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D800 Horseman and Rodenstock Digital Lenses

Frencm

New member
Hi All

I have my hands on a Horseman LD and will use it with a MFDB later but wanted to use it with my D800e as that is primarily why the LD was made(for smaller formats).
My question is -which LF formats lens would work best with D800?

I should add that I am shooting table top stuff so NO landscapes.

I was looking at the Rodenstock digital range but not sure which one best suits the chip of the D800. Would the HR Digaron-S 180mm F5.6 work or the Apo-Macro Sironar 120mm F5.6?

Thanks for your input
Mark

PS I know this is the MFDB area but I thought the question straddled lots of formats :)
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I think both of those lenses would be fine. You could also look at using the Rodenstock enlarging lenses. The 135mm and 150mm lenses would have an image circle for 4x5 film and the 80mm APO would have a 6x6 image circle. All are simpler as they have no shutter and all are corrected for a flat field.
 

Frencm

New member
Hi Will

Thanks for reply.

Yeah I was also hearing a lot about the Apo Rodagons too-what would the benefit be for either the LF or enlarging lenses do you know?

I will be using tilt mainly so not sure if this will affect the final decision?

Cheers
Mark
 
I looked for info about this setup a while ago. Is it true that the Rodenstock wide angle lenses aren't retrofocus enough to work at infinity witha dslr?
 

Shashin

Well-known member
The Apo Rodagons don't have a shutter and so are less expensive. You will need to check if you have enough back focus to reach the sensor, but they should give enough movements.

The LF lens advantage is it mounts to the center of the lens, so the flange distance can be greater. Since you are looking at around the 120mm to 180mm range, then I am not sure how much of a problem it will be for either lens type.

Both the LF macro and enlarger lenses are corrected for short object distances/magnification. Enlarger lenses (and probably the macro) are also mini reproduction lenses and so are corrected for a flat field and should also be optimized for resolution. BTW, these lenses will work well for infinity.
 
Do a little searching on LuLa in the medium format section. Simon Harper switched from Mamiya/Aptus 75 to D800/Horseman and seems very happy with the system. It seems to me that it is better to build a system around the D800 than to build toward a move that may never happen. If going MFDB is a definite thing, maybe look at used back and tech cam that fits your budget and you can build on later, rather than a compromise system that kind of works for both.

I have to say that, while I have never used it, the Horseman makes the D800 flexible in ways we think of digital backs being flexible.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
It might be good to point out that is you go for the Rodenstock enlarger lenses, you will need to mount them in a shutter if you get the MFDB.
 

Frencm

New member
Great-thanks for all your inputs.
After all that feedback I think I will look more closely( pun intended) at the Apo Rodagons.
Anyone know the practical differences between the D and N versions?I want to use it primarily for table top products and maybe macro-probably just 2:1.

Thanks
Mark
 
With a 120mm for 1:1 reproduction you'll be looking at a 240mm extension on the bellows, so you can assume between 120mm and 240mm extension for table top work. I say that because the 180mm is going to mean even bigger extensions. It's nice to keep it to a minimum unless you also have a real nice studio stand of course.

I've not used the rodenstock but have used the SK 120mm 5.6 APO ASPH, whilst not designated macro, is a very good choice for such work.


From the linhof studio website:
-NEW- Apo Digitar N ASPHERIC 5.6 / 120mm Copal 0
Filter Thread 46mm
Image Circle 150mm
Flange Focal Distance 119mm
Lensboard Techno Part no. 1143
Lensboard M679cs Part no. 1160
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
I've not used the rodenstock but have used the SK 120mm 5.6 APO ASPH, whilst not designated macro, is a very good choice for such work.
The 120 ASPH was designed to replace both the 120-N (std lens) and 120-M (macro lens).

It is an extremely good performing lens for macro as well as for general purpose photography. We have used it for film-scanning at up to 3:2 magnification (aka 1.5:1) with stellar results.
 
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