Wide angle lenses for 6x9

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 576

Mike, thanks for questioning me. I've used my 60/5.6 Konica Hexanon on a 2x3 Graphic, it really does put good image in the corners at f/11 and f/16. Honest.

On another point, thanks for alerting me to a bad slip. The 58 and 60 f/5.6s for Omega cameras aren't Biogon clones. I must have been dozing when I wrote that. The 58 has the same layout as an f/5.6 Super Angulon, the 60 as the f/8 Super Angulon. 8/4 and 6/4, respectively; their rear cells are much smaller than the corresponding SA rear cells, so I find it hard to believe they have anywhere near the SAs' coverage.

Cheers,

Dan

dan_ · Expire: 2016-12-19

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I just missed out on this one, sadly:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hexanon-60mm-F5-6-Lens-for-Koni-Omega-Rangefinder-Cameras-Faulty-Shutter-/281060590505?item=281060590505&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=jgzd8bU8TjMZnji8x4sSdte5SRI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 576

dan_, thanks for the correction. It seems that I'm still dozing. Oh, well, its winter so I suppose I should be.

Ian, someday your ship will come in. In the meantime, use and enjoy your 65/6.8 Angulon and continue accumulating small monetary units until you can buy a 47 SA or a 35 AG.

If you find the Angulon good enough to use, your money will be better spent on a lens significantly shorter than on one nearly the same focal length. I know, I know, in your heart you want a 30-210 zoom that covers 2x3 and if you can't get one you'd like to approximate it with as many lenses with closely-spaced focal lengths as you can get. You're not strong enough to carry that many lenses.

FWIW, in my experience a 47 is much more easily used on 2x3 than a 35. You have to remember that with a short lens (for a format) most of a shot is foreground, very little is distant background. Situations where a lens with a 35's angle of view (on 2x3 its horizontal angle of view is not quite 100 degrees) is appropriate are rare.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I agree with you Dan, I only want a 3 or 4 lens set for my Graphic. I figured 47, 65, 105 and 135 or 150.

The Xenar 3.5/105 and Angulon 6.8/65 will serve me well for quite a while, I need to get the shutter he Xenar is in CLA'd as the top four speeds work but the slower ones stick open, so I'll just have to use the Angulon while that's being done.

I read a lot of comments around the net about the Angulon and some say it's good and sharp, others denigrate it, but I think that's mostly based on it's weaker edge performance at larger apertures and I'll be using it at f16-f32 so I'm fairly confident it will be fine.

That said, the Koni Hexanon 60 for just over 40ukp was too good to pass, but I won't lose any sleep over it.

I'll actually be shooting 6x7 quite a lot on my Century Graphic as I have a Mamiya RB67 70mm back and a lot of 70mm film so I'm considering a Bronica 40mm as a much cheaper alternative to a 35 GA. The Bronica 40 will cover 6x7, but I doubt it will cover 6x9, so I'd just have to stick to using it with 6x7, but the cells from the Bronica just screw straight into a #0 shutter so it's a very cheap option and there are always Bronica 40s on ebay for cheap prices, I'm just waiting for very cheap one with a broken shutter or aperture as I'm only interested in taking the cells from it.

I have a very nice condition Mamiya 2.8/80 in a fully working Seikosha from a Mamiyaflex that sadly died on me. Not sure how sell it will cover 6x7 but I will try to put it to good use.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

That mystery lens from Budapest got relisted so I grabbed it for the grand sum of 1 dollar:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Special-lens-fit-to-compur-maybe-wide-angle-angulon-rodenstock-schneider-/200885965637?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=jgzd8bU8TjMZnji8x4sSdte5SRI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Still got no idea what it is, I'll stick it in a shutter I'll borrow from one of my folders and see what sort of image it projects on my Graphic, with a bit of luck it will be usable.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

According to this thread on graflex.org, the Mamiya TLR lenses cover 2x3, which is great news. I'll put my Mamiya 2.8/80 on the lensboard currently occupied by my Xenar 3.5/105 soon when I send the Xenar off for the shutter to be CLA'd.

https://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=289&sid=901eb17c5f1cba01407dabfb7d5e1988

I should have remembered that the Mamiya TLR could take a plate back that was 2x3, I had a set here for a while that a friend bought for his Mamiya C3.

Mamiya TLR lenses are pretty cheap, I'll keep my eye out for the 55 and 65.

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 576

Ian, there are two coverage concepts in general use. One means illuminates, the other means puts good image in the corners.

Most people who hang a lens in front of a ground glass to find out whether the lens covers the format they want it to cover use the first concept. It is very difficult to evaluate image quality on a ground glass. The only safe way to determine whether a lens covers a format is to shoot a target that will allow image quality in the corners of the frame and then look at the negative at moderate magnification. 10x is enough. I've used 30x, it doesn't give more information than 10x.

Real people don't shoot 2x3 with lenses from 6x6 TLRs. There's a reason. They don't cover 2x3 in the sense of putting good image in the corners. The 65 you mentioned isn't particularly good on 6x6, will likely be poor on 2x3. The 55 is slightly interesting, but if you must do something like that the 58 Omega lens is a better gamble. I wouldn't touch Mamiya TLR lenses even though they are easy to find and relatively inexpensive.

If you can afford to play with Mamiya TLR lenses by all means do, and if you do please tell us how well they please you. But remember, you're poor (you say) and 47 SAs are expensive. Playing will reduce the rate at which your 47 SA fund grows. Its your money, your time, and your desire to by god do something, so do what pleases you.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

That's good advice Dan. I'm aware of the difference between illuminates and covers with a sharp image, so my plan is to try the Mamiya 80mm lens and see how it works.

I took the Century Graphic out today and after 2 shots managed to break the handle off the Mamiya 70mm back, which is most annoying. Doubt I can fix it. I did manage to shoot a couple of 6x9 sheets however.