Schneider 350mm F/11 Apo-Tele-Xenar....

[PKM-25]

I think I am going to pull the trigger on this lens so I have it for an upcoming project this Winter. I have read a few posts about it on LFF and it seems to be a great lens, but I am wondering how people are getting along with it now.

I think it will fill out my kit rather nicely and not need an extension board on my 45N-2, at first I will be mostly using it for a commissioned fine art project for ski area scenics so 90% of the time it will be used from 100 feet to infinity.

At the moment I use:

65mm 4.5 Grandagon
90mm 6.8 Grandagon
135mm 5.6 Apo Sironar
150mm 5.6 Symmar S MC
180mm 5.6 Apo Symmar
240mm 9.0 Fujinon A

I do find the 240 a tiny bit dark to focus in dusk shots, but most of the time it is manageable, so how about losing 2/3rd of a stop with the 350?

[ic-racer]

I use an F11 300mm lens on my 4x5 and focusing is not bad. In fact I use fold-out viewfinder shade, instead of a dark-cloth and it is fine.

[PKM-25]

Thanks IC, I plan on ordering the lens tomorrow when B&H re-opens.

[E. von Hoegh]

Well, it's f;11...... BUT it's a long lens, so the corners don't darken as with a wide angle, and the long focal length means you won't have much DOF even at f;11. As long as you have a good dark cloth and give your eyes time to adapt a bit, you should have no problems viewing and focussing with it. By all accounts it's a very good lens although it's not a true tele - you'll need 350mm~ of bellows at infinity.

[PKM-25]

I have 395mm of bellows extension so it will be fine. But now that I think about it, this lens will produce the desired reach compared to my 240 will it not? For example, my 240 is equal to about a 70mm in 35 where as the 350 should be around 105mm, at infinity that is. If it changes at closer ranges that is ok, I just really need this to be sharp as heck "100mm-ish" at infinity....

That is what I am after anyway....if it works it will literally pay for it self the first few days I use it...

Edit, I just put my order in, now the wait until it arrives....

[Martin Aislabie]

I got the extension tube that Schneider made that goes with the lens

The Extension Tube is 44mm and needs a No3 Lens Board.

Useful, if like me, you are running out of Bellows

I don't find it a problem focusing mine

I'm very pleased with mine - although its quite a jump from 240mm

Good luck with yours

Martin

[PKM-25]

I got the extension tube that Schneider made that goes with the lens

The Extension Tube is 44mm and needs a No3 Lens Board.

Useful, if like me, you are running out of Bellows

I don't find it a problem focusing mine

I'm very pleased with mine - although its quite a jump from 240mm

Good luck with yours

Martin

Thanks Martin. If I start to use the lens for closer subjects in the future, I suppose I would get the extension tube, otherwise this is going to be a tight compression landscape lens 99% of the time.

I am glad to hear it is quite a jump from a 240, this is exactly what I am looking for.

I can't wait to try it out on tight ski area Winter landscapes, it should be brilliant for that and is what the commissioned job is that made my mind up to finally go ahead and buy it.