Computar 210 lenses

[Shane Knight]

Hello all,

Besides the obvious lack of a shutter, how do you tell the difference between general purpose and enlarging Computar and/or Graphic-Kowa 210mm F9 lenses; if there is one?

Are the lens cells the same in both?

Thanks in advance!

Shane Knight
horse photography

[jimgalli]

F9 is the kicker. I've not seen different Computar / Kyvytar / Graphic Kowa 210mm f9 lenses. Although in a test I did the later Graphic Kowa seemed to have a mechanical vignette that stopped the image circle at a smaller number than the Computar f9. However the part that it stopped is not useable in the Computar f9. 11X14 and 7X17 is dream material as far as I'm concerned. None that I've had will get there. I've owned all 3 of the mentioned. I kept the Computar.

Now when you get beyond 210mm there seems to be myriads of different Kowa's that are all f9. Any of them that said Computar or Kyvytar are the real McCoy. They're easily shuttered where a bunch of the Kowa lenses are in solid barrels that won't seperate etc. And they don't seem to cover nearly as much either, the Kowa version that is. 240 270 305 and 360. Very confusing. I've got a Kowa 240 f9 that breaks the rule I just stated. It's in a barrel that won't seperate for shutter mounting yet it covers 11X14 and perhaps even 8X20 very well.

I finally got tired of getting burned on the Kowa's and won't buy any of them. Computar f9 lenses consistently get stupid money on Ebay mostly because you can count on them being very sharp and covering more than any of the other process lenses. So maybe it's not so stupid money. More than I can afford though. I've lusted for a 270mm Computar but will likely never have one at the current rates.

[Vaughn]

I am not sure if you are also asking about the general purpose Computar 210/6.3 (Symertron, or something like that). I had one of those, it came mounted in a Copol 1. Very very sharp...but the coverage is limited to 5x7.

Vaughn

[Shane Knight]

Thanks for the responses!

I have an Kowa Graphic 210mm F9 as a enlarging lens. Can I send this lens into SK Grimes to be mounted to a shutter for 8x10 use?

Shane Knight
horse photography

[Dan Fromm]

Shane, ask Adam at skgrimes. I'm quite sure that if you have the money, honey, he has the time. As of last week, skgrimes' backlog was around 12 weeks.

The big question is whether adapters will have to be made. If so, putting the lens in shutter may be more costly than buying another lens already in shutter. If not, you'll be on the hook for a shutter and having an aperture scale engraved.

[Peter De Smidt]

Shane, it's possible that the 210 cells with screw directly into a Copal #1 shutter. If you have a Copal, you can try it. Otherwise you can take out the cells and measure the threads.