360mm f9 Nikkor process lens for 8x10?

[john_burnley2]

Does anyone have experience using the 360mm f9 Nikkor process lens for their 8x10? Comments on the qualities of this lens would be greatly appreciated. How does it stack up compared to other modern optics? And what is the image circle? Thanks so much.

[per_volquartz1]

Unbelieably sharp. Large image circle.

 

<p>

 

 

Best at close distances but still very good at infinity, Especially if

you make contact prints.

 

<p>

 

Drawback = a bit on the heavy side - and in need of a shutter...

[duane_kucheran]

I helped a friend adapt a shutter by making a threaded ring that

attached the shutter to the front of the lens. It looked a bit hokey

but it worked quite well. The aperture of the lens was still set on

the lens itself rather than on the shutter.

 

<p>

 

We put some 8*10 chromes on the light table and they were stunning!

One shot had an eagle in a tree about 500' away. Under the loupe I

would say that the resolution & color were not much worse than an

equivalent image shot with a 300 mm lens for 35 mm format.

Resolution was quite even over the entire image.

 

<p>

 

I can't comment on the coverage, but from the images I couldn't see

any vignetting.

 

<p>

 

Cheers,

 

<p>

 

Duane

[robert_johnson11]

I have been using Nikon Apo-Nikkor

process lenses in all focal lengths

from 150mm to 1870mm for years

now. Remember that though they

were discontinued in 1984, they were

the top-of-the-line glass made at the

time and cost in the thousands of

dollars. They are probably the best

bargains going in apo lenses today, if

you can live with the fact that they

are all in barrels and above 455mm

are very hard to fit to shutters. In

fact, fitting to shutters is NOT

recommended, as that will knock off

the fine edge of sharpness these

lenses are famous for. Presumably if

you are interested in them, you are

interested in sharpness, and if you

shoot a fine-grain slow film, you can

use a spare darkslide or equivalent

as the 'shutter' a la the 19th century.

The results will astound you!

 

<p>

 

300mm and larger Apo-Nikkors will

cover 8x10 with some room for

movements.

 

<p>

 

Robert

[s._preston_jones]

Can someone explain why putting a lens in a shutter would remove or reduce any of the sharpness of the lens?

[audidudi]

Depending upon the shutter speed, the vibration of some shutters can visibly reduce image sharpness. For longer exposures, though, there should be little difference between the two.