Wide Angle Lens for Full Plate Camera

Giles Penfound · Mar 17, 2014

Dear All, I have just got back into large format photography with a wonderful full plate (8.5x6.5 inch) and would like to get a medium wide angle lens for it, an equivalent 35mm in (35mm film format). Any suggestions please.
All the best
Giles

Oren Grad · Mar 17, 2014

210mm is the commonly-seen LF focal length that will be closest.

I see semi-wide too, so my standard lens for whole plate is the 210mm Apo-Sironar-S. For many users that will be a little pricey, though. Happily, any late-model 210mm plasmat from any of the major manufacturers - Rodenstock (Apo-)Sironar N and S (and private-label Caltar II-N), Schneider Symmar-S or Apo-Symmar (and private-label Caltar S-II), Fujinon W, Nikkor W - will have good coverage for whole plate. Most of these are very common and quite inexpensive these days.

Welcome to APUG, good luck, and enjoy!

Simon Howers · Mar 18, 2014

WP Lenses

Giles Penfound said:
Dear All, I have just got back into large format photography with a wonderful full plate (8.5x6.5 inch) and would like to get a medium wide angle lens for it, an equivalent 35mm in (35mm film format). Any suggestions please.
All the best
Giles

I use three lenses with my WP Chamonix. A 21cm Schneider (wide), a 36cm Fuji (normal), and a 50cm Nikon (long).

Simon

Regular Rod · Mar 18, 2014

Giles Penfound said:
Dear All, I have just got back into large format photography with a wonderful full plate (8.5x6.5 inch) and would like to get a medium wide angle lens for it, an equivalent 35mm in (35mm film format). Any suggestions please.
All the best
Giles

A 7 inch lens for whole plate is a good approximation to match the 35 mm lens on a 24mm x 36mm frame.

8.25 inch for 50 mm equivalence...

...ish!

RR

Steve Goldstein · Mar 18, 2014

As Rod mentions, you might find something around 180mm to be what you want. Of the relatively modern 180s I'm aware of, the one with the most coverage is the older Fujinon-W with the lettering on the trim ring, visible when you look into the lens. It covers 80 degrees at f/22, giving an image circle of 302mm, plenty of movement on WP. It's single-coated.

Very slightly longer and with a lot more coverage (85 degrees stopped down) is the 190mm Wide-Field Ektar.

Oren Grad · Mar 18, 2014

Going by the format diagonal and depending on the exact dimensions of the film holder, the WP counterpart to 35mm-on-35 is about 205mm. Given the differences in camera handling, film size and aspect ratio, in actual use the FL that "feels" subjectively comparable might be different. Pick something plausible, try it and see!

Giles Penfound · Mar 18, 2014

Many thnaks

My appreciation to all who replied some food for thought and so pleased to be part of the group as well.
Warmest regards to all
Giles

paul_c5x4 · Mar 18, 2014

You don't say where you are located....

If you were in Norfolk (the original one), I have a number of LF lenses you could try....

jimgalli · Mar 18, 2014

I'm rather stunned that Jon Shiu's 210mm Goerz Dagor in shutter hasn't sold at $200 bucks!

Maybe you can't see it if you're too new to the forum. Great useful lens for full plate. It would be a 'wide field' lens, not wide angle. Wide angle for full plate can be all the way down to 135mm.

Wide Angle Lens for Full Plate Camera

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