My employers bought a 150/9 G-Claron (in Compur shutter) in about 1988. We used it for close-up work on 4x5, at which it excelled. There was never any question of coverage under those circumstances, of course. @nitroplait, you've found a bargain.
My employers bought a 150/9 G-Claron (in Compur shutter) in about 1988. We used it for close-up work on 4x5, at which it excelled. There was never any question of coverage under those circumstances, of course. @nitroplait, you've found a bargain.
Thanks all, great information and leads!
Coming from medium and smaller formats and being new to large format, I wasn't really familiar with lenses that can be used both for process and regular photography and much of the associated terminology.
The Internet Archive didn't capture far enough back to have data for the G-Claron 240/9 on the schneiderkreuznach.com site, but Schneideroptics.com was captured back to 1997 (https://web.archive.org/web/19970408...on/claron.html) where there is data for many more G-Claron versions - and US list prices (wow- I did good - but I guess the quoted prices were including shutter not just aperture like mine).
It seems like they were sold in either "Barrel" or with shutter. Unfamiliar with the term "Barrel" in this context; I assume it means only-with-aperture and that is how my samples are configured.
Should I be able to separate the front and rear groups from the "barrel" and place them in a shutter - or are they fixed? As noted in my original post, they are not coming apart with medium force.
Thanks Dan, I better take you up on that and ask what "the list" is thenOriginally Posted by Dan Fromm
That is amazing coverage for such a tiny lens.
I guess I should make a separate thread for the mystery lens. It probably have no application in a large format context.
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Niels
The front and rear elements should unscrew from the barrel mount and screw into a Copal 0 (150mm) and Copal 1 shutter (240mm), respectively. You can check the spacing with calipers if you want but 99% of the time things will match perfectly.
If the front or rear is stuck, try grasping it and turning with one of those rubber things people use for stuck jars in the kitchen.
The first post in this https://www.largeformatphotography.i...mainly)-lenses discussion has a link to an annotated list of links to web pages/sites of interest to (mainly) LF photographers. The list uses bookmarks as an index. The bookmarks don't work in browsers or, as far as I know, on cell phones. To get best and easiest use of the list, download it to a PC/Mac and read it with the pdf reader of your choice.
Cells of G-Clarons delivered in barrel are direct fits to the appropriate sized shutter. The barrels' tubes match those of Compur/Copal standard shutters.
About the mystery lens. Does it has a diaphragm or a slot for inserting Waterhouse stops?
Thanks Kevin.
The front group edge of the 150/9 is set below the edge of the "barrel" and is difficult to grab with anything. The rear group seems stuck, but it is not a big deal with that lens, as I already own a Symmar 150/5.6 and don't see the big benefit of playing around with the 150/9 although it could be fun.
If I get a 4x5 enlarger I will try it out as an enlarging lens, perhaps.
I have just succeed unscrewing the rear group from the 240/9, and if the front is supposed to unscrew from the barrel as well, your suggestion could very well be the solution.
There is not much space to grip the edge of the front group above the "barrel", but I'll give it a go.
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Niels
Thanks Dan. Very useful information.
The mystery lens does not have a diaphragm or other ways to control light transmission.
As noted in my original post, is has a surface coated mirror placed against the rear element.
If I shine a light (like a Lume Cube) into the lens, the details of the LED reflector is reflected back in focus from a distance of circa 50 cm. (does that make sense?)
The enclosed image shows the Lume Cube shine into the lens and the lens reflecting the image of the LED back onto the paper from a distance of 50cm.
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Niels
This is starting to ring a bell for me, I think it might be for copying applications, we may have such lenses in our archive from the 70's and early 80's. The mirror is most likely at the aperture plane of a conventional plasmat, and so the beam sees the second passage, through the lenses in reverse, like the rear part of a conventional symmetrical lens. In fact, thinking a bit more while writing this, it could have been the economical solution to lenses around 1:1 magnification, in Xerox machines.
I've been happily using a 305mm Repro Claron for everything from 1970 on. Works fine on 5 x 7 - haven't tried it on 8 x 10 (yet). And I haven't developed radiation sickness from it either.
If you want to take a walk on the radiation wild side, explore R Clarons.
It's been discussed many times before, but since the G-Claron line stems from process lenses, the spec sheets are geared to those very strict reproduction standards rather than less stringent general photographic needs, and factor far more conservative image circles.
Some of these obviously doubled as enlarging lenses. They aren't bad, but aren't the best in that respect either. And f/9 is not a detriment unless you need brighter easel viewing. My very best enlarging lenses are f/9 Apo Nikkors.
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