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which dagor am i after


andrew_frith

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Hello...i'm looking for a dagor 12" or possibly bigger for my 8x10 camera...i want to get the version that has about 87 degrees field of view...i've seen different and conflicting information that some dagors have 87 degrees field of view (series iv?) and some have 70 degrees field of view (series III maybe?)...i know both versions have big image circles that will easily cover 8x10...what should i be looking for if i'm after the wider field of view in particular..i've also read other stuff about dagors (for example, keep away from berlin versions)..anything to be aware of would be appreciated...
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I don't know about the advice to keep away from Berlin Dagors. I have a 168/6.8 Ser. III that covers 8x10" and looks pretty good. Dagors only have 4 air/glass surfaces, so even old uncoated ones are decent performers, if they are in good condition.

 

I haven't determined the precise angle of view of my 12" Gold Dot Dagor, but it covers 11x14" handily, and I would have to use fairly extreme movements to run out of coverage with it on my 8x10" monorail.

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Series IV Dagors are the very rare F12.5 versions of the F6.8 or 7.7 series III Dagor. The Series IV was made for process work (flat field). A 12" Dagor will cover 14x17 at F64 so you'll get plaenty of movement on your 8x10.

 

Berlins have slightly lower contrast but have slightly bigger circles.As soon as I get my darkroom I'll run a few tests and post the results and see if anyone can tell the difference.

 

 

CP Goerz

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Andrew: If you like the brochures, search the LF category on Ebay once in awhile, because brochures of this kind come up for auction occasionally. They really are one of the few sources of information, but also take a look at the data tables on LF lenses at graflex.org and also bostick-sullivan.com. These list focal length, angle of view, coverage etc. for many classic and modern LF lenses. The coverage numbers are the trickiest, though, because some manufacturers and evaluators are more conservative than others in making the call; you don't know what bellows extension is being assumed and what aperture (the coverage of some lenses really explodes around f32 or something). The best thing is to be able to test the lens in question, and this is not so out of the question. Many sellers will amiably grant you an interval to test for coverage etc. -jeff buckels
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You are correct TS! When I first got my Series IV Dagor the iris scale was very badly scratched and the barrel gave no more info than focal length. I took the lens, measured it out and the iris calculated out to F12.5. It wasn't until much later that I managed to get a copy of the Vademecum and saw that it was an F11 lens not F12.5, unfortunatly though that F12.5 figure was burned into my brain and as you can see still pops up!

 

CP Goerz

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