4x5 bargain lenses?

24 x 36's diagonal is ~ 43 mm. By historical accident and long-standing convention, 35 mm cameras are sold with "normal" lenses that are quite long for the format.

I don't know where you got 120 mm as the diagonal of the 4x5 gate. sqrt(4^2+5^2)*25.4 = 163, but the 4x5 gate is actually around 95 mm x 120 mm so that size's diagonal is 153 mm.

The cheapest good fast normal lenses seem to be older (1950's to 1960's) Schneider Xenar (or Zeiss Tessar) 150mm f:4.5, which generally sell for less than the shutter would cost alone. Older Synchro-Compurs are easy to repair and maintain.

The same speed in other focal lengths will come in less common shutters - the 180mm in #2, 210mm in #3. But the 150mm's in #1 are still small and light, and in very common shutters.

Dan Fromm said:

I don't know where you got 120 mm as the diagonal of the 4x5 gate. sqrt(4^2+5^2)*25.4 = 163, but the 4x5 gate is actually around 95 mm x 120 mm so that size's diagonal is 153 mm.

Click to expand...

Oops, my mistake.