Problems w/ Super Symmar 80XL

[Gregory von Liebig]

I saw an earlier post on this site about problems with the Schneider Super Symma r 80XL lens. I cannot get the publication the poster mentions, but I am still w ould like to know. Also I?ve seen that the Schneider Super Symmar 110XL is now selling for consider ably less then two years ago? Is there a problem there too, or what gives? Thanks,

gvl

[Walter Glover]

Gregory,

I responded to your query off-line at the link beside your name. I received a response from your office saying you were on extended leave. Is there somewhere else I can forward the review to?

Cheers ... WG

[darter]

Walter,

I am sure I am not the only one in the forum who would also like to see the review. Please post it. Thanks.

[Walter Glover]

Hi All,

Just didn't want to be filling the forum with material of esoteric interest to only the person who asked. Please accept my apologies.

The Joe Cornish review is published in the October 2001 edition of Outdoor Photographer? as a break-out at the end of a review of the Ebony RSW45. He says, following a lengthy appraisal of the 90mm Super Angulon XL 1:5.6:

"The 80mm Super Symmar XL 1:4.5 is a very different animal. Much more compact, with a tiny exit pupil, it is as handy and convenient as a standard lens. I found it allowed extensive movement for such a wide lens and produced a flat enough field to make any need of a centre-filter redundant. At normal taking apertures of f/16 and f/22 the on-film performance was superb, but wide open at f/4.5 I found the image soft enough to make focussing difficult. I was concerned enough about this to contact Ulrich Eilsberger at Schneider to ask if it was to be expected. He informed me that the f/4.5 aperture is really there for viewing only. Sharpness is improved considerably by stopping down to f/5.6 or a bit further, and this may be preferred when it comes to fine focussing with a loupe.

"In the field no landscape photographer would contemplate shooting with an aperture of wider than f/11, and my experience suggests this lens fulfills the high expectations that are attached to an XL lens when it is used at its mid-range apertures. As a fast, compact lens (equivalent of around 22mm on 35mm) which offers masses of movement it can be heartily recommended."

Examination of the MTF curves on the Schneider site seem to back up these allegations and, to my reckoning, the overall performance seemed inferior to the MTF curves for the Grandagon-N so that's what I went for.

Cheers ... WG

[Walter Glover]

I should add that I have owned and used the Super Symmar XL 110mm 1:5.6 for 15 months now and find it to be a truly extraordinary lens. Same goes for a chum who has the 150 and 210 Super Symmar XLs.

WG

[Todd Caudle]

Hey Walter,

I looked through the 10/01 edition of Outdoor Photographer and couldn't find the article you referenced. Can you confirm? Perhaps I looked right at it, but I browsed a few times.

THANKS!

[Dave Glenn]

Todd,

I think Walter meant "Outdoor Photography" which is a British magazine along similar lines to the US "Outdoor Photographer". It's caused me a certain amount of confusion in the past!

Dave

[Walter Glover]

Yes. it is the UK publication to which I referred. I am also familiar with the identically titles US magazine and should have been alert enought to cite the difference.

If you are able to acquire the UK magazine it should prove quite interesting since it is one of the few photo mags I've encountered that always give detils of where a site is, how to get there, where to seek accommodation and where to find a feed and a drink. Of course the British outdoors is of a totally different scale and nature to the US outdoors so there are considerable differences in the context of the articles. The Australian outdoors is different again, however we don't have the good fortune to have magazines like these here.

A recently introduced sibling publication to UK Outdoor Photography is Black & White Photography - it is shaping up as quite a worthwhile read also.

WG

[Bill Smith]

Guys,

I have been using the S. Super Symmar 80 XL for about a year and the S. Super Symmar 110 for almost 2 years. Performance has been excellent. sharpness superb, and my images IMHO are outstanding.

I really appreciate the f/4.5 aperture for focussing and the lightweight small compact size of the SS80XL for travelling.

I guess to each his own.

Bill

[giancatarina]

" Examination of the MTF curves on the Schneider site seem to back up these allegations and, to my reckoning, the overall performance seemed inferior to the MTF curves for the Grandagon-N so that's what I went for. " i came to the same conclusion, because i only shoot landscapes, i believe the ssXL to be better than the grandagon N for close work, this is only supposition !!!