Originally Posted by
dwhistance
Anders,
If you are going to buy secondhand I suspect that the sample to sample variation in individual lenses (as a result of how they have been used/kept) is going to be greater than the theoretical differences between different manufacturers lenses of the same focal length/type. As a result I suspect the only realistic approach to take is to try and get hold of a number of lenses, test them, and then keep the sharpest.
As far as individal lens recommendations go have you tried a Super Symmar XL 80mm (assuming that you would be happy with 80mm v 75mm)? I've used mine with 4x5 film and with a Betterlight digital back and have been very happy with it. Mine is very, very sharp and the coverage is good, better I believe than most 75mm lenses. Just to highlight my point above, I know that others have had bad experiences with this lens indicating that again sample to sample variations can be large enough to make a noticeable difference.
David Whistance
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