Comparision between Digaron-W 50 mm, Apo Sironar Digital/Sinaron Digital 55 mm and Apo Digitar XL 60 mm

[Alkibiades]

And at last 20 mm shift with the 55 mm.
as you will see the extrem corners are realy sharp even at 20 mm shift.
The 55 mm and the 60 xl will allow even more movements, for the 50 Digaron W is here the end.
But 20 mm is really much and the most technical cameras dont allow more.
55 mm is not the Apo Grandagon but the Apo Sironar Digital/ Sinaron Digital. It base on the older Apo Grandagon but you have 20 years between these lenses, so lens production, coutings..., they dont stop but on the contrary all pushed forward in the lens production, becouse of the more difficult digital technology. The film was much more forgiveable.
I hope you all enjoy the comparision,
all these lense are more then usable with modern backs...

 

[Alkibiades]

Thank You for doing all that work! I am very interested in old lenses especially after I took an Apo Sironar Digital 135mm into my toolbox. I think it is my best landscape lens today. I am using it with Sony 7rmk2 which I think is the same sensor as You used in the test

I am very glad that my small review helps much people.
Yes, the Sony A7RII and III have the same sensor but in small. The new 60MP Sony sensor will work even bette with technical lenses, has even less color cast.
For some work I also use Sony on Arca Siwiss M-line2 with technical lenses like 35 HR, 55 and 90 mm rodenstock, its work very well and deliver great results. There are only one 35 mm shift lens for all full format (35 mm) that is usable; Zeiss contax distagon 35 mm shift lens, good but the 35 HR is simply other class.

 

[PASCVAL]

Very interesting. Are you going to do more comparative like this one? Comparing new HR with other digital lenses is very educative. THX

 

[Alkibiades]

Very interesting. Are you going to do more comparative like this one? Comparing new HR with other digital lenses is very educative. THX

I will do maybe about 40 mm lenses?

 

[PASCVAL]

I will do maybe about 40 mm lenses?

Good idea!! ))

 

[alexfth]

I am very glad that my small review helps much people.
Yes, the Sony A7RII and III have the same sensor but in small. The new 60MP Sony sensor will work even bette with technical lenses, has even less color cast.
For some work I also use Sony on Arca Siwiss M-line2 with technical lenses like 35 HR, 55 and 90 mm rodenstock, its work very well and deliver great results. There are only one 35 mm shift lens for all full format (35 mm) that is usable; Zeiss contax distagon 35 mm shift lens, good but the 35 HR is simply other class.

thank you for the great and super helpful comparison! I have a follow up question: what where your obsevations for the Schneider 60 and the Rodenstock 55 regarding distortion? are they both distortion free or does one or the other show some barrel or moustache distortion. This would be interesting especially shifted.

 

[Alkibiades]

thank you for the great and super helpful comparison! I have a follow up question: what where your obsevations for the Schneider 60 and the Rodenstock 55 regarding distortion? are they both distortion free or does one or the other show some barrel or moustache distortion. This would be interesting especially shifted.

both lenses are symmetrical lensdesigns and have no visible distortion.
Also a very interesting lens in this range is the Rodenstock 4,5/65 mm green line- it has also no distortion and is even sharper as the 55 mm and have larger image circle.

 

[alexfth]

both lenses are symmetrical lensdesigns and have no visible distortion.
Also a very interesting lens in this range is the Rodenstock 4,5/65 mm green line- it has also no distortion and is even sharper as the 55 mm and have larger image circle.

the 65 sound interesting - do you know how it behaves in terms of color cast compared to the 55?

 

[Alkibiades]

the 65 sound interesting - do you know how it behaves in terms of color cast compared to the 55?

yes, it is a longer lens with similar lensdesign that means it have less color cast. I use the 65 mm when I need really large movements for big stich- I use backs with microlenses and even there the color cast is no problem. The results at the large movements are even better than from Apo Digitar60 mm xl.

 

[alexfth]

yes, it is a longer lens with similar lensdesign that means it have less color cast. I use the 65 mm when I need really large movements for big stich- I use backs with microlenses and even there the color cast is no problem. The results at the large movements are even better than from Apo Digitar60 mm xl.

that sounds promising! thank you!

 

[alexfth]

yes, it is a longer lens with similar lensdesign that means it have less color cast. I use the 65 mm when I need really large movements for big stich- I use backs with microlenses and even there the color cast is no problem. The results at the large movements are even better than from Apo Digitar60 mm xl.

(follow up question: is it the 65m Grandagon-N series you are referring to?)

 

[Alkibiades]

(follow up question: is it the 65m Grandagon-N series you are referring to?)

yes, Grandagon-N MC, the latest generation, with the green ring. The older grandagon is not so good.

 

[Paul Spinnler]

yes, Grandagon-N MC, the latest generation, with the green ring. The older grandagon is not so good.

You said the non-green ring MC is the same? I have it and for digital it is excellent ...

 

[Alkibiades]

You said the non-green ring MC is the same? I have it and for digital it is excellent ...

there is a big difference between Grandagon and Grandagon-n, they share the same 8 elements 105° lens-design, have also the same sizes but they are opticly totally different.

 

[Paul Spinnler]

But there's also a grandagon-n without green ring? So there's grandagon and grandagon-n with and without green ring, right?

 

[Alkibiades]

But there's also a grandagon-n without green ring? So there's grandagon and grandagon-n with and without green ring, right?

there are 4 grandagons:
- Grandagon ( non MC, oldest design)
- Grandagon MC ( modern MC couting and new lensdesign)
-Grandagon- N MC ( better couting, new lensdesign also)
- Grandagon-N MC green Line- the latest version of the Grandagon-N MC

 

[Bill_Evans]

Wow! Thanks for this comparison. It sure seems like the Granagon-N (55, 65 & 75) would be good candidates for a hybrid digital / film setup. Do you happen to know if the Grandagon 35 and 45 received any optical improvements that would mirror the types of results you are seeing here and in your 75 comparision?

 

[daz7]

There is no difference between a green line and the older black grandagon-N. Both are identical. Rodenstock simply added a color ring to differentiate different goups of lenses. There was also a Caltar-N with and without a green stripe and Sinaron with or without green line. Some of them were mounted by Rodenstock in the same year until the black bodies ended. A green stripe is purely cosmetic but that's the latest models typically, so a better chance to be in a slightly better condition.
From 1992 or so, Rodenstock decoraed lenses with color stripes. Green for Apo Grandagon and Grandagon N, white for Apo Sironar N, red for Apo Sironar S, yellow for Apo Sironar W, orange for Apo Macro Sironar and blue for Apo Ronar. Lenses are identical with or without color stripe.

Caltar II N with green stripe [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

What does a green stripe mean, if anything on these lenses?

www.largeformatphotography.info

 

[4x5Australian]

Rodenstock introduced the green ring on the Apo-Grandagon 45mm and 55mm lenses (designed for the 6x9 and 6x12cm roll-film formats) on their introduction at the 1994 Photokina trade show. Rodenstock's 16-page technical brochure of 04/1995 shows the Apo-Grandagon 45mm and 55mm with the green ring and the Grandagon-N 90mm f/4.5 and f/6.8 without. (The Apo-Grandagon 35mm, with its green ring, was introduced a year or two later.)

The green ring was progressively added to subsequent production batches of the existing Grandagon-N lens series (of longer focal lengths, for 4x5 film). The other lens lines were given their own colours in the same way. Rodenstock's 12-page brochure of 06/1995 shows a double-page group shot of seven lenses, one of each lens line, in which three lenses have a coloured ring and four, including the Grandagon-N 90mm f/4.5, don't. The pages that follow show a single sample of each lens series with its coloured ring. This brochure, therefore, puts a date on the first appearance of coloured rings on lenses other than the Apo-Grandagon 45mm and 55mm.

Rodenstock labelled batches of the same lenses as Caltar for Calumet and Sinaron for Sinar, retaining the same coloured rings for each line.

 

[Alkibiades]

there are 4 grandagons:
- Grandagon ( non MC, oldest design)
- Grandagon MC ( modern MC couting and new lensdesign)
-Grandagon- N MC ( better couting, new lensdesign also)
- Grandagon-N MC green Line- the latest version of the Grandagon-N MC

PS

There is no difference between a green line and the older black grandagon-N. Both are identical. Rodenstock simply added a color ring to differentiate different goups of lenses. There was also a Caltar-N with and without a green stripe and Sinaron with or without green line. Some of them were mounted by Rodenstock in the same year until the black bodies ended. A green stripe is purely cosmetic but that's the latest models typically, so a better chance to be in a slightly better condition.
From 1992 or so, Rodenstock decoraed lenses with color stripes. Green for Apo Grandagon and Grandagon N, white for Apo Sironar N, red for Apo Sironar S, yellow for Apo Sironar W, orange for Apo Macro Sironar and blue for Apo Ronar. Lenses are identical with or without color stripe.

Caltar II N with green stripe [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

What does a green stripe mean, if anything on these lenses?

www.largeformatphotography.info

Yes, the lensdesign are identical, but the couting of lenses made in 90 ties are little different to the made 10- 15 years later.