Performance of SK Super Angulon 47mm F/5.6 or 58mm F/5.6 XL on GFX 50SII

[John Leathwick]

Encouraged by my own experience with a recently purchased lightweight Fujinon EX 180/9 on my Universalis-GFX 50SII kit, I've been considering options at shorter focal lengths that would provide an easier carry than my 900 gm Mamiya RZ 50mm. The latter provides great performance along with prodigious shifts, but its weight is up there for a lightweight technical camera, such that I have to dial in a small amount of negative tilt to counteract its tendency to tilt forward the front format frame. Prompted by Rob's exploration of his 35mm Apo-Digitar L, I've been looking at the later Super Angulons, and the 47mm F/5.6 and the 58mm F/5.6 XL in particular. I'm keen to find out if anyone has experience with these on the non-BSI sensor of my GFX 50SII.

From what I can work out, when focused at infinity, the rear element of the later multicoated version of the 47/5.6 (non-XL) would sit within the opening of the rotafoot, but its relatively small diameter (43mm) would still allow shifts of up to 8.5mm. By contrast, the rear element of the XL version of 47/5.6 is too large to fit into the rotafoot opening. The 58/5.6 XL is an interesting alternative, as it would sit entirely clear of the rotafoot, so it would have much great capacity for movements. However, my suspicion is that I would always need to shoot LCC's, and that these might not fully clean up the colour fringing?

I'm hoping that somebody might have experience of these two possible combinations and be able to comment on feasibility, expected performance, and possible alternatives - the prospect of a 750mm reduction in weight is quite attractive!

John

 

[corvus]

Hi John, I don't use this combination, but I originally had a few thoughts about the SK SA 47 on my Canon R8. Yes, the rear mount will be in the rotafoot with GFX - in the attached section I had tried to show the GFX bayonet as well as the R8 in order to be able to imagine possible movements.


(Follow the orange figure)

To gain experience, I then bought an "analog" 5.6/58 - albeit a Linhof Technikon (Rodenstock). I think it will behave similarly to a 58 SK. With a non-BSI sensor, I suspect the same behavior as with my lens-sensor combination. There will be color shifts and I always use an LCC for every shot - even for unshifted ones. The correction in C1 basically works. However, I had a few challenges with stitched images - it requires increased attention in the workflow.

 

[John Leathwick]

Thanks for that info. From what I could find, your Technikon 58mm is likely to be an earlier version of the grandagon 58? Aside from the need to use an LCC, are you happy with the sharpness of it on your Canon R8? I've also looked at a Sinaron 55/4.5 (Grandagon) that is for sale in a local camera store. It had good sharpness, but strong magenta casts with any shift at all, behaviour that Rob deLoe also encountered when he tried it. By contrast, Diggles kindly shared some SA47mm images shot with his 50MP Hasselblad back, and that didn't show quite as much colour cast as the Sinaron.

Your diagram was also useful to confirm my conclusions about shiftability, although the opening on my GFX rotafoot is 60mm, rather than the 65mm you show.

John

 

[corvus]

There is very little information about the Linhof Technikon 58. I only know a brochure on the Linhof Super Technika IV &V from the 1960s. Unfortunately, I do not know any technical data sheets - as is usual for most Rodenstock and Schneider lenses. The sharpness is good for its age. It is about as sharp as my standard Canon 1.8/50 (the 55 is certainly sharper, I suspect). With the F-Universalis I can't reach the edge of the image circle. The magenta cast is there, but C1 has mostly fixed it with LCC.