To continue this thread, has anyone tested the early Rodenstock 90mm F4.5 digital (magenta band) lens on 4x5? I believe it’s in a copal 0 shutter. I’ve heard this was a film era design and one of the first “digital“ rebrand of film era lenses, along with the 70mm. What I don’t know is if this lens covers 4x5 with any movements? It also appears to be different from the Rodenstock 90mm F 4.5 Grandagon as that lens came in a copal 1 shutter, and I think it had a massive image circle?
Anyone tried this one out?
No, the 90mm won't cover 4x5 (edit: however, see below).
Lenses from the Apo-Sironar Digital series (the first digi' lenses from Rodenstock) had their image circle (physically) limited to ensure that resolution at the edge was not compromised (apparently, according to Rodenstock experts). This meant a reduced image circle. In the case of the 45mm, 55mm,
90mm, and 105mm, this was 125mm @ f/11. They will just about cover 6x12, but you'll have to crop slightly to take out the slightly vignetted corners, or stop down beyond f/11. The longer focal lengths will cover 6x12, and they will all cover 6x9 (with movements, bar the 35mm), but 4x5 is a bit iffy.
Nice lenses nonetheless, and very good for something like 6x9 or 6x12 Pan F
EDIT: Okay, I borrowed a 90mm and chucked it on my 4x5 camera along with my 105mm. Focusing to 20 feet down the hall, there is an image right across the ground glass with heavy vignetting in the corners wide open (not sure where this 'physical' limited image circle comes from, so consider that tosh). Stopped down to f/22, there is less vignetting and the image looks good in the corners (under 6x loupe). I can't tell how much vignetting in terms of stops so don't take what I write as gospel, suffice to say there is an image with no 'blocked off' corners. Sadly, no photo's as I have no film, no money, and little enthusiasm (nothing personal, just life as we know it nowadays).
The 90mm Apo-Sironar-Dig f5.6 is a different lens design from the 90mm Grandagon-N f4.5 (8 lenses in 6 groups compared to 8 lenses in 4 groups, along with other differences) so using Grandagon data is a non-starter. I would therefore assume that the image circle is much more reduced in comparison to any of the Grandagons. With this in mind and Rodenstock's info on image circle, I would assume that the resulting vignetting would be too much to allow use for 4x5, let alone get movements, but if vignetting is your thing then...
Cheers,
Duff