modern 150 mm lens for 5 x 7

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Which of the modern or semi modern 150 mm lenses will cover 5 x 7 and allow me to shoot into the light with the least amount of flare problems.Please reply Thanks.

-- henry butler (hankb13@juno.com), November 11, 2000

Answers

Henry a modern suggestion would be the Schneider Super Symmar XL 150mm. I believe it will cover 8x10.

-- paul owen (paulowen_2000@yahoo.com), November 11, 2000.

You have a boatload of choices today and a quick review of the makers specs will tell which give image circles big enough for your needs. On my 5x7 I shoot an ApoSironar and get good results. As for flare problems, buy from a major dealer like Calumet where you can go into the shop & put a number of the lenses on a board & shoot a sheet or two with each, get it processed and then buy the lens with the least flare.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), November 11, 2000.

Hi Henry,

My choice for a 150mm for 5x7 is the Schnedier Super Symmar HM (not to be confused with the Super Symmar XL). The XL has a lot more coverage, but it also costs a lot more - assuming you can find a good deal on a used 150mm Super Symmar HM. Since the 150mm Super Symmar XL came out, there are a fair number of 150mm Super Symmar HMs on the used market. Prices seem to be all over the map, but if you shop around, you can probably get a good deal. With a 254mm image circle, the Super Symmar HM doesn't have gobs of coverage (like the XL), but I have found it sufficient for landscape work on 5x7. It also takes smaller filters than the XL (77mm vs. 95mm).

I also have a 150mm APO Sironar-S that I love for 4x5. It is a very small lens, and very sharp, but I found the 231mm image circle to be not quite enough in many situations on 5x7. Still, it's a wonderful lens, and if you shoot mostly 4x5 with an occasional 5x7, it would be a good choice (since it is smaller, lighter and less expensive than the 150mm SS XL or SSHM).

For more info on these two lenses, and comments specific to their use on 5x7, please see my Future Classics page at:

http://largeformat.homepage.com/future.htm

There's also a picture of the two lenses side by side to give you an idea of the relative size.

Finally, Rodenstock used to make a 150mm 80 degree lens with coverage similar to the 150mm SS HM (252mm image circle). This lens was much smaller and lighter than the 150mm SS HM (or 150mm SS XL). Originally it was just called the APO Sironar, but when Rodenstock came out with the 150mm APO Sironar-S line, they renamed it the APO Sironar-W (at the same time, they also renamed their Sironar-N line as APO Sironar-N). In any case, these lenses have been discontinued and they are not very common on the used market. Still, if you can find one, you might get a good deal. A friend recently picked up a used 80 degree 150mm APO Sironar (prior to the -W name change) for a VERY reasonable price.

Kerry

-- Kerry Thalmann (largeformat@thalmann.com), November 12, 2000.


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