How many LF lenses do you own?

[Prime]

Also, how many do you use regularly?

 

[HuwEvans]

Depending on how you define 'regular use', 3 - 5.

 

[EUGENE]

My wife and I use all eight lenses on our 4X5 cameras, over a period of time, depending on the subject matter. The two lenses we use the most are the 150 and the 210. We just purchased a Fuji 125 CM-W, and it looks like that will become her favorite lens, instead of the 150. I enjoy using the 90 wide angle and the 210 the most.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have seven from 120mm to 19" and use them all fairly regularly, shooting 8x10". I suppose the 12" gets the most use lately, just because I've been leaning toward using the "normal" lens more and more in all formats, and it's also a good lens with good contrast. I don't take the heavy 360mm/4.5 Heliar out much, just because it is so cumbersome, but it's my favorite for portraits. I recently acquired an 11x14" camera, which can use the 10", 12", 360mm, and 19" lenses from the 8x10" kit, so once I've fixed a few things and am set up on the 11x14", I guess those four lenses will get some more use on the larger format.

 

[BobF]

This poll made me count them up and I came up with 13. It surprised me but of those I only carry 5 and mostly use 4. The others are a combination of Optars, Xenars and Schnieder convertibles that need to be put on Ebay. They didn't cost much (several were free) and I probably won't get much for them, but I'll get around to it someday.....maybe. I did a lot of cheap learning with some of them.

Most used is Fuji 125 W.

 

[paul owen]

I use 5. In order of "most used to least" - 65mm Super Angulon, 110 XL, 47XL, 150mm Fuji and 180mm Apo Symmar.

 

[Steve Hamley]

Folks,

I own 4: 80mm SS XL, 150 Caltar-II N, 210 Apo-Symmar, and 300mm Fuji Compact f/8.5. I'm expecting to add the 110 SS XL and the Fuji 450 Compact f/12.5. I do mostly landscapes.

I live in eastern Tennessee and was interested in Jack Dykinga's comment that photographers in the west tend to use more wide angles to take in a lot of "real estate" and emphasize foregrounds, while eastern photographers tend to use more long lenses to isolate landscape elements. This seems generally true, except I tend to use the short-to-normal lengths for waterfalls, therefore my desire for the 110 SS XL.

Thanks!

Steve

 

[JohnArs]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Prime @ Oct 1 2002, 11:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Also, how many do you use regularly?
More or less all, but some much more then others!</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Hi

I have now 12 lenses and I`m very happy to have them all but in the first 3 years I had only 1!
Most used are 1. 75mm Nikon f4,5 , 2. 55mm Rodenstock f 4,5 , 3. 90mm Nikon f4,5 , 4. 47mm Schneider, 90mm Schneider Super Ang old,and so on 135mm Rodenstock , 150mm Rodenstock, 150 mm G-Glaron , 210mm Schneider,2x 300mm Ronar , 480mm Ronar. Rodenstock Imagon 250mm is just on the way to me.

 

[cjarvis]

Two Goerz casket sets: one Pantar with six cells, one Double Anastigmatlinse (pre-1903, probably c. 1897) with five cells.

 

[jwrupnorth]

I own 4. Frequency of use often depends on the season. Springtime is for makro flower photography: The Schneider Makro APO Symmar 180. A bit later, landscape imaging: The Rodenstock Sironar S 150, and the Schneider APO Symmar 210. Buildings - anytime: The Caltar 90mm.

 

[Huib]

Hi,

I own 4 (90,150,210,300) and used the 150mm much more than all others together.

 

[fparnold]

Hello,

I shoot 4x5, so I have 4 (75, 135, 203, 12"), of which I shoot mostly with the 135 and the 203. The 300 was scavenged, and is just too heavy (it's an old Wollensak 12" Raptar), while the 75 requires swapping bellows which takes up more space in the bag.

For what it's worth, I've found that in the western desert, or at the beach, I get more milage out of the 75mm, while in the mountains or hills of home (PA, NJ), the aforementioned 2 are more than sufficient for most uses.

In a pinch, I could probably leave the 203 at home, since I prefer a slightly wide normal lens for landscape and other macroscopic subjects, but it sucks up too much background when doing closeups.

What do you 8x10 people use? The default 12" (300) which is relatively easy to find, or something to either side?

 

[HuwEvans]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fparnold @ Oct 12 2002, 06:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>What do you 8x10 people use? &nbsp;The default 12" (300) which is relatively easy to find, or something to either side?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Well for 8x10 I use 150mm, 240mm, and 360mm. That is more by accident than design - I just happened to find the 360mm at a give-away price when I was putting together a 4x5 system, and it covered 8x10, so when I moved up a format I had that as a starting lens. I then found the 240mm and subsequently the 150mm at equally good prices, and they fitted in well with what I already had. Of the three I would say my favourite is the 240mm. I probably use that for 50% of my compositions.

 

[William Levitt]

For shooting up to 8X10" I have a Schneider 121mm SA, Schneider 210mm Angulon, 250mm WF Ektar, and a 300mm Commercial Ektar. The 210 gets used about 75% of the time, not only because the focal length is comprable to "how I see", but that little old lens is sooooo sharp...

 

[Sherman]

I own three lenses, 90mm, 150mm and 210mm. They are all in my bag at all times and I use them all "regularly". However the 150 and 210 see more work than the 90 by a large margin.

I am currently looking for a 300mm to round out my collection. I have recently developed an interest in portraiture using my 4x5 and I think the 300 would be an excellent focal length for that.

With my camera a 300mm is the longest practical focal length because my bellows extension is only about 13 inches. On the other end of the spectrum 90mm is the shortest. practical length due to bellows compression limiting movement.

Sherman
http://www.dunnamphoto.com

 

[EDC]

Sherman
I'm no expert, but it seems to me that with 13" of bellows a 300mm for portraiture might be a little long. Min. Focusing distance would be somewhere around 15'. A 240mm lens might be a better choose. I have a Fuji 240A that's nice and very light. Along with the first lens I bought a Rodenstock135-S I have 2 LF lens, but have only been shooting LF for less than a year. So give me time.

 

[Jeffrey Scott]

I have 5 lenses that are as follows: 58/5.6 Super Angulon (SA) XL, 90/8 SA, 150/5.6 Sironar-n, 240/9 G-Claron (G-C), 305/9 G-C. I got the 58XL in April and I am amazed at how it has become my most used lens. My Ebony 45SU makes using wide angle lenses a breeze !

 

[James Bleifus]

For shooting up to 8X10" I have a Schneider 121mm SA,

A 121 SA for 8X10? Really? I have one for my 5X7 (now deceased) and was planning on selling it. I love the lens but the specs seemed to indicate an image circle below 8X10. Which aperture should I plan on using for coverage?

Cheers, James

 

[Robert Brummitt]

I keep it simple

I keep my selection short. I have 2 lens that I use. One 210mm and one 150mm. I also have a 75mm but hardly use it.
For my 8x10, I have a 375mm Ektra, 12" red dot and a 24" red dot. But the main lens is a 300 nikor.

 

[Loose Gravel]

58/72/110/150/210/250/300/450/600/800. They all get used. I use them on 45, 57, 810. The 810 is only for studio portraits, so it sits in the box mostly. The 57 is the main machine. Bought the 250 is for the 810, but I like it so much that I don't carry the 210 or 300 much any more. The 600/800 are a little heavy, so they are for special, planned occasions. I just discovered that the 58 covers 57 (well, close enough). The 150 on the 57 is my favorite.

 

[Loose Gravel]

A 121 SA for 8X10? Really? I have one for my 5X7 (now deceased) and was planning on selling it. I love the lens but the specs seemed to indicate an image circle below 8X10. Which aperture should I plan on using for coverage?

Cheers, James

Yes James, the 121mm covers 810 fine. Probably not much movement. Try f/22. The 110mm XL covers, too.

 

[Robert Hall]

Hmmm, I have a 90, 120, 150, 210, 300, 300, 355, 600, 610, 30", 1200. Crap! I have 11. I would die for a 42" or longer though. Most of the time I use the 355, it works so well for both cameras. I like the 90 for 4x10 and the 210 on the 12x20 is awsome. But for the moment my 24' (610mm) is my fav, but it's new. Next week it could be something else.

 

[Ole]

Let's see....

In use (9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7" and 18x24cm all bundled together)

90/6.8 Angulon, 90/8 Super-Angulon, 121/8 Super-Angulon, the 120/6.8 Angulon I've sold, 135/4.5 Skopar on a 9x12cm Avus, 135/3.5 Carl Zeiss Planar, 150/3.5 Xenar Typ D, 150/4.5 APO-Lanthar, 150/4.5 Heliar on the Bergheil, the 150/5.6 Symmar I've sold, 165/6.8 Angulon, 180/4.5 Xenar, the 210/4.5 APO-Lanthar I've sold, 210/4.5 Xenar, 240/5.6 Symmar (convertible to 420), the 300/4.5 Xenar I sold, 360/5.5 Tele-Xenar.

And in addition the triple convertible Rapid Rectilinear which needs new threads, the four (!) Dallmeyer Serrac 6"/4.5 I bought for the shutters, various old brass lenses and newer copy lenses...

That makes 13 lenses in active use, 4 that have been in use, and several that will be in use at some point in the future. And I'm looking for a nice little 300mm f:9 or so, and possibly a 480 which can be used on cameras with fairly small lensboards.

 

[Daniel Grenier]

So far, 165 Super Angulon, 240 Sironar, 360 APO Ronar, 14" Commercial Ektar, 480 Apo Ronar. Most used? All of them with the 240 and 360s most. Looking at getting a 250 WF Ektar and a 600mm soon.

 

[James Bleifus]

Yes James, the 121mm covers 810 fine. Probably not much movement. Try f/22. The 110mm XL covers, too.

Many thanks Loose Gravel. Apparently I need to stop reading specs on coverage and instead solicit opinions. Sure am glad I didn't sell that lens. If I want something really wide I'll remember the 110 (though I expect the 121 to be plenty wide).

Cheers, James