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Rodenstock 138mm f6.5 HR Digaron SW FLOAT

Connor Ray

New member
Well the Rodenstock 138mm f6.5 HR Digaron SW FLOAT is out. Looks like the focus (with floating lens element(s) is built into the lens positioned in front of the e-shutter.
 

Connor Ray

New member
Newsletter from Linhof Studios:

”NEW Rodenstock 138mm f6.5 HR Digaron SW FLOAT

This new lens from Rodenstock sets new standards for the demanding and every changing needs of digital photography.

An exceptionally sharp long focal length lens for adjustable technical cameras intended for a wide distance range from infinity
up to an image scale of 1:5 (β' = -0,2).

It provides negligible distortion (almost always below 1‰) and a total suppression of the chromatic aberration for perfect freedom from colour fringing.”
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Steve, how big/heavy is this thing?
This looks like Alpa mount, is it available in Cambo WRS too?

I don't have exact dimensions, but it is a beefy lens.

It will be available for Cambo as well as Arca Swiss (and standard lens boards for various view cameras).


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
Steve, what you have pictured looks like an Alpa mount at the rear a helical and an E shutter. That's where all of the bulk comes from. The actual lens, which I would only be interested in, with just an aperture would be much smaller.

Victor
 

narikin

New member
'Float' as in floating element, I assume.
Don't think we've ever seen that in (essentially) a Large Format lens, have we?

I'm waiting for Alpa's announcement, in hope of a non eShutter solution. Besides ES, Alpa have the FPS/Silex shutter unit, so that's 2 reasons why it's redundant. A pointless and pricey addition. Hopefully they will offer a slimmed down option.

Though... who does make a simple aperture unit anymore, that could be put in there?
 

narikin

New member
I'm waiting for Alpa's announcement, in hope of a non eShutter solution. Besides ES, Alpa have the FPS/Silex shutter unit, so that's 2 reasons why it's redundant. A pointless and pricey addition. Hopefully they will offer a slimmed down option.
I missed that Alpa have updated the Silex to Mk2, that works with the eShutter, acting as control & power unit. So they may regard encouraging that option as a way to sell more Silex, and not the other way around. Sigh.

Simply can't do the work I do with a 1/250 top speed, need 1/1000 at least to freeze pedestrians. So this lens is useless with that shutter, for me. Appreciate that is not the case for others.
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
I've just finished up a Skype call and seen a prototype of a Rodenstock HR lens in the diaphragm/no shutter configuration. It is not quite final, so I cannot reproduce the screen shot I took, but suffice to say there will be something in the fashion of a tube to account for the spacing that the Copal 0/e Shutter would normally provide. I don't have a confirmed filter thread size yet for the 138mm, but it is a large heavy lens. Alpa provides 1.5 kg as the listed weight, and this is probably about 200 g more than the lens without helical mount. Rodestock lists the 90HR-SW as 680 g while Alpa lists it at 880 g.

You have the option of eShutter, which can work with the Silex II (or a Sinar Controller), which will have some advanced capabilities in conjunction with an IQ digital back, or the aperture control only/no shutter included, and mount to whatever you like. On that same topic, I've had some ask me about using the eShutter with a view camera, like an Arca Swiss, Cambo, Sinar, etc, and this provides the same options of using an Alpa Silex II, or the Sinar eShutter Controller. In both cases, you'll need to account for placement of the controller, but you also can of course interact with a remote app to control the eShutter.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
'Float' as in floating element, I assume.
Don't think we've ever seen that in (essentially) a Large Format lens, have we?


An example of a previous large-format lens with floating element: The Rodenstock 105 HR as mounted on a DT RCam for high-magnification film scanning (e.g. 35mm slides scanned at up to 12,000ppi in a single capture, up to 15,000ppi with a quick 3-shot stitch) with our DT Film Scanning Kit.

More info: bottom of New Product for ALA


I'm waiting for Alpa's announcement, in hope of a non eShutter solution. Besides ES, Alpa have the FPS/Silex shutter unit, so that's 2 reasons why it's redundant. A pointless and pricey addition. Hopefully they will offer a slimmed down option.

Though... who does make a simple aperture unit anymore, that could be put in there?
No need to wait for Alpa to announce... This lens is available with or without eShutter. When delivered without an eShutter a manual/mechanical aperture ring is inserted. You can contact your local Rodenstock dealer for more info or to purchase. If in the USA, we (DT) are glad to be that dealer for you.
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
I've just finished up a Skype call and seen a prototype of a Rodenstock HR lens in the diaphragm/no shutter configuration. It is not quite final, so I cannot reproduce the screen shot I took, but suffice to say there will be something in the fashion of a tube to account for the spacing that the Copal 0/e Shutter would normally provide. I don't have a confirmed filter thread size yet for the 138mm, but it is a large heavy lens. Alpa provides 1.5 kg as the listed weight, and this is probably about 200 g more than the lens without helical mount. Rodestock lists the 90HR-SW as 680 g while Alpa lists it at 880 g.

You have the option of eShutter, which can work with the Silex II (or a Sinar Controller), which will have some advanced capabilities in conjunction with an IQ digital back, or the aperture control only/no shutter included, and mount to whatever you like. On that same topic, I've had some ask me about using the eShutter with a view camera, like an Arca Swiss, Cambo, Sinar, etc, and this provides the same options of using an Alpa Silex II, or the Sinar eShutter Controller. In both cases, you'll need to account for placement of the controller, but you also can of course interact with a remote app to control the eShutter.


Steve Hendrix/CI

Obviously with just the aperture control only, there is no need for any controller, so you save on the cost/clunkiness factor, but you are reliant on the capabilities of the built-in eShutter of your chosen camera body or digital back.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

narikin

New member
Thanks for update Steve. Looks promising.
Glad to hear they recognise that a lot of customers don't want eShutter.

Any ETA on the 'light' version arriving in Alpa mount?
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Thanks for update Steve. Looks promising.
Glad to hear they recognise that a lot of customers don't want eShutter.

Any ETA on the 'light' version arriving in Alpa mount?

I would conservatively state 3-6 months, if I can get a more precise estimate, will follow up.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

jng

Well-known member
Steve,

Thanks for the information about the aperture-only configuration. Is there a manual shutter included to allow for a dark frame to be taken without resorting to fumbling with a lens cap?

John
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Steve,

Thanks for the information about the aperture-only configuration. Is there a manual shutter included to allow for a dark frame to be taken without resorting to fumbling with a lens cap?

John

In the version I have seen from Alpa, yes there appears to be.

Also, I have now some pretty rough iPhone shots of the technical data. Hopefully it will be legible to everyone here. While the filter thread is only 67mm, it still is listed at 1400 g, due to the dense and complex optical design.


Steve Hendrix/CI

IMG_9065.JPG.jpgIMG_9062.JPG.jpgIMG_9063.JPG.jpgIMG_9064.JPG.jpgIMG_9060.JPG.jpgIMG_9061.JPG.jpg
 

JeRuFo

Active member
You almost have to get a ruler out with MTF charts nowadays to see whether the lines are perfectly straight or have still a bit of a curve.
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
Steve..... don't know where you got the data information but thanks for posting. Rody should have this on their site but they don't.

Victor
 
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