in the market for modernish lens but....

[mark]

I want a modernish 210ish mm lens that will give me great color and cover 5x7 as well. Problem is I am not rich so will be looking on the used market. I am looking for recommendations to help guide me on this adventure.

Looking for lenses for BW is easy. FInd the right image circle and go with it. The field is wide open. COlor on the other hand is much more demanding. I shot slides with my 180 conv. symmar my 210 Komura, and my 150 caltar IIe. The color from the caltar was hands and fists above the color of the other two. Yes, I got the exposures correct. That is why I am thinking that a modernish lens is the way to go.

[Frank Petronio]

A mid-1980s Rodenstock Sironar MC or later Sironar-N MC should be "modern" and plentiful - I've seen them in the mid $200s on eBay. I think they were sharper than Schneiders of the same vintage.

Dagor77 sometimes has Wollensack Raptars that were multi-coated, very sharp, and the last "modern" lens made before Wollensack bit it. The sometimes come in blue Rapex shutters and are pretty cool looking.

[John Kasaian]

210 G Claron comes to mind.

[darinwc]

If you like the color from your rodenstock lens, then just get the longer version. The symmar-s will be about the same price and the fuji and nikkors all demand premium prices. The G claron might save you some money, but then again if it is in a shutter allready it might be the same price.

[David A. Goldfarb]

A used 210 Caltar II-N is probably a good bet. It's the same as a Rodenstock Apo-Sironar-N. If you check my APUG gallery, I have a B&W with the 180mm version. Check KEH.com, mpex.com, and eBay.

Here's that shot--

http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...=500&ppuser=60

[photomc]

A used 210 Caltar II-N is probably a good bet. It's the same as a Rodenstock Apo-Sironar-N. If you check my APUG gallery, I have a B&W with the 180mm version. Check KEH.com, mpex.com, and eBay.

Here's that shot--

http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...=500&ppuser=60

Mark,
David is right on ... I have a Rodenstock Geronar 210mm that would be the same as one of the Caltar-E series. These are 6.8 lens, but are very capable, I have used the 150 on my 5x7 with quite a bit of room..the 210 is great. Nice glass without the cost of some of the better know stuff.

[phfitz]

Mark,

Computar Symmetrigon 210/6.3 if you can find one.

Good luck with it.

[Paul Sorensen]

Mark,
David is right on ... I have a Rodenstock Geronar 210mm that would be the same as one of the Caltar-E series. These are 6.8 lens, but are very capable, I have used the 150 on my 5x7 with quite a bit of room..the 210 is great. Nice glass without the cost of some of the better know stuff.

And someone is selling a Geronar 210mm in a copal polaroid shutter on APUG for $150. I was considering it but went another direction. (I got a convertible Symmar from Mpex, but I don't do much color.)

http://www.apug.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15687

[Frank Petronio]

I am currently using a 210 Geronar because it is so small. Great lens if you don't need a lot of coverage.

[Dan Fromm]

You guys have me doubting my sanity.

You all go on about lenses' effects on "color" and I haven't seen it. I've looked and can't find. What do you know that I don't?

I use these lenses on 2x3 Graphics: 38/4.5 Biogon, 47/5.6 Super Angulon, 65/8 Ilex, 80/6.3 WF Ektar, 100/6.3 Reichert Neupolar, 101/4.5 Ektar, 4"/2 Taylor Hobson, 127/4.7 Tominon, 6"/9 Cooke Copying Lens, 160/5.6 Pro Raptar, 210/9 Konica Hexanon GRII, 210/7.7 Boyer mystery, 10.16" Taylor Hobson Copying Lens, 12"/4 Taylor Hobson telephoto. I've had and used 65/6.3 Raptar, 105/3.7 Ektar, 7"/4.5 Aviar (coated!), and 250/5.6 TeleOptar. And I have and sometimes use a 1 7/8"/2.8 Elcan. I usually shoot EPP. Comparisons are within emulsion, to avoid confounding differences in emulsion with differences in lenses' color rendition.

With two exceptions, I get more variation in color between shots taken with the same lens than between shots taken with different lenses. The exceptions are the 10.16"/9 Taylor Hobson, which shot consistently yellowish until I bleached out radiation damage in the rear cell, and the 210 GRII, which usually shoots a little less constrasty colors than the 210 Boyer. The 210 GRII has a little internal schmutz, and that may be why. With the exception of the GRII, all of my lenses are pretty clean internally.

My take is that you're all somewhat batty, but I'm open to the proposition that I am and you aren't.

Cheers,

Dan