what lenses do you dislike?

[Dan Fromm]

I greatly disliked my former 65/6.8 Raptar. When the light is good its almost imposible to take a bad picture of Carson Peak but I managed just that with it. And I was never thrilled by the pictures I took with my 250/5.6 TeleOptar. I have other Wollys that are much more loveable

I don't see why some of the responders don't like plasmats. My judgement of my 135/5.6 Symmar (convertible) is that although it might be a tiny bit worse on 2x3 than my 127/4.7 Tominon (ex CU-5), that one could be quite happy with either on 2x3.

[acroell]

That would be something to have Cosina revive the Voiglander large format line of lenses.

Indeed! Unfortunately, the old lens names they use for their Bessa lenses have nothing to do with the historic types they signify. The only exception so far was the 3.5/50mm Heliar which really was a Heliar type. So even if they would go ahead and make new LF lenses, a new LF Apo-Lanthar could be a Plasmat type etc....

[Oren Grad]

Indeed! Unfortunately, the old lens names they use for their Bessa lenses have nothing to do with the historic types they signify. The only exception so far was the 3.5/50mm Heliar which really was a Heliar type. So even if they would go ahead and make new LF lenses, a new LF Apo-Lanthar could be a Plasmat type etc....

But the special-edition 50/3.5 Heliar at least showed that they understand what a real Heliar is. This is an interesting idea - they like to do odd, short-run lenses sold as special editions, and seem to have figured out how to do it profitably. So why not something for LF? Dunno whether they could justify a whole line to cover different formats, but I'd bet they could sell a bunch of 150 Heliars for 4x5 if the price was within reason and the design really delivered the goods.

Maybe somebody should get on Stephen Gandy's case, see if he can talk Kobayashi-san into it...

[Oren Grad]

a bunch of 150 Heliars for 4x5

Or 165 or 180 or whatever - I realize that the classic design is at its best when used in a FL on the long side of normal.

[jss]

i have a schneider f8/90.. it is also pretty dark. what's a good alternative? is there a good backpacker's version?

Nikkor-SW 90mm f8 - this lens is too dark to be usuable.

[roteague]

i have a schneider f8/90.. it is also pretty dark. what's a good alternative? is there a good backpacker's version?

Yes, the Schneider SuperSymar XL 80mm f4.5 is a great lens - it is what I replaced my 90 with. It is a bit pricy, plus you need the center filter if you are doing color work.

[David H. Bebbington]

I agree, although they really are kinda' convenient sometimes (he waffles)... but a zoom on a LF camera... I had no idea that anyone was doing that!

They did once - almost! The one I owned was strictly speaking a variable focus lens, since it didn't stay in focus when you changed the focal length. It was called a Rietzschel Telinear. It was just a curiosity with no great performance and most of the focal length range was so long as to be unusable, so I swapped it for something else.

[Changeling1]

"Ilex 65mm f8 wide-angle paragon.
.. the edges go dim quickly.."

just an edit:
The edges go dim at f8, making it extremely difficult to compose and focus.
When stopped down to at least f16 the falloff is only minor.

These type lenses were not really designed with ground glass focusing in mind. Most were used as press lenses and were simply set at infinity and shot with the photographer using the sports finder or RF to compose the image. That's the difference between a $200 lens (or less) and a $2000 (or more) lens.

[colrehogan]

I recant, I recant, I recant.
I do like lenses.
All of them.

Well, almost
I dislike G-Clarons and their process kin.

LOL

Well, that's pretty much most of what I have in my lens collection at this time. I like my G-Clarons.

[Lachlan Young]

But the special-edition 50/3.5 Heliar at least showed that they understand what a real Heliar is. This is an interesting idea - they like to do odd, short-run lenses sold as special editions, and seem to have figured out how to do it profitably. So why not something for LF? Dunno whether they could justify a whole line to cover different formats, but I'd bet they could sell a bunch of 150 Heliars for 4x5 if the price was within reason and the design really delivered the goods.

Maybe somebody should get on Stephen Gandy's case, see if he can talk Kobayashi-san into it...

It would be worth it just to see the digiphiles trying to work out what had happened to their perfect world as lenses that had not been made for more than 35 years suddenly reappear and sell out in days! Seriously, I am pretty sure there is enough interest in either a Heliar or Apo-Lanthar 150mm for at least one batch from Cosina Voightlander with a reasonable pricetag - it would certainly make the bottom drop out of the secondhand LF Voightlander market!
I wonder also if we could persuade Mr. Kobayashi to produce some of the Kodak Ektar lenses again - the 203mm f7.7 springs to mind!

Lachlan