What camera and what lens II

Graham1952 · Mar 16, 2013

Thanks to all who gave advice to my post this week around 4x5 camera and lens.

Just thought i would let you guys know where i am at now after reading all your replies.Being a new guy to LF this combo may or may not be right but you have to start somewhere,so this is it:

Toyo 45AII + Schneider Kreuznach 5.6 110 XL-105 Aspheric MC.
As this lens gives around the near same angle of view of a 35mm lens on 135 format i am hoping this is a good place to start

Any more advice would be most welcome thank you.

Graham.

PS hope the camera i have chosen is good also.

jadphoto · Mar 16, 2013

The Toyo field cameras are great. I had the original 45A many years ago...it's one of the cameras that I should have never let go of. My guess is that you'll love it. Wish I still had mine.

The 110 might, I emphasize might, be a little on the wide side as an only lens. If it is you'll know it soon enough so, in the meantime, you have a great combination so enjoy.

If you're not already doing so, spend some time over at the large format forum. Lot's of good craic over there.

JD

Alan Gales · Mar 16, 2013

A good buddy of mine has the older Toyo 45A which is pretty much the same camera as yours. It's a fantastic camera. You did good.

Have fun!

250swb · Mar 17, 2013

A 110 XL Super Symmar will give a great deal of coverage, but for me it would definitely be too wide as a first lens.

And there is something nagging in my mind as to whether all that coverage can be used on the Toyo anyway. Somebody with experience of that camera may be able to help more than me. But with a similar camera, an MPP MkVIII, my 90mm Super Angulon need's a cone lens panel (to allow for dropping the bed), but it sat inside the main body at infinity, making movements of any meaningful nature impossible. While you may not need a cone panel I just wondered how close the front standard would be to the main body, and thus how much movement may be possible with a 110XL? If however it is simply the focal length you like thats fine, but I just query if you needed to spend that much on the XL.

P.S. Here is a link to focal length equivalents between 35mm and 4x5

http://photo.net/photo/lens-table

Steve

Graham1952 · Mar 17, 2013

Thanks for the replies guys and for all your advice looks like i may have brought the wrong lens though,the thinking was that 110mm was the closest to 35mm on 135 format which is my go to lens for that format.

I thought 150mm maybe to long for me,when you've not shot with L F before its a bit of a stab in dark really.

Thanks again to all

Graham

LJH · Mar 17, 2013

Graham, you've got one of the greatest lenses ever produced. Don't second guess that. It is a truely outstanding thing!!

You've got to let go some of your hesitations/questions/concerns. You have a camera and a lens. Just go make some images and deal with the consequences. You have just the same chance of getting it right as you do in getting it wrong, so why worry?

As for coverage? Who cares whether you will ever use it all? Not only is it nice to know it's there if you ever need it, it should give you peace of mind knowing that it is there thanks to the technology that's gone into the design, and that the other lenses around this Focal length have close to the same coverage (115mm Grandagon, 120mm Super Angulon and 120mm Nikkor).

250swb · Mar 17, 2013

I didn't want to put a downer on your lens Graham, its a great lens and a good choice, I just meant to say it would be something like a second choice for me.

I'm all for jumping in at the deep end so don't take any notice of doubts, I think whichever lens you have the learning curve will be the same or possibly accelerated with a wider lens. You just need to shoot some film and the results will come. If I can make one suggestion unrelated to lenses, buy a box of Fomapan 100 from AG Photographic and blast through it. It is lovely film, but 50 sheets cost less than 25 sheets of FP4, and if you are going to make any mistakes it isn't nearly so bad when you aren't counting the pennies!

Steve

Aron · Mar 17, 2013

Even if 35 mm is your favourite focal length for the miniature format, it doesn't neccessarily mean its equivalent will be your most often used lens for a different format.

When sinking in a new format, the two options are: getting one lens, that is neither wide, nor long to better understand where you want to go from there, if you want to, that is, or work with a couple of lenses for quite some time to start to feel, which one works the best for you.

Now, that you have a high quality lens, I'd suggest you start using it. When you'll get comfortable with it after lots of sheets of film and prints, you might wish to add a lens between 180 and 240 mm for example. With this lens duo you are well prepared for the great majority of subjects. Fewer lenses, less distraction.

At this point I'd suggest you to worry less about your (BTW superb) choice of equipment and let the Super Symmar-XL bring out your inner eye for that focal length. Spend your money on good film and paper.

Graham1952 · Mar 17, 2013

Thanks guys for all your answers the best thing i can do now is get out there and do some shooting and stop worrying about the kit.

Thanks
Graham.

Aron · Mar 17, 2013

As Alex Bishop-Thorpe put it:

"Worry less. Photograph more."

Alan Gales · Mar 17, 2013

Graham1952 said:
Thanks guys for all your answers the best thing i can do now is get out there and do some shooting and stop worrying about the kit.

Thanks
Graham.

Exactly!

The only way you are going to know what focal lengths you like in 4x5 is by experience.

PKM-25 · Mar 18, 2013

Alan Gales said:
Exactly!

The only way you are going to know what focal lengths you like in 4x5 is by experience.

Or, install the app "Viewfinder Pro" on your phone and look through different lenses from about 120mm and longer...110 is still fairly wide and that XL is very expensive first lens...:-O

LJH · Mar 18, 2013

What has the price of the lens got to do with this?

Very strange comment...

ac12 · Mar 18, 2013

That XL lens is great.
My budget wasn't as high, so I settled for the lower cost 90/f8, rather than the XL 5.6 lens.

Now that you have the lens...go out and shoot.
As others said, shooting is the only way to determine if you need another lens and which lens you might need.
After shooting, you might find out that, as you said, that might be the only lens you need.

Do you have the rest of the kit?
focusing loupe, backs (lots of backs), good tripod, etc.
It took me a LONG time to gradually collect most of the parts of my kit. And I'm still gathering parts; compendium/lens hood, filters, etc.

gud shooting

PKM-25 · Mar 18, 2013

LJH said:
What has the price of the lens got to do with this?

Very strange comment...

Not really, he appears to be a beginner at LF, if he paid more than usual for the lens, decides LF is not for him and sells it, that is a lot of money to get back if he paid above average.

LJH · Mar 18, 2013

PKM-25 said:
Not really, he appears to be a beginner at LF, if he paid more than usual for the lens, decides LF is not for him and sells it, that is a lot of money to get back if he paid above average.

Ah, You're the Pricing Police. Forgot that we get to tell people how much they should spend on equipment.

PKM-25 · Mar 18, 2013

LJH said:
Ah, You're the Pricing Police. Forgot that we get to tell people how much they should spend on equipment.

I had my suspicions, so I looked back into your posts...yep, just what I thought.

You seem keen to get (there was a url link here which no longer exists) to spit the dummy mate, looking for a (there was a url link here which no longer exists) most likely...

No thanks, hooroo!

250swb · Mar 19, 2013

I brought up the question of price as well, thinking the lens may simply be overkill if all that coverage wasn't going to get used. But the OP has bought it now, and I doubt he would loose a lot of money as it is a very desirable lens. But it is irresponsible not to mention money when a self confessed beginner in large format is enquiring. Clearly the OP knows what he likes in other formats, but just piling in and suggesting expensive options would just be elitist, especially as there aren't an awful lot of bad LF lenses out there, the more expensive options often just do a bit more than others in ways unrelated to outright resolution and application.

Steve

What camera and what lens II

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