Comparision between Digaron-W HR 70mm, Grandagon-N green line 75 mm and Apo Digitar 80 mm

[Paul Spinnler]

I know as a fact from the horse's mouth that currently no further developments at Rodenstock are considered. There are too many lucrative b2b projects in play where the clients pay upfront for the R&D and production that there's no room to develop a lens which could sell enough at one point in the future. You need to be sure a lens returns a few million in sales to warrant a new development.

If you buy an X shutter lens for 9k the calculation is not for from: 9k retail, 2.5k for the shutter, 3.5-4k for Rodenstock, 2.5-3k for the other intermediaries ... means a lot of lens sales need to be budgeted as certain to prioritise a project before an upfront government defense project ...

Last lens developed was the 138 HR and development started in 2013 ... no plans atm, incl. a revision of the 70 HR. There's just not enough projected market for these products right now ... we are lucky if we see the XT2 with more shift and maybe an IQ5 in 2024 ...

 

[ThdeDude]

I know as a fact from the horse's mouth that currently no further developments at Rodenstock are considered.

Could be. Would have made sense to replace both 70mm and 90mm Digaron-W at the same time or time space, since both were relabeled APO-Sironar Digitals.

 

[Alkibiades]

The 70mm Digaron-W is identical to the 70mm Apo-Sironar Digital except the name.

Hence, is an older lens design. Its deficiencies are well known and a person in-the-know told me that a 70mm Digaron-SW is/was being considered by Rodenstock.

older is relative.
It is not the older analoge design lens, but a really new lensdesign developed for digital use. It is not a classic symmetrical lens but a modern rodenstock retrofocus.
The lens was develope together with the whole Apo Sironar HR- Digaron-S HR.
the 70 HR was one with much large image circle.
I was talking with Mr Wenzel- the chief technician of rodenstock- about this lens. He was very proud about this lens becouse it is the cheapest lens in this line with much more easier lensdesign ( 10 elements I think) , that still is a very good lens. The following Digaron-W lenses are more or less bigger Digaron-S lenses with more complex lensdesign ( 14-16 elements). Afcourse the price of these lenses is much higher.
As I know there is no real plan for a new 70 mm in the next time.

 

[ThdeDude]

we are lucky if we see ... maybe an IQ5 in 2024 ...

At the time of IQ4's announcement on August 28, 2018, the current iPhone was the iPhone X (however, new iPhones were introduced in September).

As revolutionary the iPhone X was, as modern it still looks, but performance-wise it's now completely outclassed; in particular its photographic capabilities can now be regarded as prehistoric.

PhaseOne, how can it be that the IQ4's is still the best we can have in 2023!

 

[ThdeDude]

cheapest lens in this line with much more easier lensdesign ( 10 elements I think) , that still is a very good lens.

Even more so if getting instead the Apo-Sironar Digital 70mm, which is identical to the 70mm Digaron-W.

 

[cuida1991]

just out of curiosity, how does biogon 75 perform on gfx 100S?

 

[JeffK]

check out this pdf...
https://www.arca-swiss-magasin.com/contents/fr/e_rodenstock_digital_lenses.pdf

 

[JeffK]

One of the things to note in the PDF is to only look at Digaron-S if you're using the 33x44 sensor. If you have a 40x54 you need the Digaron-W or APO-Sironar Digital if you want any movements.

 

[Alkibiades]

I would say it is nothing special in reading advertising, that was publish here 1000 times or even more. The interesting issues are these that are not writen in the prospect.
In the analoge times the different lens lines are really named by a line name like sironar for standart lenses, grandagon for wide angle or apo ronar for repro....
All of these lens lines share the same lensdesign.
In the digital world everything changes, at schneider and rodenstock. So the name Apo Digitar or Apo Sironar Digital means nothing more that a lens that can be use for digital photography.
under these names there are classic wide angle designs, standart designs, endlarging lenses, close up lenses ect...
I must say the advertising of both german companies was simply a catastrophe.
The more interesting facts are the real development in he lensdesign of the so called digital lenses.
In this case the 90 mm and the 70 mm are so different lenses that it is simply strange that thse lenses get a part of same lens line. A classic symmetrical grandagon lensdesign with reduced image angle against a new developed retrofocus lensdesign. To talk with somebody who was develope these lenses is interesting but not to read advertising.
To the digaron-S line it is also not interesting to read the advertising but to know how different the lenses in these line are, and they have not the same image circle, absolutly not.
In all advertaising the most interesting facts are these that are not written there.