Lenses to go with

TareqPhoto · Sep 19, 2013

Hi again,

I am trying to get more gear of LF before some or most are gone or difficult to get, so i am here asking about what some lenses i should buy to be set or covered for most areas, i am open to all recommendations.

For now i have the following lenses:

- Schneider SA 72mm XL
- Rodenstock APO Sironar-N 150mm
- Optar Wollensack 162mm [on my Graphic cameras]

* Yesterday ordered 135mm f4.7 Optar, and it has been processed for shipping, so just waiting.

Now i am thinking much about some lenses such as 210 or 240, 90, 300, macro [120 or 180] ...etc, which one of those you highly recommend to use? Say for portraits and still life/macro things, i don't plan to use that 162 and/or 135 on my Shen Hao camera, so i want to have another lenses for non Graphic cameras, what do you suggest?

If some will ask why or pointless to get more it is because i am very lazy trying to move lenses between different lens boards, you know that Graphics boards is almost different than Shen Hao [I think Linhof style] boards, and most lenses of Graphic not coming in Copal shutter, so i will keep some lenses for Graphic only and the rest is for Field LF camera.

Not in rush for those lenses, and i will have all my time to decide on those lenses i mentioned above i am thinking about.

Thanks

jp498 · Sep 19, 2013

I'm quite fond of my fujinar 210/4.5 (tessar) for general purpose uses. It has a copal 3s or 3 shutter. The Nikkor 200ish mm is highly rated as well for general use.

My tastes are different than general use though right now. I'm enjoying triplets and soft focus. Don't buy those just to sit on them; the softer lenses require regular use for their difficult learning curve.

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 19, 2013

a very nice portrait lens for 4x5 would be a 10" (250mm) or 12" (300mm) Commercial Ektar. The 10" would be better, as the Shen Hao doesn't have enough bellows draw to focus the 12" to portrait distances. If you want/need a long lens for your Shen Hao, Fuji made a very nice 300mm telephoto lens (Fujinon 300mm T f8) that is a true telephoto, so it requires about 8" (210mm) of bellows to focus it at infinity. It has a limited image circle, and using swings/tilts with a telephoto is not recommended because the telephoto lens design alters the lens' nodal point relative to the physical center of the lens, so the effects are unpredictable. But telephoto lenses are often more compact and lighter than their traditional design equivalents, so the trade-off is often worth it.

BrianShaw · Sep 19, 2013

I concur with FlyingCamera onm the 10 - 12 inch lens for portrait work, and would only suggest one more... a 90mm. It may be easier to use than the 72 you already have.

But my gut reaction to your question was to suggest you quit buying gear and shoot with what you have since that will really drive your analysis of what else you need.

TareqPhoto · Sep 19, 2013

I used 150mm, wasn't happy with it at all for outdoor architecture and even indoors, so that i wanted something much wide, i saw many results from 72 so i bought it, didn't try it yet but i know it is what i look for, 90 will be more use maybe and it is in my list to buy, but i will do that later and not in rush for it as long i didn't use 72mm much enough yet, so i can wait for 90mm.

The only lens i keep thinking about now is 210mm, but i think maybe i should go with longer, 240-300 could be the best choice over 150-210, and your comments showing me that those long lenses are standard for portraits, so maybe i should pass that 210 too and look at longer glasses, later i can add 90 and 210 together.

Good about LF from what i read is whatever brand i go with all will be high quality, it is like there is not bad quality LF lenses if clean used or NEW.

removed account4 · Sep 19, 2013

hi tareq

get a pair of schnieder symmar convertibles
a 150 / 265 and 210 / 370 ..
front cell off they take a bit more than the 265 + 370 to focus at infinity but
they are nice plasmat design portrait lenses ...

ntenny · Sep 19, 2013

It seems like you would want shorter lenses for macro purposes on 4x5. With a 180, you'd need 360 mm of bellows to get to 1:1, and I don't think any Graphic has that, though the Shen Hao might. You might want to experiment with the lenses you've got first, and see how you feel about their macro performance in practice; you may not need anything new.

-NT

TareqPhoto · Sep 19, 2013

jnanian said:
hi tareq

get a pair of schnieder symmar convertibles
a 150 / 265 and 210 / 370 ..
front cell off they take a bit more than the 265 + 370 to focus at infinity but
they are nice plasmat design portrait lenses ...

Good choices, i will look at those.

Thank you very much!

TareqPhoto · Sep 19, 2013

ntenny said:
It seems like you would want shorter lenses for macro purposes on 4x5. With a 180, you'd need 360 mm of bellows to get to 1:1, and I don't think any Graphic has that, though the Shen Hao might. You might want to experiment with the lenses you've got first, and see how you feel about their macro performance in practice; you may not need anything new.

-NT

I tested 150 and its macro is not good, and this lens showed me which lenses i want to go with, either shorter or longer than 150, there are some applications i can use 150 for, but mostly what i do will go either with shorter wider lenses or longer.

jeffreyg · Sep 19, 2013

I try to keep it simple. I have a Nikkor 120, Schnieder 210, Fuji 300tele and an old 135 that someone gave me. I don't use the 135 too much. They are used on a Toyo 45A field camera for which I have the rear extension accessory when extra bellows length is needed for close-up. Remember that you need to compensate exposure for bellows extensions so keeping track for different camera/lens combinations is something I would rather not do. What I did was to do the math for each of the first three lenses I mentioned by f/stop changes and marked the compensation on a small retractable ruler with a different color permanent marker. When shooting I just "measure" with the tape from the lensboard to the film plane and read the closest compensation color coded for that lens. I have happily forgotten the equation --- one less thing to store in my memory bank.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

ntenny · Sep 19, 2013

TareqPhoto said:
I tested 150 and its macro is not good, and this lens showed me which lenses i want to go with, either shorter or longer than 150, there are some applications i can use 150 for, but mostly what i do will go either with shorter wider lenses or longer.

What I'm saying is that if you go longer you may have trouble getting enough bellows extension for macro use, especially on a Graphic.

Have you tried the Super Angulon at macro distances? I've seen samples of the f/8 SA used as a macro lens (it doesn't seem to be especially good at it), but not the XL version.

-NT

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 19, 2013

I knew a photographer who used to use a 90mm on a Speed Graphic as a macro frequently. He was very pleased with his results in general - I don't recall which 90mm he was using in particular, though.

If you want a great macro lens for 4x5, the Nikon Apo-Macro 120mm is about as good as it gets. At macro range, it covers 5x7. It also will do at least 2:1 macro (2x lifesize), maybe more. Getting beyond 2:1 macro with large format is probably a bad idea given how shallow the depth of field is at that range - it will be almost impossible to focus correctly.

TareqPhoto · Sep 19, 2013

Its ok, i put 2 lenses for macro to choose between, 120 and 180, i am not in rush now for a macro lens, my Shen Hao bellow extension maximum goes up to 360mm, so i will be at the maximum limit, but i am planning one day in the future to buy an Ebony 4x5 camera and the one i look at has almost everything i want or look for, even the bellow extension is longer [445mm], so i m thinking about future purchase too.

For now i can use my 150mm as macro lens, it is fine, just i don't like this lens for landscapes or indoors architecture, but for normal portraits half body or few close up it is not bad, i got it as a kit lens with the camera, so it is not a waste, i just try slowly to increase my lenses collection for LF, 72XL was my dream and i got it, 90 and 210 are my another dream lenses, but i was planning to have to sides or rows or lines of lenses, one row or line for my Shen Hao or future Ebony and another line for my Speed/Graphic cameras, i don't like to change between the boards as i said, and because that Graphic is limited by movement so i will keep it for few applications and i will buy separate lenses for it, mostly i was thinking to have that category between the two:

A. Shen Hao/Ebony: 72XL, 150mm, 90XL, 210 Symmar, a macro lens, and maybe 300

B. Speed/Crown Graphic: Optar 162mm and very soon i will receive 135 Optar too [both Wollensack], 240 or 250, something else maybe 105 or longer than 250 not sure

What do you think?

jp498 · Sep 19, 2013

Start shooting and take a break from buying. Hands on use is important.

polyglot · Sep 19, 2013

For macro, get a proper Apo Macro lens, probably around 120mm. It will cost you though, and a lot. There's a recent thread on macro on the LFPF forum. Consider also using (reversed) enlarger lenses if a shutter is not necessary for your purposes.

For a longer portrait lens, consider:
- a 210mm is not really long enough for me, though they tend to be fairly small and light and you can get good magnification even with shortish bellows
- a 240mm plasmat (e.g. Symmar-S) is huge+heavy in a Copal #3. Needs more bellows.
- a telephoto lens will be small, light and not need much bellows, but it will be quite slow (f/9?)

TareqPhoto · Sep 20, 2013

Great, thanks, i will have time now to read and decide on which lens to get lens, and while i have my time to read and decide i will use my current lenses ;-)

PKM-25 · Sep 22, 2013

Ah, you are "Professional" from LFF....I like this screen name better, the other one seems odd to have on a photo forum....

TareqPhoto · Sep 22, 2013

PKM-25 said:
Ah, you are "Professional" from LFF....I like this screen name better, the other one seems odd to have on a photo forum....

Doesn't matter what name i choose, it is better than very unknown or mysterious name or even funny, professional not necessary about profession, it could be professional gear which i already have and happy about it

And maybe one day i hope to reach that level too with my skill

Thanks anyway!!!

ntenny · Sep 22, 2013

I did some experimenting with a 90/8 Super Angulon (not an XL) as a macro lens on a Speed Graphic, and it actually performed pretty well---the attachment is a quick-and-dirty negative scan because I haven't had time to do a wet print yet. I think you should give that 90XL a try in the macro role.

-NT

TareqPhoto · Sep 22, 2013

ntenny said:
I did some experimenting with a 90/8 Super Angulon (not an XL) as a macro lens on a Speed Graphic, and it actually performed pretty well---the attachment is a quick-and-dirty negative scan because I haven't had time to do a wet print yet. I think you should give that 90XL a try in the macro role.

-NT

Thank you very much!

Well, i don't have 90XL yet, i have 72XL, but i tested my 150mm as Macro and it is not bad, doing good job, so i am not in rush for a dedicated macro lens or 1:1, also if i will buy 90XL one day then i will try it for macro too.

TareqPhoto · Sep 29, 2013

Just received the lens i ordered from Post office, it is Optar 135mm f4.7, but the shutter is not functional properly as stated, was expected that as long it was so cheap, i hope i can find a place where i can repair it if it can be repaired [in my country].

MultiFormat Shooter · Nov 26, 2018

jeffreyg said:
I have a...Fuji 300tele.

What do you think of it? I have been toying with the idea of getting a Fujinon-T 300mm F/8 (for 4x5 use) and was wondering how it does in terms of sharpness, contrast, lack of vignetting, etc.

Lenses to go with

TareqPhoto

jp498

TheFlyingCamera

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BrianShaw

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ntenny

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jp498

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TareqPhoto

PKM-25

TareqPhoto

ntenny

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Lenses to go with

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