I'm considering a shift lens - anyone with experience of the 35mm Curtagon?

-- Neil Johnstone (nsj500@yahoo.ca), May 04, 2002

Answers

No, I only tried the 28 mm PC lens, and IŽam still looking for a reasonably priced s/h one until now. The 35 mm PA would not be wide enough for me.

From what I heard it is a well crafted piece of equipment made by Schneider, Kreuznach. From the looks it quite different from the usual LEITZ/ LEICA lens.

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), May 04, 2002.

I have gotten good results with the Curtagon (though it does not shift as much as the comparable 35mm Nikon PC). Since I got the 28mm PC Super Angulon, I have hardly used it, however.

-- Jack Matlock (jfmatlo@attglobal.net), May 05, 2002.

Not having used any Leica shift lens i cannot comment on them, but i have experience with Nikkor shift lens. Please do not get the 35, it's just not wide enough. If you need the shift, then a 28mm lens is the way to go. Cheers.

-- Steven Fong (steven@ima.org.sg), May 06, 2002.

Neil

Erwin Puts is rather unhelpful in his account of the Curtagon, but he implies that is not all that good. But as his report is very cursary, one is left feeling not much wiser. His report about the 28mm PC is rather similar, except that he thinks it better than the 35mm. His report is along the lines as "as this is a special purpose lens it is meant to be used stopped down, so has different criteria to other lenses tested here..." Anyway, my suspicion is that if you want a 35mm shift lens it is probably worth getting, but it will not rival the other 35mm lenses in terms of raw performance, but when stopped down vigorously should work fine. I tend to agree that the 28mm seems to me more useful, but equally it is much more pricey. Of course the Curtagon is a Schneider design (in fact I think its optical cell may even be made by Schneider). Schneider are a very well respected lens maker, but the lens is getting long in the tooth and of course was discontinued at least 5 years ago. As they are not pricey then it might be worth trying out. I have no actual experience of photography with the lens, but I have handled one and it is a nicely made lens.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

I had one, rather briefly. The amount of shift is not great (wehther the 35 is wiode enough is another question), but the shift advantage (I think it is 7 mm) is a fraction of the focal length, so a 7/35 or 20% shift os not huge (though ok). Handled well, just no direct ocmparison of quality

-- Lacey Smith (lacsmith@bellsouth.net), May 06, 2002.