Schneider 150 Tele-Xenar - Rollei 6008i

[erik_wang]

I just purchased a Rollei 6008i setup with 80mm lens, I am thinking

about getting a 150mm for portrait use, Can anyone recommend a

Schneider 150 Tele-Xenar, what is the typical used price for this

lens, is there another alternative lens for portrait use.

 

On another note, coming from Canon DLSR with just a collection of

lenses, can I ask why MF lenses are so much more expensive than Canon

EF lenses?

[mike_elek]

One reason is that the lenses use glass rather than plastic for lens elements.<P>

 

Another factor is cost of production. German lenses are typically more expensive than Japanese lenses (35mm and medium format) for two reasons:

 

Higher cost of experience skilled labor vs. a factory line in China or Indonesia.

 

The other reason is that most lenses in Germany are hand made and individually tested. Rejection rate is higher, but quality of construction is higher too. I believe most mass-produced lenses use random sampling to ensure they meet optical and mechanical targets. Each Zeiss lens, by comparison, undergoes rigorous testing during construction.<P>

 

<a href="http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B58B9?Open" target=_new>Take a look at the Carl Zeiss lens production tour.</a><P>

 

This will help to explain why Zeiss (and probably Leica and Schneider) lenses are so costly. You can't achieve this level of excellence on a high-output line, regardless whether it's in Germany or Japan or the U.S.

[b_kosoff]

I own the schneider 150mm tele xenar, and have tested it head to head

versus the rollei zeiss 150mm sonnar and the hasselblad 150mm sonnar.

The 150mm tele xenar I found to be slightly superior at infinity as compared to

both 150mm Sonnars, and vastly superior to them at close focus due to it's

floating elements.

[alvin_brown2]

I have the PQS version of this lens, and I can also say that it is fantastic at normal portrait distances. When looking at the prices of MF lenses don't forget that the shutter is contained in the lens, which adds to the price. Although this is a great lens I have rarely used my MF system recently, and I was planning to sell it. If you are interested I can send you some additional information and photos.

[erik scanhancer]

IMHO the focal length of 150mm is generally just too long for

portraits. For most people it means that the ears will stand out

slightly too much and the nose and lips will be "punched in" a

little, because your distance to them will become too high in

order not to frame them too narrow. The 120mm Makro Planar

would be a better choice, if you can afford it.

[erik_wang]

Alvin, email sent

[calvin_lee]

Don't overlook the Rollei (Zeiss) 150mm f/4 PQS Sonnar, which will work up to 1/1000 sec. on your 6008 Integral. Of course, the flash sync also goes up to 1/1000 sec as well. The PQ lenses, including the Schneider, only go up to 1/500 sec. Also, since the Schneider 150mm Tele-Xenar is a little more difficult to find these days, the prices of the two lenses would be roughly the same on the used market (~$1500).

 

I have had both lenses and found very little difference in practical performance for portrait use. Although, I found the Schneider color balance to be slightly cooler than the Zeiss counterpart. You might also consider the PQ version of the Rollei (Zeiss) 150mm lens, which should be $300-$400 dollars cheaper than the other 2 lenses. BTW, I'm still using Schneider APO lenses on my 4x5 field camera, which I absolutely love.

[b_kosoff]

My 150mm schneider tele xenar is PQS and does have a 1/1000th shutter

speed.

[mskovacs]

Much of what Mike Elek says is true though I wonder where the Kyocera/Cosina Zeiss lenses and the like fit into the labour costs. The only plastic lens elements I've heard of are the moulded aspheric elements. I think that economy of scale is the biggest factor. There just aren't that many MF lenses sold in comparison to Canon/Nikon 35mm.

[b_kosoff]

Erik,

I attempted to reply to your email twice, and boths times got an "undeliverable

mail" message. Perhaps your spam protection is blocking me. Here is the

reply tried to send:

 

 

 

 

I think $1300 is a very good price if the lens is mint. I paid $3000 for mine

as a demo, when brand new 150mm sonnars sold for $2400. I felt the lens

was worth it.

 

I have little knowledge of how good a canon 80mm 1.2 is, however it being

a 1.2 lens straight away lowers it?s contrast and resolution. MF lenses do not

have to be as good as 35mm lenses as the film isn't magnified as much, and

therefore scrutinized much less. The 150mm tele xenar is perhaps one of the

sharpest 150mm lenses available today for mf cameras. The image quality of

a Rolleiflex with a 150mm schneider and film will surpass any dslr.

 

I hope I have been helpful.

[jim_chow]

I think it's economies of scale (lack of mass production, at least

for the German optics plus the super-high cost of highly skilled

German labor), plus the moving parts (shutter/helicoil). OTOH,

German LF lenses are comparatively cheap. LF lenses have no

moving parts other than the shutter, no fancy DOF markings

etched into anodized aluminum, no helicoil (as you focus w/

bellows), no fancy electronic interfaces to computerized camera

bodies. Shutters are usually Japanese made (copal) off the

shelf. So in this sense, LF is much more economical, as the

focusing element (bellows) is inherent in the camera body, so

you only need to buy it once, not for every lens (you just buy the

lens board for each lens).

 

As for focal lengths for portraits, I think 150mm on 6x6 is

excellent. I used to own a 150 PQS sonnar, sold it for a 180/2.8

tele-xenar. The 180 has better bokeh and is sharper, but 150 is a

more useable focal length, IMHO. The 110/2 planar is also

good..depends on if you're portraits are closeups or entire body

shots. I've used the 300/4 apo tele-xenar for portraits before.