360 f/5.6 Symmar vs. 360 f/6.8 Symmar-S

[Michael Slade]

Decisions decisions...

I have both of those lenses sitting on my desk in front of me. One is my own personal property, the 360 5.6 Symmar (provided graciously by Mr. Jim Galli), and the other one belongs to the school.

Here's where my decisions get tricky.

I have an 11x14 Lotus camera that I would like to try to put into use more. The school owns a Nikkor 450 and a 30 inch Artar. I am not very interested in having two 360 Schneiders around. It seems very redundant.

The 5.6 Symmar is mounted on a board and fits the 8x20 Lotus and works well on it. For shooting wide-angle photographs I do not think I am interested in dragging the 11x14 out into the field. I am not interested in having each camera do everything, instead my idea is to turn the 11x14 into a dedicated portraiture camera and shoot paper negatives with it. The 30 inch Artar has the camera racked out as far as it will go, and the 450 Nikkor is just too wide for doing portraits.

The 360 6.8 Symmar was originally purchased to be used along with an 8x10 Tachihara camera, but it now has it's own dedicated Nikkor 300, so I'm not interested in putting it back with the Tachihara.

I don't have any budget to work with and am essentially considering one of the two 360's as a commodity. What can I trade/barter either one of those lenses for to arrive at a good decent portrait lens for the 11x14? That is the question. Additionally, what type of lens and/or lenses do I want to have for the 11x14? I already have a good semi-wide with the 450. I have a somewhat usable long telephoto in the 30 inch Artar. What I think I want to try to get is something between the 450 and the 30 inch. I did have a 24 inch Artar that I traded to get the 360 Symmar that I own.

This is me thinking very out loud, putting all of the data out and letting those of you who are interested in making suggestions help me work through this. I know that there are a lot of variables, and that's what is making it somewhat confusing.

Maybe a simpler question is, which is better out of the 360's...the 5.6 or the 6.8? Then I can go from there.

Thanks!

[Nick Zentena]

The S is newer and I guess in a more modern shutter.#3? Should sell for more.

[Greg Davis]

Of the two Symmars, I would keep the 5.6 just to have that little bit of extra light when focusing. If this is for school use, then it will also help keep students from getting confused when they see an f-stop that is not on the normal scale. As for which lens to get for portraits, I think the 24 inch is a good length for this reason: The 450mm is "normal" for 11x14, giving the same perspective as 300mm on 8x10. That being said, if the 450mm gives you the portrait perspective you want on 8x10, then multiply that by 1.5 to get the same relative perspective, which is 675mm on 11x14. Close enough to 24 inches to work. The other option would be a 480mm lens on 11x14 which gives as close to a 420mm on 8x10 perspective as you can get.

[Chazzy]

It's my understanding that classic portrait lenses for 11x14 were not generally much longer than 18 inches or 450 millimeters, for the simple reason that these lenses begin to function as macro lenses at these reproduction ratios, so that longer lenses are neither desired or necessary. A head shot on 11x14 is approaching life size, regardless of the focal length. If I don't understand this correctly, I would be happy to be corrected.

[Chazzy]

P.S.: when I someday have an 11x14 camera, the portrait lens that I want for it is the 18 inch Verito.

[PHOTOTONE]

P.S.: when I someday have an 11x14 camera, the portrait lens that I want for it is the 18 inch Verito.

I got one, and I am going to mount it this week for my 11x14. The 14" is quite nice on 8x10.

[Michael Slade]

I would love to see some examples from that lens.

[PHOTOTONE]

I would love to see some examples from that lens.

There is a Verito Picture post thread over at Large Format Forum. Lots of examples from various Verito lenses:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=25518

[Jeremy]

I would love to see some examples from that lens.

I have a bunch of 11x14 shots made with an 18" verito, but nothing online. If I can remember to take prints up to work with me I'll scan them.

[Michael Slade]

Awesome guys, thanks!