Advice on good 4x5 Portrait Lens

[Nikkorray]

Hello,

I currently have a 210mm Caltar II-E f/6.8 lens on my Super Graphic 4x5 camera. I would like to get into more portrait work (like the one Richard Avedon takes) & needed advice on a good portrait lens. The one I have is slightly scratched & seems soft. I have about a $500 USD budget. I think the longest the Super Graphic can hold is 210mm (correct me if I'm wrong please).

Thank you,
Ray

 

[Ian Grant]

Only you can really decide what's an ideal portrait lens for you. I made a living shooting portraits in the early 70's using 35mm and nothing longer than a standard 50-55mm lens. I had longer lenses but rarely used them and never for portraits.

Convention is a 210 -240mm on a 5x4 for portraits, I've always used Symmars or Sironars, but there are a couple of new (as in never used) older Cooke portrait lenses on Ebay at the moment, and they are without a doubt the best

Ian

 

[removed account4]

you might also look into symmar convertible lenses.
i have used mine ( 210 / 370 ) converted as a portrait lens
and the portraits looked nice.
http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/faq/photography.htm#q14
... and they made some 150 / 210's i think.
the focus point is "back" so they take a bit of bellows to focus converted ...
and in the unconverted configuration, they are a nice sharp lens.
(and they don't cost too much on eBoo ... )

depending on what sort of portraits you are looking for,
you can use just about anything you want as that sort of lens ...

 

[Ole]

... The one I have is slightly scratched & seems soft. ...

That sounds like a portrait lens to me!


My Speed Graphic takes a 240mm Heliar, but in a sunk mount. Without that a 210mm seems like a good idea.

So I'll just second the suggestion for a 210mm or 180mm Symmar convertible. You won't be able to use either converted, so except for price a Symmar-S would be just as good. Or a Dagor...

 

[Pinholemaster]

First off, Richard Avedon shot 8x10, not 4x5, so the look and feel of his images are totally different then what you'll get with your rig.

Second, your 210 mm is a great portrait lens. You might simply want to get the same focal length without the scratches and softness.

 

[coriana6jp]

Fuji 250mm Soft Focus lens. With the diffusers discs you can use it as a soft focus lens. If you remove the diffusers you get a very sharp 250mm lens.

If you want the ultimate in lenses look at he Cooke 229mm PS245 lens. Granted you have to find one, and they the price is astronomical.

Gary

 

[gandolfi]

..but there are a couple of new (as in never used) older Cooke portrait lenses on Ebay at the moment, and they are without a doubt the best

Ian

I've seen those beauties..
They'd go very well with my Gandolfi!! (keeping an eye out - proberly not bidding, as I have one and I fear the prices.....:rolleyes

 

[Nikkorray]

Holy cr*p! I just googled the Cooke 229mm & saw the price. That's way out of my league. Anyway, thanks for everyones responses.

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

Avedon did more of a torso on up, or more towards full body images, and less of head shots. He also worked somewhat close to his subjects, so there was more of an interaction. I would suggest a 135mm or 150mm, anything somewhat modern in a Copal 0. Then you can move in a little closer, get nearer to a full body image, and interact with your subject.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[Ian Grant]

I've seen those beauties..
They'd go very well with my Gandolfi!! (keeping an eye out - proberly not bidding, as I have one and I fear the prices.....:rolleyes

I'm in two minds whether to bid, I have bought off the seller before he often has some great items.

There's a Taylor, Taylor, Hobson 11.48 Inch lens which might be great for portraits but looking at it I realised I have a similar Ross 12" lens.

It's worth looking at Jim Galli's portraits with old lense.

Ian

 

[John Kasaian]

I'm rather fond of the uncoated Wollensak Velostigmat for portraits---of course every lens has pretty nice bokeh when you have cataracts

 

[noseoil]

Most recent post to my gallery was taken with the 4x5 and Fujinon 180mm soft focus lens. These are going pretty cheap now. Mine was $285 a couple of years ago,complete with both diffusion disks. You can find one for $300-400 in very good shape. tim

 

[jimgalli]

I scored on a nice old B&J 4X5 press camera the other day in order to rob the Cooke Series II f4.5 7 inch lens in shutter. That and the 210 Heliar are sort of the gold standard for 4X5 portraits and I always tell people to try a 190mm f4.5 Kodak Ektar wide open. Does your camera have the focal plane shutter, ie. can you consider some of the more exotic barrel lenses? If your heart is set on sharpness you could easily fall in love with an old petzval. Very sharp right in the center and then lovely fall off.

 

[Nikkorray]

Hmmm.... most of the advice(s) I'm getting are for older lenses. I did a quick & dirty research on the above mentioned lenses on this thread & I may have to change direction. I like the portraits I've seen on the recommended lenses so this opens up more choices than I would like. Thanks alot guys... now I have more research to do. Seriously though, I appreciate all the responses.