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Alternative lens for Rodenstock 40mm Digaron-W (Cambo-mount)

charlestonphoto

New member
Hello Everybody,

I have been using the Rodenstock 40mm Digaron-W for the last 6 years almost daily in about 80% of my architectural work. Mounted on a Cambo Widebody RS. I love the lens. The other 20% I use a Schneider 75mm/5.6 Super Angulon on either one of my two Linhofs. All images are captured with a PhaseOne P40 back. I use sliding back adapters on my Linhofs and stitch all images.
Here's the question: As much as I love the Rodenstock Digaron, I personally find the "look" from the Linhof/Schneider set-up slightly more appealing. I love how the proportions in interior shots almost always look significantly more natural, even on wide shots (that's probably due to the slightly longer focal length). I also feel that images with the Linhof/Schneider set-up seem to render a tad more three-dimensional. Even some of my clients agree on that.
My question is, is there an alternative to the Rodenstock 40mm Digaron in a Cambo-mount that would get closer to the Linhof/Schneider "look"? Rodenstock 55mm Apo-Grandagon? How would the Rodenstock 50mm Digaron compare?

I am aware that this might be a long shot, but I appreciate your input.
 

Jamgolf

Member
Hello Everybody,

I have been using the Rodenstock 40mm Digaron-W for the last 6 years almost daily in about 80% of my architectural work. Mounted on a Cambo Widebody RS. I love the lens. The other 20% I use a Schneider 75mm/5.6 Super Angulon on either one of my two Linhofs. All images are captured with a PhaseOne P40 back. I use sliding back adapters on my Linhofs and stitch all images.
Here's the question: As much as I love the Rodenstock Digaron, I personally find the "look" from the Linhof/Schneider set-up slightly more appealing. I love how the proportions in interior shots almost always look significantly more natural, even on wide shots (that's probably due to the slightly longer focal length). I also feel that images with the Linhof/Schneider set-up seem to render a tad more three-dimensional. Even some of my clients agree on that.
My question is, is there an alternative to the Rodenstock 40mm Digaron in a Cambo-mount that would get closer to the Linhof/Schneider "look"? Rodenstock 55mm Apo-Grandagon? How would the Rodenstock 50mm Digaron compare?

I am aware that this might be a long shot, but I appreciate your input.
Since you like the look and drawing of Schneiders, have you considered their 35mm, 43mm or 47mm lenses ?
By all accounts 50HR is similar to the 40HR in image quality. 55 is also still a Rodenstock so probably closer to 40HR than SK.

You'll find many SK43mm images in the tech camera images thread by JLM (John M) in the earlier pages, around pages 10-25.
Dan Lindberg's superb images with SK35mm are also plentiful in that thread right from the beginning. Many of them architectural.
I think examples from both gentlemen will show some of the qualities you might be looking for.

Cheers!
 

dchew

Well-known member
Another vote for the sk43. Great lens on the Cambo. I had it for the Alpa but it won't tilt on the Alpa so I traded it for the 40hr.

I miss it!

Dave
 

torger

Active member
The SK43 is close in focal length, and is a symmetrical lens which provides that lovely rendering, I'm a Schneider fan myself. Too bad they've discontinued their lens lines recently, but there's still a bunch in stock at some dealers, and second hand it's fairly easy to find too.

I assume you're using a P40+ back, which is not ideal for symmetrical lenses. You will have some more color cast issues with the SK43 so you can't really use the full 110mm image circle with maintained quality, but it's a bit fuzzy out there anyway. I don't know exactly what the practical limit is, I would guess though that you can get 90mm with fine quality.

I'd say the SK35 is pushing it for the P40+, on the other hand I don't use more than 75mm of the image circle of that myself as the last bit is not so sharp on that lens, while the inner image circle is super-sharp and again it has that lovely rendering.
 
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Ben730

Active member
The SK35 and the 43 with CF work very well with the P40+.
Also the SK28 Super-Digitar + CF works well until 14 mm Shift.
Even the SK 24 + CF is o.k. but if you shift 4 mm, you sometimes have problems with the colors of the sky etc.......

Unfortunately the SK CFs are all very prone to flare, this is so often a disaster for interior photography........:angry:

Regards,
Ben
 
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