I just got a really great deal on a Schenider 180mm F5.6 Symmar-S. I have heard only good things about the Symmar-S lenses and having used a couple of APO-Symmars for the last two years feel comfortable using their predeccesors. My 180mm serial # is in the 12,500 range which according to schneider means it was built around 1974-75. The lens barrel does not have the words multicoating printed on it anywhere. I have seen other Symmar-S with the words Multicoating on it. So I would like to know if this lens has a single coat or a multicoating. Thanks, Tom Mangan.

-- Tom Mangan (tmango@attglobal.net), August 04, 2001

Answers

only those with multicoating stamped on the barrel are multicoated.

-- adam (asfberg@hotmail.com), August 04, 2001.

Schneider used to has some FAQ on their web site. I haven't located them on the reorganized web site.

From the previous FAQ: "The first Symmar-S lens to be multi-coated was the Symmar-S 150mm, serial number 13,014,862 in March 1977." The answer implies that this was the first Schneider LF lens to be multicoated. Another answer from the FAQ: "If your lens says 'multi-coating' on it, then it has a multi-coating. If your lens does not have this designation, then it does not have a multi-coating on it."

-- Michael Briggs (MichaelBriggs@Earthlink.net), August 05, 2001.

All Schneider lenses that are multicoated say "multicoated" in fairly large letters around the perimeter of the front of the lens. This is something that's very obvious, you don't have to search for it. If the word "multicoated" isn't there then it isn't multicoated.

-- Brian Ellis (bellis60@earthlink.net), August 06, 2001.

I should have said "If the word multicoated isn't there, it wasn't multicoated by Schneider." Although unlikely, I guess it's possible that a lens not originally multicoated by Schneider could have been multicoated later by a third party.

-- Brian Ellis (bellis60@earthlink.net), August 06, 2001.

can someone please answer the question? what are we waiting for, christmas?

-- adam (asfberg@hotmail.com), August 06, 2001.

Thanks Guys for the input. Its not a multicoated lens I guess, and looking at the coatings under a lightbulb confirm that I guess(Kerry Thalman tip). Well this will be my first single coated lens as my other 3 are all modern but from what I have read I really should not be able to tell the difference unless I am shooting into the sun. BTW I am shooting color trannies. Thanks again, Tom.

-- Tom Mangan (tmango@attglobal.net), August 07, 2001.