What's your most-used 4x5 lens for landscape photography?

SodaAnt · Aug 2, 2023

koraks · Aug 2, 2023

150. I'd like to add a 300mm lens to my kit at some point, but it would have to be a pretty sweet deal, and a tele design for use on my small Toyo field with its limited bellows draw.

grahamp · Aug 2, 2023

The 150 tends to live in the camera, so it gets 'first looks' most of the time. It is also about the focal length that matches my general vision.

After that I am more likely to go longer than shorter.

Now, if the question was what lens gets the most use, then it would be the 270mm. It's a short standard on 8x10, standard on 4x10, moderate long on 4x5, and long on 6x9.

Alan9940 · Aug 2, 2023

I tend to like slightly longer than normal focal lengths in nearly all the formats I shoot. So, for me, it's the 210mm on 4x5; 360mm on 8x10. Second fave on 4x5 would be the 120mm.

abruzzi · Aug 2, 2023

203mm or 8 inch, which I guess is closest to 210 on the list.

xya · Aug 2, 2023

90 mm. I love wide angles also in landscape photos.

btaylor · Aug 2, 2023

I just don't get along well with wide angles, especially in LF. I generally use the 135mm Optar when I am out with the Super Speed Graphic, 150mm or 210mm with everything else.

BradS · Aug 2, 2023

135mm by virtue of the fact that it is the lens on my Crown Graphic and I've probably taken more photos with the Crown Graphic than with all of the other 4x5 cameras I've owned combined.

On the field cameras, I tend to also use 135mm or 150mm focal lengths. Very rarely shorter than 125mm or longer than 210mm.

DREW WILEY · Aug 2, 2023

250 mm. But you left out check boxes for all but one in my 4x5 kit : 125, 180, 200, 240/250, 300, 360, 450. I gravitate more toward the longer focal lengths, which also conveniently double for 8x10 format as well. I've never even owned a 150.

Doremus Scudder · Aug 2, 2023

For 4x5, I end up using a 135mm lens most often, followed closely by 90mm and 203/210mm. I find that the 150mm stays in the car most of the time. I can crop 135mm images a bit to get the same framing, but not vice-versa.

When I need extra coverage in that focal length, I grab my trusty Wide-field Ektar.

Best,

Doremus

JPD · Aug 3, 2023

135mm for 9x12. I'm used to the "normal" focal lengths for all formats.

John Wiegerink · Aug 3, 2023

135mm f5.6 Schneider Symmar-S stays on my 4X5. I have several 135mm lenses for 4X5, but the Symmar is the one I can count on. Next inline are my 100mm Wide-Field Ektar and the 203mm f7.7 Ektar or the Fujinon 210mm f5.6 L lens. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done for sure and none weigh a ton.

Pioneer · Aug 4, 2023

Mostly my plain old Schneider Angulon 90/6.8. It is kind of my work horse for the 4x5. But occasionally I'll pull out the Schneider Super Symmar 135/5.6 convertible. I actually like the lens quite a bit since it is a convertible but somehow it is not always with me.

Besk · Aug 4, 2023

I purchased a 135/5.6 Sironar-N because it could stay in my Busch Pressman when folded up.
The field of view seems to be the one that works best for me in that range. Now a second 135 Sironar-N
has been purchased to use with my other 4x5's. They are awfully low priced these days.
Also have a 135/6.3 Wide-Field Ektar available if needed for its extra coverage.

John Wiegerink · Aug 4, 2023

Bob Eskridge said:
I purchased a 135/5.6 Sironar-N because it could stay in my Busch Pressman when folded up.
The field of view seems to be the one that works best for me in that range. Now a second 135 Sironar-N
has been purchased to use with my other 4x5's. They are awfully low priced these days.
Also have a 135/6.3 Wide-Field Ektar available if needed for its extra coverage.

Bob,
That's exactly why I bought the 135mm Symmar-S. I used to have a Sears Tower press camera, which is a Busch Pressmen. Worked nicely and folded with camera. Now the 135mm Simmer-S is attached to my Chamonix 45N2 and the Tower is gone.

ic-racer · Aug 5, 2023

150mm would be my most common used lens on 4x5.

I have two, Fujinon and Topcor. Performance is similar.

chuckroast · Aug 5, 2023

I have both a 150mm f/5.6 APO Symmar and a 210mm f/6.8 Caltar-II (a rebranded Rodenstock). The 210mm is my goto for the vast majority of subjects.

David Reynolds · Aug 5, 2023

For years I used a 210mm Symmar-S MC as my go to lens. If space (distance) was an issue I would use 90mm Super-Angulon-MC to get closer to the subject. The falloff from the 90mm was always an issue . In order to get around falloff I would rent a 150mm G-Claron lens which would supply even lighting across the 4X5 .

Axelwik · Aug 5, 2023

The lenses in my 4x5 kit consist of a 135 and 240, but I have a few other focal lengths waiting in the car if needed.

DREW WILEY · Aug 5, 2023

I used only a 210 Symmar S for an entire decade. It was a nice lens; but I replaced it with a sharper and more contrasty 250/6.7 Fujinon W, which I felt even more comfortable with as my version of a "normal" focal length. That in turn, after it was stolen, gave way to a 250/9 G-claron as well as a 240/9 Fuji A, which were ever better corrected, and notably, even smaller and lighter. And of course, my new 4X5 standard of 250 instead of 210 came out handy when I jumped into 8x10 photography too, where this focal length served as a wide-angle lens with at least some extra wiggle room for movements.

Rick A · Aug 5, 2023

When I shot loads of 4x5, a Ysarex 127/4.7 that I stripped from a Polaroid 110B, it lived on my B&J Speed Press. I still shoot (occasionally) 4x5 using a 135 or 210. I use a 12" or 14" on my 8x10.

Paul Howell · Aug 5, 2023

135 on Crown, 152 on New View.

GLS · Aug 8, 2023

I voted 150mm, because on analysis of my 4x5 images I found it just edged out the 300mm by a nose, with the 90mm and 210mm lenses not that far behind.

analogwisdom · Aug 14, 2023

120mm I didn't see the option

L Gebhardt · Aug 14, 2023

My estimate is 200mm 40%, 135mm 30%, 300mm 25% and the remaining 5% is either wider or longer.

What's your most-used 4x5 lens for landscape photography?