Calumet Caltar 210 6.8 any good?

[willie_jan_bons2]

I saw a Calumet Caltar II 210 6.8 in a copal #0. I can't find any

(good) information about this lens. What i found out is that

different providers made lenses for calumet.

 

Does anyone knows links or knows how this lens perfoms.

 

thanks.

 

Willie

[michael_briggs2]

The current Calumet Caltar II-E 210 mm f6.8 lens is the same as the Rodenstock Geronar. The current Caltars are known to be from Rodenstock, and the specs on the two lenses are virtually identical.

Both lenses should be in #1 shutters, have the same 49 mm filter thread and 195 mm flange focal distance.

Calumet's webpage specs the lens to cover 60 degrees / 242 mm diameter at f22, which is slightly more than Rodenstock's figures for the Geronar in a 1982 brochure that I have.

 

You will find more about the lens under the Geronar name -- you can use the advanced search page of google to search the archives of this forum by limiting the domain to www.photo.net.

 

The lens is a triplet (Calumet's webpage confirms this for the Caltar II-E), which is the simplest design that can correct all abberations. The design isn't equal to modern plasmat designs, but it should work well for 4x5 film and reasonable enlargements. It is an economy lens and the price should be lower.

[willie_jan_bons2]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30076&item=3852274110&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

 

this is the item i mentioned.

It also specifies MC on the side (Schneider?)

[edward_kimball]

The MC stands for multi coating. It would give you decent result but with a much smaller image circle than one of the plasmat designed lenses. The image circle is plenty for most 4X5 uses. If you were going to shoot 5X7 I would go with a plasmat (Sironar, Symmar...).

[chuck_pere]

Haven't checked lately but that price seems high. I sold a similar but older Geronar for $185. This lens has two advantages over the normally used 6 element lenses. It's smaller but the advantage isn't as great with 210's. And it should be cheaper. Check prices on the better 210's first. Not quite up to the 6 elements in performance and coverage but works fine. Personally I would pass on this deal and look for a better lens at that price ($299) or finding a similar one for under $200.

[edward_kimball]

KEH has an early Sironar in Excellent condition for $310. I would take that over a Geronar for $299.

[tedharris]

Just wantedc to underscore the point that it is no bargain. At that price you can get a wide

variety of better 210 lens.

[ronald_moravec1]

Second all the above. Calumet markets these as student lenses. I have no idea how they are suppoed to learn LF with such limited coverage glass.

[willie_jan_bons2]

thanks for your help.

 

i will search on and forget this one...

[edward_kimball]

Ronald, I will agree in the case of the 150mm lens, but the 210mm has a 230mm image circle. If that is a problem then no self respecting LF photographer would ever be able to us a lens 150mm or short as almost none of them have as much coverage. The few that do cost well over $1000.

[david_karp]

Price issues aside, for most work, the Caltar II-E 210mm f/6.8 has plenty of movement for 4x5 and will cover 5x7. For such a simple design, the lens performs shockingly well. It is worth considering if you want something that is more portable than the larger, more complex 210s. If I was buying, however, I would not pay as much for one of these as for a 210mm with a more complex design.