Schneider Tele-Artar

[Andy Yeo]

I have an opportunity to buy a 240mm f/5.5 Tele-Artar in Linhof shutter to round off a three lens (90/150/-) outfit for 4x5. Any opinions from anybody who has used one? Thanks

[Mike Long]

My personal opinion is that you would be happier with a conventional lens from 250mm to 300mm unless you have a severely restricted bellows.

I use a 250 Fuji CW-M and find the focal length complements the 150 nicely without a large gap. However, using the 250 requires efficient use of movements and stopping down (assuming landscapes). It is interesting to note that DOF tables show the 250 as having the same DOF at F32 as the 210mm at F22. So, you are going to use movements and movements with a tele lens are different. Tilt, for example, must be calculated from a point in front of the lens instead of at the lens middle section. Similar to the leverage theory, a little tilt will move the best image quality off the film (it's easier to draw a diagram and see the result than for my limited technical mind to describe). Naturally, you can see this on the ground glass.

You might look hard at the Fuji 250 or the Nikkor 300M F9 before you buy the Tele-Artar. IMHO, they would be better options. Don't let the F9 on the Nikkor throw you off - it is extremely easy to focus and offers a bright image when a fresnel is installed.

I'm also using a Nikkor 300 right now. The Fuji is larger and more expensive new (Fuji's are harder to find used and the CM-W version is very new). Image sharpness is exactly the same. With my bellows of 325mm, the 250 focuses much closer.

Mike

[Brian Ellis]

I've never used the Tele Arton but I do own a Fuji 400 telephoto. Before buying it I was concerned about some of the problems with telephoto lenses alluded to in the previous message but in practice I haven't found it to be significantly more difficult to focus or otherwise use than a normal lens. My camera has base tilts so I was used to re-focusing a good bit. If yours has axis tilts maybe the telephoto lens would take some getting used to but I don't think you'd have any major problem with it.

[Mike Long]

The problem with writing newsgroups posts on the spur of the moment is clarity. On rereading the post I entered, the impression may be given that tilt isn't usable with a tele-design lens. That is not what I meant to say.

It would be more accurate to state that using tilt with a tele-design lens "accelerates" movement of the image off the film because of the positioning of the nodal point forward of the lens itself.

This would mean that a lens with limited coverage may be more restrictive than a conventional lens with the same coverage assuming you wanted to add the same amount of tilt for DOF purposes. A lens like the 400T mentioned in the previous post, while it may allow less tilt than a conventional 400, has enough coverage to be very useful. I'm thinking about one myself.

I still believe, in the focal lengths specified (ie 240mm) you would be happier with a non-tele. But, I don't want the unclear comment about tilt to influence any dec

[Harold Clark]

Although Fuji has discontinued production of the 240A f9, used ones are available. I have this lens, it is extremely sharp all the way from macro to infinity, covers 11x14 @f45, is in a copal 0 shutter, and weighs only 225 gms.

harold Clark