag.
My own choice? I got an old Symmar S at a good price. I'm very happy with this lens and I don't feel I have to look back and regret not going for something else.
//Björn
A Schneider lens labelled Sinar would be rare, you may have clues :
- the serial number would be circa 10,500,000/10,900,000 for a lens made by Rodenstock, and 13,500,000,/14,000,000 for a Schneider one.
- the diameter for screwing filters on the front cell is 49 mm for an Apo-Sironar N, and I presume, 58 mm on a Symmar-S (150 mm lenses)
"I do have a 480mm Symmar S with Sinar stamped on the barrel."
Symmar is a Schneider brand not a Sinar one. You have an older Schneider lens that was inspected by Sinar and then sold by them. That is the same as a Linhof selected lens with their name on it.
A Sinaron is a Sinar branded lens and they are not Schneider lenses.
I agree
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