So, what are the top notch LF lenses?

[goamules]

Yeah, I guess we were all answering from our perspectives, because the OP didn't give a lot of details. It'd be easier if he'd asked, "what are the best portrait lenses for classic B&W photos?" or "what modern LF lenses are optimized for digital backs and architectural photography?" or "what is the lightest, smallest wide angle that will cover 8x10 for backpacking?"

But what are top notch bicycles? Shoes? Furniture?!

 

[L Collins]

Schneider Xenar 135 4.7 is a peach. Sharp but has unmistakable character.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Schneider Xenar 135 4.7 is a peach. Sharp but has unmistakable character.

Interesting you say that. I've had several that came with various cameras and I'd say it was not particularly sharp and had an inconveniently small circle of coverage. Certes, in the 70s it was regarded as one of the least desirable reasonably modern lenses among my friends: a as a common but unloved leftover from the press era. It must depend on what you use it for.

Cheers,

R.

 

[L Collins]

Interesting you say that. I've had several that came with various cameras and I'd say it was not particularly sharp and had an inconveniently small circle of coverage. Certes, in the 70s it was regarded as one of the least desirable reasonably modern lenses among my friends: a as a common but unloved leftover from the press era. It must depend on what you use it for.

Cheers,

R.

And this is probably why you write books about lenses and I don't!😛

 

[Nokton48]

Here Are A Few Of My Sinar Norma Lenses.

Here Are A Few Of My Sinar Norma Lenses.

Good grief? How many are there? Do you use them all?

Cheers,

R.

Here are a few from my extensive collection of original lenses, offered by Sinar for their Norma series of cameras.

From Top Left:

240mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar in barrel, 210mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar in Compur, 760mm F11 Rodenstock Apo-Ronar in barrel, and 105mm F4.5 Schneider Xenar in barrel (not an original Norma lens, but I just acquired it, and it's a good lens for 6x9cm).

From bottom left:

240mm F9 Rodenstock Apo-Ronar in barrel, 75mm F8 Schneider Super Angulon in barrel, 135mm Schneider Symmar in Compur, and 47mm F8 Schneider Super Angulon, mounted on an original Sinar Norma recessed lensboard.

All great lenses, and yes, I do use them all, at times.


In the righthand photo, is my 8x10" Sinar Norma camera, with Sinar Shutter, Bag Bellows, and SINAR Schneider 165mm F8 Super Angulon, in a Compur Special shutter.

 

[Roger Hicks]

• Here are a few from my extensive collection of original lenses, offered by Sinar for their Norma series of cameras. . . . All great lenses, and yes, I do use them all, at times. . . .

• 
  Wow! Then again, if I think about it, I have an unreasonable number too: 65/8 Super Angulon, 110 Super Symmar, 120 Angulon, 135/8 process lens in 00 shutter, 150 Apo Lanthar, 210 Apo Ronar, 210 Symmar, 300/3.5 (!) Tessar, 300 Nikkor, 360/9 process lens, 21 inch f/7.7 Ross, and a few others. And you're right: they all get used, one time or another. But I don't really feel the need for any more!
  
  Cheers,
  
  R.

 

[Nokton48]

Wow! Then again, if I think about it, I have an unreasonable number too. And you're right: they all get used, one time or another. But I don't really feel the need for any more!

Cheers,

R.

Agree with that. I guess I have 30-40 large format Schneider, Rodenstock, and a few others.

I have all the old vintage catalogs. There aren't any more to buy 😱

I consider myself to be a large format collector and user.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Agree with that. I guess I have 30-40 large format Schneider, Rodenstock, and a few others. . . . .

It's a bit like those 'problems' you were set in maths class at school, isn't it? If I have too many LF lenses, and you have two or three times as many as I, how many do you have? Far too many?

Cheers,

R,

 

[Nokton48]

It's a bit like those 'problems' you were set in maths class at school, isn't it? If I have too many LF lenses, and you have two or three times as many as I, how many do you have? Far too many?

Cheers,

R,

Hah Hah Hah. Yes, agreed. Far far too many. But paid for long ago, and I will enjoy using them in future years to come. My deepfreeze is fully stocked with sheet film of all sizes. Take Care.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hah Hah Hah. Yes, agreed. Far far too many. But paid for long ago, and I will enjoy using them in future years to come. My deepfreeze is fully stocked with sheet film of all sizes. Take Care.

That's it, isn't it? The fun you get from them is worth a lot more than the money you'd get for them, especially after allowing for the hassle of selling them.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Nokton48]

That's it, isn't it? The fun you get from them is worth a lot more than the money you'd get for them, especially after allowing for the hassle of selling them.

Cheers,

R.

Yep That's exactly it. Very well said.

 

[Underaglassbell]

Whether or not it's one of the top notch lenses I know not, but I have to say, I really like the Fujinon 135mm f5.6 CMW

 

[nonuniform]

Kind of an open-ended question. For landscapes with my 4x5, I've always used my Schneider 135/180/240 Symmar-S lenses, though lately I've been using a Xenotar 135/3.5 outdoors:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amcdonald/6943749004/in/set-72157629441817258

For portraits, I've been experimenting with a 180mm Heliar. Mounted in a current Copal #3 shutter max aperture is f/5.6, but I like the color rendition and transition from foreground to background.

 

[Jim Rice]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Red Dot Apo Artars. In longer focal lengths where their limited coverage is not an issue, they are scarey sharp with lovely almost understated color rendering.

 

[zhang xk]

I have a RTH 12.75 INCH f/4.5 XEROX lens. Could someone enlighten me what it is for?

 

[Nokton48]

It's from the insides of a copying machine. So it is good for document copying.
Most do not have an iris, which can be kind of limiting.

 

[sevo]

It's from the insides of a copying machine. So it is good for document copying.
Most do not have an iris, which can be kind of limiting.

Probably a Fuji, Schneider or Rodenstock. In theory these lenses are seriously good at magnifications around 1:1. Twenty years ago people spent real money to remount some of them for tabletop studio use. But at the current going rate of their equivalent in a proper mount, remounting them in a barrel with aperture or a shutter is not worth while any more.

 

[zhang xk]

It's from the insides of a copying machine. So it is good for document copying.
Most do not have an iris, which can be kind of limiting.

Here is an image of the lens. It has an iris with 16 blades. I guessed it was a copying lens. Thanks.

 

[Trius]

Here is an image of the lens. It has an iris with 16 blades. I guessed it was a copying lens. Thanks.

Since the trim ring states "Lens Made in England" I would guess it's not from one of the usual suspects. Maybe "RTH" stands for Rank Taylor Hobson?

 

[Trius]

Since the trim ring states "Lens Made in England" I would guess it's not from one of the usual suspects. Maybe "RTH" stands for Rank Taylor Hobson?

I should added a wink emoticon, but I'm on a mobile device. 😉