90mm -vs- 100mm?

[aaron d]

Does anybody have experience with both the 90mm f6.8 and the 100mm

f5.6 (N or S) Rodenstock lenses? I'd like to hear a side to side

comparison of the two for image quality. I'm guessing the 100mm is

going to be the sharper image because the lens is being asked to do

so much less, optically speaking?

 

Aside from movements, which are apples and oranges, how do they

compare centered in a 6x 9 frame?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-A

[sam_crater]

I have used the 100N and the 75 f6.8 which I think is similar to the 90. I think you're correct that the 100 will outperform the 90 for 6x9 - by a whisker at f22 and maybe by a slightly bigger margin wider open. The 100N is certainly a great lens for 6x9.

[tedharris]

Several points: 1) Rodenstock no longer manufacture the the 100 N. 2) The comparison is

total apples to oranges and not worthwhile. The 90 f6.8 Grandagon is a wide angle design

for use with the 4x5 format while the 100 N/S is a plasmat design to be used as a 'standard'

lens with the 6x9 format, neither will cover 4x5. They have vastly different image circles and

angles of view. 3) I think you will find the image quality is the same or about the same,that is

not noticably different between them but then why would you compare as they are different

lenses for different purposes.

[sam_crater]

<i>The comparison is total apples to oranges and not worthwhile.</i>

<p>

Aaron asked if one of the lenses would produce sharper images on 6x9 with no movements because that is the specific use he has in mind for the lens. It's a reasonable question with a more or less objective answer I thought.

[aaron d]

Thank you guys both for the input!

 

To elaborate a little - I am fully aware that the lenses are completely different. I'm only shooting 6x9 (because that's the film scanner I've got) so 4x5 isn't an issue for me. I do mostly architectural with the view camera and in a 90-100mm lens will need A LOT of movement sometimes. I worry the 100mm isn't going to be enough. The 90mm has PLENTY and is overkill, but that's absolutely OK by me - I can use 60mm of it.

 

My only reservation about the 90 is that I use a standard lens almost exclusively for my art stuff with virtually no movements (I'm only predicting, though - since I don't have such a lens for this camera) and sharpness is the ultimate deciding point. I don't want to get a "standard-ish" lens that won't blow the doors off my Nikon 35mm, or why bother - ya know?

 

-A

[sam_crater]

They will both blow the doors off your Nikon. Rest assured!

<p>

Note that the 100 N will give you more than an inch of either shift or rise on 6x9 - that's a lot. See

<p>

http://www.butzi.net/rodenstock/apo-sironar-n/page2.htm

[vinny_walsh]

My my 1980's 90mm 6.8 grandagon is sharper than my 2003 schneider 150mm apo

symmar. It's a very sharp lens.