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Schneider 240LS

Don Libby

Well-known member
After having the lens and 2x converter now for several months I've come to the conclusion that I need the lens rail. I've shot this combination both on tripod and window/ground mount and in each case while I get focus confirmation I still must hold either the lens or the camera body which adds to a certain amount of vibration. In looking at the files I can see that the image is ever so "off". The good news is that I can clean up the file using Photoshop Shake Reduction.

In the end, I've decided a call to Really Right Stuff is need tomorrow morning.



 

sc_john

Active member
Sent you a PM with info for my discussions with RRS about improved support for Phase 150D with 2xTC. Not the same as LS240, but it may have some helpful.

John
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Hejnar Photo (here) advertizes "Phase One/Mamiya 645DF+ Large Lens Rail". I found these people off Phase One; the package runs $260. The main difference between this and the RRS package (here) is the length of the bottom rail, the Hejnar is 8" vs. 10" with the RRS. The other difference is the price - RRS cost $290.

Bottom line is I've been a life long customer of RRS and I trust them added to the fact I like having the extra 2-inches. The RRS has been ordered and should be here in Jackson Hole before the end of the week.

I'll keep you posted.....
 

gazwas

Active member
Don, I'd be very surprised if that made much of a difference to your shots as I always thought they were designed to add stability/balance to big telephoto lenses rather than the likes of the DF/240LS.

I may not have been reading the right topics but its always Phase One camera owners that complain most about this sort of thing and is probably attributed to the way the shutter is poorly implemented in these cameras that induces the vibrations. A camera capable of using LS lenses but still has to fire the FP shutter first is just daft.

I'd be very interested in the results.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I've got to disagree simply from the point that I've seen the difference between having it mounted on 2-seperate tripods. To me the problem is the mounting of the body allowing a huge weight of the lens/converter to hang over the front screwing up the balance. Placing the body/lens on a rail will allow me to shift the balance backwards. For the life of me I simply can't understand why a tripod mount wasn't designed for either the converter or the lens.
 

gerald.d

Well-known member
I've got to disagree simply from the point that I've seen the difference between having it mounted on 2-seperate tripods. To me the problem is the mounting of the body allowing a huge weight of the lens/converter to hang over the front screwing up the balance. Placing the body/lens on a rail will allow me to shift the balance backwards. For the life of me I simply can't understand why a tripod mount wasn't designed for either the converter or the lens.
Having done a few shots recently with the Mamiya 300/2.8 + 2X converter on the ALPA FPS, I would definitely concur with this.

There is no doubt that these big shutters have the potential to cause vibration, but the key thing is how you damp that vibration. You can't just leave it up to the camera - basic physics says that there's kinetic energy created by the shutter, and that has to be dissipated somehow.

There are two things you need to take care of.

Firstly, make sure that the kinetic energy has little chance to create a torsional force - this means get that camera and lens as rigidly mounted as you possibly can.

Once you've done that, then ideally you need to increase the mass of the entire system as much as is feasibly possible. The heavier the entire rigid system (camera, lens, rail, tripod mount, tripod, etc etc), the less effect the dissipation of the kinetic energy of the shutter will have.

Kind regards,


Gerald.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
First off I'm tired. That kind of tire where if you aren't careful you'll fall face first in the mashed potatoes tired.

The RRS rail arrived earlier this afternoon and I just had to go back out and try it. I had been leery of adding more bulk to the camera/lens/adaptor thinking it wouldn't be a good idea (I was also worried about the added weight). I shouldn't have worried. Yes there's a small amount of added weight yet it isn't bad.

You've gotten this far so I'll be up front that there's no sample images on this thread - yet. I need a shower then meeting for dinner with a potential client then bed. Another early morning tomorrow then hopefully rest in the afternoon so it'll have to wait till then. Sorry.

I've tired this on both the Kirk window/truck pod with the RRS ballhead, also on the RRS tripod/Cube/Ballhead. The really good news is that it works in both configurations.

The 10" rail is massive! Which is a very good thing as it helps dampen the load. The camera was rock solid on both the Cube and Ballhead. The rail helped to balance the entire system out which is something Phase should have thought about to begin with. (Phase One - are you listening?) All in all it was a pure joy to use.

We went out looking for subjects to test and ended up with a small buffalo herd. The distance from me to the herd ranged from as close as 300 yards to as far out as 500 plus; sort of the limit of the lens. One hand on the shutter release and one hand to focus the remove the hand and shoot moving the camera as needed to keep up. I've opened the file in C1 checking for critical focus and was very pleased.

Sorry for teasing but I have to go now but will add images to this as soon as I can.

Bottom line without sharing the files is that if you have a 240 and 2x then you should think real hard about the RRS lens rail.

More later.

Don
 

satybhat

Member
Don, recently I decided on the 75-150 LS as opposed to the 240 LS. The lens is a lot more bulky and perhaps partly because of this, more stable. I just use the cube under the DF+ and it is critically sharp at most shutter speeds.
Have you compared the 240 LS to any long technical lens at all ?
will be interesting to see how it stacks up to something like the SK 180 or 210 .
Regards
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Don, recently I decided on the 75-150 LS as opposed to the 240 LS. The lens is a lot more bulky and perhaps partly because of this, more stable. I just use the cube under the DF+ and it is critically sharp at most shutter speeds.
Have you compared the 240 LS to any long technical lens at all ?
will be interesting to see how it stacks up to something like the SK 180 or 210 .
Regards
I had the occasion to test a 75-150LS earlier this year and totally agree that it is a beast. When I first saw it I thought at first it was a 240LS. I remember testing it with the 2x and was impressed.

As far as comparing technical lens to the 240 - I've had a 120 Schneider for years and that has been the longest lens I've ever shot with the WRS and have always been pleased with the results (the 120 short barrel has a huge image circle for shifts).
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
This is what I used yesterday afternoon shortly after receiving the long lens support.





100% crop



In the process of combining more photos and information and will be posting on our blog shortly.

Don
 
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