What is the basic difference between process camera lenses and other large format lenses in general.

I need Rodenstock 210mm-300mm APO Goregon lenses for process camera. As I am total novice to all this, what all other lenses come in this category for process camera.

-- Jitendra Vyas (g2vyas@hotmail.com), September 25, 2001

Answers

Hi,

IMHO the basic difference is the true symmetrical design of process lenses, designed for 1:1 ratio. Taking-lenses are for 1:10 or 1:20, lenses for enlargers make 5:1. Process or repro-lenses are also slow in speed, apocromatic and cover app. 55 deg. The Gerogon you mention has a wider angle, mainly to cover more and shorten the distance to the object and the mechanics of the camera. Normal process lenses should be cheaper and better. As you are obviously not fixed concerning f=210 to 300 mm, you should look for Apo-Ronar, Apo-Artar, Artar, Repro-Claron or G-Claron. Except for the G-Claron, which will cover more, all cover about 55 deg., so check the image circle at your focusing distance. All these lenses will give you excellent results at ratio 1:1, and even at other ratios or infinity they are very good (means I can't see any difference on mine).

-- Thomas Vaehrmann (TVaehrmann@web.de), September 26, 2001.

I am very happy about the answer that which the previous contributor, Tomas, gave, i second it and I hope that the people would stop saying lots of nonses about flat -field lenses and how they should be , supposingly inapt to be used for general photography!

-- Andrea Milano (milandro@multiweb.nl), September 26, 2001.