The Rodenstock APO Sironar W 300mm F5.6 is an incredible lens that is nothing short of amazing in terms of coverage but also in terms of sharpness and resolution.  We use this as our main copy negative lens for making 8×10 negatives that we enlarge up to 40×50 silver gelatin prints.

My Rodenstock APO Sironar W 300mm F5.6 is mounted in a Copal 3 Shutter (490 IC).  This is the sharpest lens I have ever owned, and I would really like this focal length on 16×20 or even 8×20 too, but I have confirmed that it does not quite cover 8×20 and 16×20 at infinity. I use it for closeup and macro work all the time, but not for landscapes that require infinity. It will cover 7×17 and 14×17. [video]

I love soft-focus Pictorialist images, but this lens is the exact opposite of that, which is excellent.  I have verified coverage on my 16×20 and 8×20 cameras, but I think it might cover 20×24, but I need to verify.  This lens is tough to find, and if you do find one, crack open the piggy bank and get a box of tissues to dry your tears when you have to write that check. I bought mine brand new back in the day before the hipsters started thinking analog photography and large format was “cool” and drove up the price of this lens and all analog gear.

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