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Phase One PC-TS Apo-Digitar 120 mm HM Aspheric vs. FUJINON GF 110 mm F.6 T/S

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Ben730

Active member
Someone recently asked how the Fujinon 110 TS performs compared to a Canon 135 TS-E.
Now I have the same question about the Mamiya/Schneider PC-TS 120 Aspheric.

Has anyone in the forum tested this lens? It seems to be the SK 120 Apo-Digitar Asph. Can it keep up with the Fuji GF 110 T/S?
How good is it compared to the extremely good Mamiya/Schneider AF 120 mm macro?

In the meantime there are also two Laowa TS lenses for GFX on offer (55 + 110).
However, only with 8 mm shift. I am also interested to know if anyone has already had any experience with those?
Thanks,
Ben
 
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Steve Hendrix

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
In my test against the Phase One 120mm AF D Macro Lens from some years back,, the Schneider 120 ASPH Tilt/Shift held up well. But it is not a macro lens, minimum focus distance is 33 inches. The Fujifilm GF 110mm Tilt/Shift minimum focus distance is 16". Earlier this year I did a down and dirty quickie test with the Fujifilm GF 110mm vs the Fujifilm GF 120 Macro and found them very close, maybe the smidgeon of resolving power in favor of the 120 macro. Not enough to sway me in one direction or the other, they were that close.

https://www.captureintegration.com/schneider-120mm-ts-for-p1mamiya-645-re-evaluated/


Steve Hendrix/CI
 
B

Ben730

Active member
Thanks Steve
In the meantime I have found and bought a used SK 120 PC-TS Aspheric.
I have now put it through some tough stress tests with IQ3 100/XF.
This lens is indeed extremely strong, in all areas.
No CA, crisp sharpness everywhere in the image, near or far, great bokeh, strong against the light - that's all a lens needs to be able to do.
Only perhaps less focus-breathing, as filming is increasingly becoming one of my tasks.
Unfortunately, I don't have any macro tubes for the XF yet.

I'll get the adapter for GFX next week. Then I'll test it against the GF120 macro (up to 1 : 1 with tubes) and see how much shift I have together with the Hartblei HCam.
The color fringing on the Fuji GF120 has annoyed me a few times.
It's quite possible that the Schneider smokes the Fuji.
 
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Ben730

Active member
Does anyone know what the electrical contacts on the Schneider are for?
The XF does not take any data from the lens and everything is manual.
 
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Ben730

Active member
Yes, I am surprised that this lens (the one with Mamiya/Phase One 645 mount) is not mentioned more often as a top notch performer.
It can be used with the appropriate adapter on all mirrorless cameras,
from Sony to Hasselblad X, even on the Cambo WRS or P1 XT.

However, it is a mystery to me why this small high-end lens was built into such a huge T/S body.
The T/S mechanics also take a bit of getting used to, but this is doable, I know this mechanics from the Hartblei/Zeiss 40 IF.
If you're not clumsy, you'll have no problems after a few minutes. With gloves, however, it becomes difficult.
 
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Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
I think it was never really too cheap back in the day and the lens design is less practical than just the lens mounted say on an Arca F; also the IC of this lens is huge 120mm plus, ie 30mm left right … so using it within a clumsy housing is a bit of a waste…

I think there’s even a Leica mount variant …
 
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Ben730

Active member
The GF 110 T/S is certainly no handier and with the HCam I'm sure I'll get plenty of shift range.
The M645 to Fuji GF adapter will arrive next week.
 
Steve Hendrix

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Ben730 said:
Thanks Steve
In the meantime I have found and bought a used SK 120 PC-TS Aspheric.
I have now put it through some tough stress tests with IQ3 100/XF.
This lens is indeed extremely strong, in all areas.
No CA, crisp sharpness everywhere in the image, near or far, great bokeh, strong against the light - that's all a lens needs to be able to do.
Only perhaps less focus-breathing, as filming is increasingly becoming one of my tasks.
Unfortunately, I don't have any macro tubes for the XF yet.

I'll get the adapter for GFX next week. Then I'll test it against the GF120 macro (up to 1 : 1 with tubes) and see how much shift I have together with the Hartblei HCam.
The color fringing on the Fuji GF120 has annoyed me a few times.
It's quite possible that the Schneider smokes the Fuji.
Click to expand...

Hi Ben -

We have pre-owned copies of NA401 (11.8 mm) and NA403 35.4 mm) for $149 each. New they are $390/$490.

Below link says out of stock, but not accurate.

https://digitalback.com/products/mamiya-auto-extension-tube-na403-pre-owned


Steve Hendrix/CI
 
4

4x5Australian

Well-known member
Ben730 said:
However, it is a mystery to me why this small high-end lens was built into such a huge T/S body.
The T/S mechanics also take a bit of getting used to, but this is doable, I know this mechanics from the Hartblei/Zeiss 40 IF.
If you're not clumsy, you'll have no problems after a few minutes. With gloves, however, it becomes difficult.
Click to expand...
The PC-TS version of the Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 HM Aspheric (for Phase One SLR cameras) is large because Schneider designed its mechanisms to be precise and robust and provide simultaneous shift and tilt, both of which can be rotated independently by 360 degrees.

In its press release on the three PC-TS lenses (50, 90 & 120mm) dated 17 Sept 2010, Schneider stated:

"... Thanks to their extremely precise and stable mechanics, they enable the photographer to consciously control and shift the focal plane, creating new opportunities for image composition. The combination of these robust mechanics and Schneider-Kreuznach’s characteristic high-resolution optics makes the three new lenses a universal tool for professional photographers and enthusiastic hobby photographers alike.

"Due to the large image circle of the lenses, they can be shifted by 12 mm and tilted by 8 degrees simultaneously. Both the tilt and shift mechanisms can be rotated by 360 degrees so that adjustments can be made in any direction and independently of each other. These individual settings mean that the photographer has a wide scope for creative image composition. "

It reads as a mechanical marvel.

Yes, the version of the Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 HM Aspheric made for technical cameras is tiny by comparison to the PC-TS version. Plus, a technical camera provides much larger shifts and tilts and does so with much greater ease and speed. Those are some of the big advantages of technical cameras over normal cameras.

Rod
 
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Ben730

Active member
Steve Hendrix said:
Hi Ben -
We have pre-owned copies of NA401 (11.8 mm) and NA403 35.4 mm) for $149 each. New they are $390/$490.
Below link says out of stock, but not accurate.
https://digitalback.com/products/mamiya-auto-extension-tube-na403-pre-owned
Steve Hendrix/CI
Click to expand...
Thank you for the offer. Since I am in Switzerland and will probably not leave the continent for the next few months, the shipping and customs clearance costs are far too high in relation to the product costs.
 
B

Ben730

Active member
dchew said:
I wonder if they are for the Leica variant and Schneider just decided to make one version:
leicacamerausa.com

Leica TS-APO-Elmar-S 120mm f/5.6 ASPH.

The Leica TS-APO-Elmar-S 120 mm f/5.6 ASPH. allows control of perspectives and the location of the plane of focus.
leicacamerausa.com leicacamerausa.com
Dave
Click to expand...
According to Google Image Search, the Leica version has no electrical contacts.
On the Phase One version, the contacts are exactly the same as on the 80 mm Blue Ring but they don't seem to transmit anything.

Incidentally, the Leica version is a lot more expensive. The Leitz-Optik secret was probably breathed into this version.
So it must certainly be much better. 🤣
 
rdeloe

rdeloe

Well-known member
Schneider-Kreuznach also made the Leica PC Super-Angulon 28mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens, and then sold it under its own name (with a clever solution for multiple mounts). It's the exact same lens except for the writing on the lens body.
 
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