Tominon 127mm Lens Preliminary Results

Hello Folks,

Ok, so i've gotten back some 4x5 transparencies on Kodak 64T,
using the Tominon 127mm lens.

Comparing them to the other Schneider Xenar 135mm pictures i
took of the same paintings, the tominon has much more even sharpness
overall; none of the "rainbow" effect (thin blue line where the white
canvas meets the black felt background) which plagues the edges of the
Xenar.

However, i could swear that the Xenar is actually a bit sharper
in the center of the image! I used my 10x loupe to really look at the
details. At first i thought it was because these latest pics were
very slightly underexposed, but now i don't think so. It seems that
the Xenar would actually be a very good lens when using it for 6x6, or
120 film, as this is using only the very sharp center of the lens.

I really do like the Copal One type shutter that the tominon is
mounted in, esp. the self-cocking feature!
A MUCH nicer working shutter than my Synchro Compur-P.

However, i would like to try the APO-Ronar, or another lens
someone could recommend. I don't think the APO-Ronar fits into a
Copal One though... is there another good copy lens that i could eBay
that would fit the Copal one?
My artwork Sizes range from 8.5"x11" to about 4'x3'. I usually
end up about 0.8-1.8 meters away or so.

If another lens isn't better, i could settle for the tominon. I
would exchange a slightly less sharp center for better overall
sharpness and no "rainbow" effect.

Thanks for any feedback,

Dr. Slick

Dr. Slick wrote:


However, i could swear that the Xenar is actually a bit sharper
in the center of the image! I used my 10x loupe to really look at the
details. At first i thought it was because these latest pics were
very slightly underexposed, but now i don't think so. It seems that
the Xenar would actually be a very good lens when using it for 6x6, or
120 film, as this is using only the very sharp center of the lens.



Try different f stops.. I'd say shoot a braket of f11 to f22 and compare.
And yes you might find to get good corner sharpness you will give up a
little center sharpness? Sometimes this center to corner sharpness can be
adjusted by the lens spacing in the shutter. Just curious if you checked to
make sure the cells are tightly screwed into the shutter?

And I agree those self cocking shutters (with preview using another cable
release) are great!

--

Stacey

Hi, Slick. Been reading up on lenses lately, or rather, reading up on
reading lens specs. The Xenar is optimized for long distance, meaning
aberrations are corrected for infinity focus at the expense of close focus.
This sounds rather consistent with the chromatic aberration you're
describing. It doesn't mean the Xenar is necessarily a bad lens. You'll
likely find the opposite to be true of the Tominon, but that's a pure guess
on my part. (And it makes you wonder about all the pictures people have shot
of their garage doors over the decades.)

The lens you want is the APO Macro Sironar. The Apo Symmar is said to be
optimized for 1:10 to infinity, the Super Symmar is optimized for infinity,
and the Macro Symmar is unsurprisingly optimized for 1:1. That's just book
larnin; I have no actual experience.

Mike.

"Dr. Slick" wrote in message
om...
Hello Folks,

Ok, so i've gotten back some 4x5 transparencies on Kodak 64T,
using the Tominon 127mm lens.

Comparing them to the other Schneider Xenar 135mm pictures i
took of the same paintings, the tominon has much more even sharpness
overall; none of the "rainbow" effect (thin blue line where the white
canvas meets the black felt background) which plagues the edges of the
Xenar.

However, i could swear that the Xenar is actually a bit sharper
in the center of the image! I used my 10x loupe to really look at the
details. At first i thought it was because these latest pics were
very slightly underexposed, but now i don't think so. It seems that
the Xenar would actually be a very good lens when using it for 6x6, or
120 film, as this is using only the very sharp center of the lens.

I really do like the Copal One type shutter that the tominon is
mounted in, esp. the self-cocking feature!
A MUCH nicer working shutter than my Synchro Compur-P.

However, i would like to try the APO-Ronar, or another lens
someone could recommend. I don't think the APO-Ronar fits into a
Copal One though... is there another good copy lens that i could eBay
that would fit the Copal one?
My artwork Sizes range from 8.5"x11" to about 4'x3'. I usually
end up about 0.8-1.8 meters away or so.

If another lens isn't better, i could settle for the tominon. I
would exchange a slightly less sharp center for better overall
sharpness and no "rainbow" effect.

Thanks for any feedback,

Dr. Slick

(Dr. Slick)

However, i would like to try the APO-Ronar, or another lens
someone could recommend.

Another good 4x5 closeup lens is the 150 G-Claron. Makes a pretty good
distance lens and covers 5x7. Copal 0 though.
Chuck

Stacey wrote in message ...


Try different f stops.. I'd say shoot a braket of f11 to f22 and compare.
And yes you might find to get good corner sharpness you will give up a
little center sharpness? Sometimes this center to corner sharpness can be
adjusted by the lens spacing in the shutter. Just curious if you checked to
make sure the cells are tightly screwed into the shutter?


They are tightened as tight as you can with your fingers. Should
be tight enough?


And I agree those self cocking shutters (with preview using another cable
release) are great!

Yes, and the new cable release i got has made life a lot easier!


Slick

Dr Slick
Tominon 127mm Lens Preliminary Results

My artwork Sizes range from 8.5"x11" to about 4'x3'. I usually end up about
0.8-1.8 meters away or so.

Get a longer lens for the smaller work and keep yourself at 2 meters or longer.
Weight your tripod with a one gallon water jug hung from the center of the
tripod. Use copy lenses if you can find them. Most are f9.
Bob AZ

Dr. Slick wrote:

Stacey wrote in message
...


Try different f stops.. I'd say shoot a braket of f11 to f22 and compare.
And yes you might find to get good corner sharpness you will give up a
little center sharpness? Sometimes this center to corner sharpness can be
adjusted by the lens spacing in the shutter. Just curious if you checked
to make sure the cells are tightly screwed into the shutter?


They are tightened as tight as you can with your fingers. Should
be tight enough?



Yep.
--

Stacey

On 2/4/2004 3:20 PM RWatson767 spake thus:

Dr Slick
Tominon 127mm Lens Preliminary Results

My artwork Sizes range from 8.5"x11" to about 4'x3'. I usually end up about
0.8-1.8 meters away or so.

Get a longer lens for the smaller work and keep yourself at 2 meters or longer.
Weight your tripod with a one gallon water jug hung from the center of the
tripod. Use copy lenses if you can find them. Most are f9.

The Tominon *is* a copy lens.


--
It's fun to demonize the neo-cons and rejoice in their discomfiture, but
don't make the mistake of thinking US foreign policy was set by Norman
Podhoretz or William Kristol. They're the clowns capering about in front of
the donkey and the elephant. The donkey says the UN should clean up after
them, and the elephant now says the donkey may have a point. Somebody has
come out with a dustpan and broom.

- Alexander Cockburn, _CounterPunch_
(http://www.counterpunch.org), 9/17/03

If you are getting chromatic crap from the Xenar, then there is something wrong
with the lens. It is a 4 element tessar type so it should give decent results
at f16 or f22. But this was also a press camera lens, so Schneider made them on
low bid to Graphlex. Anyway an Apo-chromat would be your ideal lens, my
favorites are Apo Nikors wonderful lenses, though not German.

Tom

In article ,
says...

Hello Folks,

Ok, so i've gotten back some 4x5 transparencies on Kodak 64T,
using the Tominon 127mm lens.

Comparing them to the other Schneider Xenar 135mm pictures i
took of the same paintings, the tominon has much more even sharpness
overall; none of the "rainbow" effect (thin blue line where the white
canvas meets the black felt background) which plagues the edges of the
Xenar.

However, i could swear that the Xenar is actually a bit sharper
in the center of the image! I used my 10x loupe to really look at the
details. At first i thought it was because these latest pics were
very slightly underexposed, but now i don't think so. It seems that
the Xenar would actually be a very good lens when using it for 6x6, or
120 film, as this is using only the very sharp center of the lens.

I really do like the Copal One type shutter that the tominon is
mounted in, esp. the self-cocking feature!
A MUCH nicer working shutter than my Synchro Compur-P.

However, i would like to try the APO-Ronar, or another lens
someone could recommend. I don't think the APO-Ronar fits into a
Copal One though... is there another good copy lens that i could eBay
that would fit the Copal one?
My artwork Sizes range from 8.5"x11" to about 4'x3'. I usually
end up about 0.8-1.8 meters away or so.

If another lens isn't better, i could settle for the tominon. I
would exchange a slightly less sharp center for better overall
sharpness and no "rainbow" effect.

Thanks for any feedback,

Dr. Slick