How many LF lenses do you own?

[smieglitz]

Also, how many do you use regularly?

Sheesh. What a question!

I have 8 Veritos alone and boxes of other designs in several formats. I'd guess maybe 50 total.

I use 2 of the Veritos for most things and always carry a standard normal and wide lens in addition, just in case I might want to do something sharp.

Joe

 

[Claire Senft]

I have only two lenses that qualify as large format. 4" Goerz Red Dot Artar in barrel 135mm 5.6 Rodagon.

I am making no use of either lens at the present time.

 

[John Kasaian]

For 8x10: 159 WA Wollensak, 240 G Claron, 250 WF Ektar, 10-1/2" Gennert, 12" Dagor, 14" Commercial Ektar, 19" RD Artar, 24" RD Artar in barrel plus a 14" APO Artar that lives aboard the 5x7 and a 300 Nikkor M that lives aboard an aerial camera. For 5x7: 14" APO Artar, 5x7 Cooke plus a 15" Tele "yellow dot" that lives aboard still another aerial camera. For 4x5: 127 Ektar, 168 Velostigmat, 203 Ektar. For 12x20: 450 Nikkor M. For 9x9: 300 Aero Ektar and Metrogon. 4x5 Enlarger lens: 135 Omegaron. 8x10 Enlarger lens: 229 Copy Paragon.

 

[bobfowler]

<snip>
8x10 Enlarger lens: 229 Copy Paragon.

I mounted one of those on a board for my 4X5 Toyo monorails. Had to do a bit of surgery on the barrel to make the lens close down past f/11 (what's up with THAT?), but it's actually a very nice lens. I front mounted a Packard and it works like a champ. I also have one for my 5X7 rig.

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

How many lenses?

Let me preface this by saying I'm not yet using ANY of them! I get involved in simultaneously building & disassembling multiple cameras, mutating existing lenses (holding up a piece of ground glass & squinting), etc, so I never get to usig them. I decided to expend my effort and film on 6x9 folders (Moskva V & Kodak/Nagel Vollenda 620 w/ uncoated 105/4.5 Schn. Xenar) & a 35mm pinhole conversion until I learn what I'm doing before moving into LF.
-----------------------------------------

Schneider Xenar 135/4,7 in Compur (CLA'ed & attached to a 4x5 Crown Graphic)

Tominon 127/4.7 in Copal Press

Barrels
Helioprint (Agfa) 150/9 (opens up one click more than f/9...f/8 maybe?)
Helioprint (Agfa) 210/9 (opens up one click more than f/9...f/8 maybe?)
Probably use with road-kill Speed 4x5 Graphic when I build a back for it someday.

Ilex Process Paragon 376/9

Autologic Idiotar (my nomenclature; unknown origin) 6.5" f/2.3-8 very close back focus, heavy yellow filter on both sides of elements & rainbow fringing, 8" long, 4" diameter front 5" rear, removed scratched front 16" f.l. element; now has rear focus distance of about 5"! Maybe a monochromatic lens, maybe for a phototypesetter? Might continue tearing it down for large iris & barrel.

Ednalite coated triplet copy lenses, 150 mm & 170 mm f/?

Idio-gon 10" copy lens with scarlet reflection, pale green view thru lens. Likely green monochromatic for photoconductor drum in copier. Seems to be very wide field, made a frighteningly sharp telescope with a Schneider Xenon back cell - intended for my daughter in a cardboard tube, I kept it & bought her a pocket one! This will get glued onto an Ilex #3 electronic shutter/iris with hacked homebrew controller.

27" f/8-13.5 (or 16?) Opti-Copy 'Beastar', 35+ pounds, 11" long, 8" diameter. Monochromatic but 'color corrected, one at a time', (hunh?) color separation lens for 40x60 'blowbacks' onto 15"x21" film for book publishing. Used with green filtered pulsed Xenon light source and sometimes yellow filter on lens. Certified horrendously non-APO (up to 1" focus shift for different color light) upon attempting to use as an LF lens, might cover 8x10 @ infinity. Plan is to use with 420 nm marine fluorescent lamps as cold head enlarger (11x14 maybe?) & graded paper.

Box o' Rodenstock-Ysarex 127/4.5 (Polaroid 110B? ) front cells (various condition, neg. cell, roughly -4.7 diopter (-24.7 + 20), from my crude experiments


Other
Multiple Polaroid coated triplets (from model 95B, 150, 160, 800).

Aero-Ektar 300/2.5 in barrel w/ iris
Aero-Ektar 610/6 in original shutter
6"/6.3 B&L Metrogon in K17C body/shutter
6"/6.3 Eastman Kodak Topogon (per patent number) in K17 body/shutter
12" B&L Metrogon (mount tbd)

 

[ddolde]

Two: 110mm SS XL and 180mm APO Symmar.

 

[MikeS]

I own several lenses for 4x5. Lets see, starting with lenses mounted on lensboards, with working shutters, that are ready to use: 90mm Angulon, 135mm Xenar, 150mm Xenar, 210mm Geronar, and 360mm Tele-Xenar.

Of these lenses, the 90 & 150 came with the camera, and are the only ones that have the proper Linhof cams (both lens & camera serial number match on the cam). The 210 has a non-matched cam that is mostly correct (when shooting stopped down it's close enough, for shooting wide open, it's GG time!). the 135 has a non-matched cam that seems to be right on the money, I've used it even fairly wide open and it seems to focus correctly! The 360's cam I haven't tested yet, but I think it's way off. By far I use the 135mm the most, followed by the 90mm and the 210mm. I rarely use the 150, but as it's matched to the camera, I won't get rid of it, who knows, I might need it some time!

Other lenses that I'm either going to sell, or mount onto boards:

90mm mamiya in a working shutter (I got this lens mostly to use with 6x7 roll film)

125mm Ernemann Aplanet in a working shutter (but with a deranged iris)

135mm Laack Rathenow in a non working shutter

150mm Xenar also in a non working shutter( I'm basically holding the cells in a non-working Polaroid Copal, a friend figured he could CLA a shutter, completely disassembled the Compur it had, and now can't get it back together! Even Carol Miller says it's too far taken apart to ever go back together!)

178mm Aero-Ektar in barrel with working aperture. I want to get this lens mounted to a lensboard, as I have a home made focal plane shutter I can use with it, and it should be an interesting lens to work with.

-Mike

 

[Claire Senft]

My only LF lens is a 135mm Rodagon. I do not use it at all.

 

[roteague]

I have 5 lenses:

80mm f4.5 Schnieder Super Symar XL
135mm f5.6 Schneider Symmar-S
210mm f5.6 Schnieder APO Symar
90 f8 Nikkow-SW
210 f6.8 Rodenstock

I am going to sell off the Nikkor and Rodenstock as soon as I get both lenses cleaned and CLA (on my return from New Zealand/Australia). I'm going to all Schneider lenses (where possible) - looking for something in the 300mm+ range (again, after my trip) and probably a 110mm XL as well.

 

[Jeremy]

The collection keeps shrinking....

90mm f/6.8 Pre WWII Angulon
135mm f/4.5 Graflex Press
150mm f/6.3 Fuji
180mm B&L RR
210mm f/5.6 Fuji

Now I just need to find that 7.5-9" Verito and maybe a 65mm lens sometime down the road.

 

[Amund]

I have:
90mm f/8 Nikkor
150mm f/5.6Fujinon-W
210mm f/6.8 Rodenstock Geronar. Permanently on my Gowlandflex
210mm f/3.5 Schneider Xanar. Not quite sure what I`ll use this for, doesn`t fit my 4x5.
305mm f/6.7 Ilex Paragon. Thanks Jeremy
420mm Red Dot Artar

 

[MikeS]

210mm f/3.5 Schneider Xanar. Not quite sure what I`ll use this for, doesn`t fit my 4x5.

Is it mounted in a shutter? If so, what kind, and would you want to trade it for a 210mm Geronar?

-Mike

 

[Amund]

Is it mounted in a shutter? If so, what kind, and would you want to trade it for a 210mm Geronar?

-Mike

It`s in a Compound shutter that seems ok, I don`t have a shutter tester, but the few sheets I have exposed using it came out good...
If the Geronar is in a working shutter that fits on a Shen-Hao lensboard, I`m tempted...
I`ve tried the Xenar on my 8x10, and while it illuminates 8x10, I guess the image circle is maximun 5x7 or so...
But on the other hand, I kind of like the "sharp in the middle" images on the 8x10, kind of "Sally Mannesque"
Anyone else having a 210mm f/3.5 Xenar?

 

[colrehogan]

Nope, but since I last replied to this, I can add a 355 G-Claron to my 8x10 lenses. I tried to shoot my Kodak 203 mm f7.7 on the 8x10, but haven't developed the film yet. I'm not sure what to expect other than some vignetting.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Since I last replied to this thread I have acquired a 80mm 2.8 Schneider Xenotar in #1 Compur(covers 6x9 cm) and a 480mm Zeiss Apo Germinar (NIB), barrel mount. I expect the 480mm will cover 8x10 with movements - but haven't tried it yet.

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

For 4x5, I use Schneider 110 Xl f;5,6, Symmar 210 f;5,6 convertible, Kodak Ektar 203 f;7,7.

For 8x10, Apo-Germinar WA 240 f;8, Symmar 360 f;6,8 and Angulon 120 f;8.

All mounted on shutter.

The Zeiss 240 is my favorite outdoor. It has a huge coverage, fantastic lens, but heavy.

best regards

Guillaume

 

[John Z.]

Anything over 10 lenses qualifies a photographer as a lensaholic. I have 13, with also two old triple convertibles in need of repair. I just sold three because I had no more room! I think someone posted a thread awhile back--I think attributed to Ansel--that the more lenses he carried, the harder it was to decide which lens to use.
Being an EBAY-aholic, I keep looking for more lenses--I don't know why. Maybe we should start some type of support group.

 

[Ole]

Anything over 10 lenses qualifies a photographer as a lensaholic.

I hide myself behind the excuse that I need more lenses than others, since I use 7 different LF formats (6.5x9cm, 9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7", 13x18cm, 18x24cm, and 30x40cm). Sometimes I even believe it myself.

Being an EBAY-aholic, I keep looking for more lenses--I don't know why. Maybe we should start some type of support group.

Just got another barrel lens today - an Aldis Anastigmat No.2. I wonder why?

 

[jovo]

Just two (so far..hehehe): a Rodenstock Geronar 210. and a Schneider G-Claron 150. I'd like to find a 305 Geronar eventually or perhaps something even a bit longer. Up to now, though, I've not felt I'm missing anything by having only two. Long gone are the zooming wide angle to ultra-tele days of 35mm.

 

[colrehogan]

Anything over 10 lenses qualifies a photographer as a lensaholic. Being an EBAY-aholic, I keep looking for more lenses--I don't know why. Maybe we should start some type of support group.

Lenses Anonymous

 

[BradS]

I think I've added a couple since last post to this thread. Currently have:

90mm f6.8 Angulon in Synchro-Compur
127mm f4.5 Raptar in Rapax
135mm f4.7 Xenar in broken Compur-Rapid
135mm f5.6 Symmar-S in Copal 0
150mm f5.6 Sironar-N in Copal 0
210mm f6.8 Geronar in Copal 1

What do I use most? Just got the angulon so, that has been getting a pretty good workout but, for people, my first instinct seems to be to reach for the 210 Geronar.

 

[Early Riser]

Ok, I'm game, this gives me a good excuse to count them and gives me something to do while test prints dry.

I assume we're only talking lenses used on a view camera here.

65mm Grandagon N
90mm Grandagon
115mm Grandagon N (Sinaron W)
150mm Sironar S (Sinaron SE)
180mm Sironar S
180mm Macro Sironar (Sinaron)
210mm Sironar S (Sinaron SE)
240mm APO Ronar (Sinaron)
250mm Imagon
300mm APO Ronar
300mm Macro Sironar (the one with reversible elements for 1:3 or 3:1 ratios)
360mm Sironar S (Sinaron SE)
360mm & 720mm Nikkor tele (soon to add the 500mm as well)
400mm Osaka tele
480mm APO Ronar (Sinaron)
500mm Osaka tele

The duplication of some focal lengths is due to some of them being on Sinar DB mounts for my still life work, and others being on copal shutters for my field work. I ended up with a lot of lenses partly because in my studio days I needed to have multiple sets running at the same time, very often as many as 4. I mostly used the Macro Sironars and the Ronars for my still life work. When I started shooting landscape I used the Ronars, even the 480mm, as they were quite small for their focal lengths.

The Sinarons are merely the Rodenstocks purchased through, tested and relabeled by Sinar, originally all of these lenses were on DB boards although I have most of them now on copal shutters. Supposedly the Sinarons were hand picked and tested by Sinar and are supposed to represent the best samples of the lens. I don't know if there's any truth in that but each lens came with it's actual MTF test chart.

I have all of the field lenses mounted on Linhof/Wista boards so that with adapter boards, I can use them on my Sinars, Canham, and Fuji GX680III without changing boards. The Osakas tend to lose edge sharpness on 4x5 so I mostly use them, with the aid of a Bromwell lens extender board, on the GX680III. The Nikkor teles and 480mm Ronar are sharper, but the Osakas are great for the price.

 

[KenM]

I have 7 - 58, 75, 110, 150, 250, 305, 400. I'd like to get a 210 to fill in the one large gap, but that can wait. I don't have enough money for a new lens right now, let alone a divorce lawyer

 

[Eric Rose]

I think it's interesting that the guy who started this thread hasn't posted since June 22, 2003. But it lives on without him. A legacy in cyberspace.

 

[sanking]

I hide myself behind the excuse that I need more lenses than others, since I use 7 different LF formats (6.5x9cm, 9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7", 13x18cm, 18x24cm, and 30x40cm). Sometimes I even believe it myself.



Just got another barrel lens today - an Aldis Anastigmat No.2. I wonder why?

I am with Ole on this. I use a lot of formats and need more lenses than others. And my philosohy is that you only become a lensaholic if you have more than 13 lenses per format.

Also, if you just collect them (say you don't use them more than four or five times a year just to keep everything in good working order) the number goes even higher before you become a lensaholic.

And if you like that argument you ought to hear me rationalize my consumption of good red wine to my wife!!

Sandy