300mm -360mm lens for 4x5

<p>I`m looking for a (used and under 400$) lens 300mm or 360mm for 4x5. It should be light and small and should allow some movements with 4x5. What would you buy? Has anybody here experiences with a Rodenstock Geronar 300 f9 ?</p>

<p>There is a thread about geronars here: <a href="0039yi">http://www.photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/0039yi</a> </p>

<p>Does your camera setup give you enough draw to focus a normal 300/360? If not you should look into the tele-design 300-400 for 4X5 format lenses.</p>

<p>I would suggest the 360mm Schneider tele-Xenar lens as a cheap alternative and of course you don't need any extreme long draw to focus. It's light not small but, plenty of space for movements on 4x5.</p>

<p>If your camera has enough bellows draw and is sturdy enough to properly support this draw...then I'd recommend either the 300mm M-Nikkor or the 305mm Schneider G-Claron. I've been very happy with my 305 G-Claron...for 4X5, 5X7, 8X10, and even 11X14. Compact, and very sharp despite its great coverage. </p>

<p>Some of the 300-360 plasmats can be had in that price range. They are big, but optically excellent. I use a fujinon 360/6.3.</p>

<p>-Ed</p>

<p>Let's see. I have a 15" tele-raptar (I think it is) which is very nice and a 12" Commercial Ektar which actually covers 8x10. I really would rather keep the Ektar but I could live without the tele-raptar. Price well within your limits.</p>

<p>A lower priced alternative to the Schneider Tele Xenar might be one of the 15 inch Tele Optars from Wollensak or Graflex. This is a 38mm/f5.6 desigh and a true telephoto.While smany were barrel mounted, quite a few came with an Alphax #5 shutter. I have one on my little Wiat-made ZoneVI. It uses ~9" of bellows draw at infinity. They come up pretty often on e-bay and are MUCH lower than the Schneiders.</p>

<p>The above mentioned <strong><a href="http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/large_format_lenses/tele-xenar/">Schneider Tele Xenar 360mm f5.5</a></strong> is a good lens, and offers a generous image circle for ample shift, even for 5x7inch. But they are very heavy, and being tele, the position of the nodal points make utilising tilt and swing a bit tricky, whereas such movements are straightforward with optically true lenses.</p>

<p>Correction: The Wollensak/Graflex lenses I tried to describe are actually 15" or <em><strong>380mm</strong></em> f-5.6 telephotos. Sorry about the typos.</p>

<p>@Drew: The 15" Wolly Teles fit #4 Alphax, or Betax shutters, not #5s. Barrel versions can be easily converted; just make sure you find and undo some tiny grub-screws first rather than trying to <em>force</em> any threads on the barrel. I have put two of these lenses into Alphax shutters now and like them a lot.<br /> Older uncoated ones seem just as good as the coated versions IMO, (based on a sample of n=2). There are chrome and black versions. Either have an odd filter thread though (about 78.5mm); I made a slightly crude adapter and use 77mm or 86mm filters. Anyone who knows what that is, (<strong>not</strong> Series IX, I think) please let me know; or perhaps we could get an adapter batch made. I'm not a huge fan of clamps.</p>