Wider lens for my Tachihara?

[JBrunner]

Right now I gots a 150 f:5.6 Nikkor W an a Schneider 210/360 f:5.6 Symmar.

Looking to go wider for landscapes. Before I start beating my head on the wall, I was curious what others thought. Any sleepers?

 

[MikeK]

Which Tachi do you have? With the 5x7 and 8x10 variants the widest lens you can use without a recessed board is ~120mm. It is a limitation of the bed hardware and the front focus and lock knobs. The meet and at around 120mm

Mike

 

[williamgregory]

I have a 90mm and 65mm for my 4x5. I don't use the super wides for landscapes to often. The 65 is really extreme but nice. Especially for interiors.

Here is an image with the 65mm of an Anasazi cliff dwelling. I'm shooting from about 10 feet from the sandstone ceiling. This lens requires a recessed board and center filter

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[JBrunner]

I have a 90mm and 65mm for my 4x5. I don't use the super wides for landscapes to often. The 65 is really extreme but nice. Especially for interiors.

Here is an image with the 65mm of an Anasazi cliff dwelling. I'm shooting from about 10 feet from the sandstone ceiling. This lens requires a recessed board and center filter

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Hi, sorry guys, its my 4x5 the little Hope.

 

[JBrunner]

I have a 90mm and 65mm for my 4x5. I don't use the super wides for landscapes to often. The 65 is really extreme but nice. Especially for interiors.

Here is an image with the 65mm of an Anasazi cliff dwelling. I'm shooting from about 10 feet from the sandstone ceiling. This lens requires a recessed board and center filter

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That is really nice... I think I'm looking for a 90 though. The 65 would come second. Thats the kind of lens that only works in certain places. You certainly found one. Wow.

 

[wildbill]

90mm 6.8 grandagon is probably my sharpest lens for 4x5. great coverage and takes 67mm filters. Mine requires a cheap magnifying fresnel from staples to even out the image on the ground glass. If someone gave me one i'd take a 90mm 4.5 or 5.6.

 

[Pinholemaster]

My first wide angle for 4x5 was a 90 mm. It's a good jump from your 150.

 

[Nick Zentena]

IMHO The Fuji 105mm SW F/8 is a sleeper. People fixate on the 90mm or maybe the 110mm and ignore the Fuji. Lots of coverage. Not huge. Can be cheap on the used market.

 

[Ian Grant]

The 90mm Grandagons are superb lenses the f6.8 isn't too heavy, they are more common branded as Caltars in the US. If you want wider still the 65mm Super Angulons aren't usually expensive, they just cover 5x4. Here's a shot with my 65mm.

You might also look at the 75mm Super Angulon, it would also be a great wide angle for your 6x17 as well, slightly better coverage on 5x4. It's now the only lens I use with my 6x17.

Ian

 

[Ole]

I use a 90mm f:8 Super Angulon - old, but good. I use it more often on 5x7" than on 4x5" though - on the 4x5" I tend to either use a 90mm f:6.8 Angulon, a 65mm f:8 Ilex Acugon, or an old 80mm WA Rectilinear...

 

[Uhner]

Hardly a sleeper, but if you happen to find a 90mm f4.5 Grandagon-N on the cheap go for it. I do not think that it produces better results than the other lenses recommended here – but the bright image it makes on the ground glass makes it is so easy to use.

The bad points are that it takes 82mm filters and that it is a big piece of glass. Nevertheless, I don’t find its weight to be a problem.

 

[Matus Kalisky]

My 2 cents: My first lens for my Tachi was Caltar 210/6.8 follwed by a Fujinon 125/5.6 CMW (a great lens) and Osaka 400/8 (tele). When I started to look fora wide angle lens I was pending between 90 and 75.

Finally - I decided to go with the 75 (Grandagon N 75/4.5). The difference between 125 and 75 is indeed rather large, but 75 can give you the super - wide look if you want it and still - you may crop if necessary. it works for me.

I do not have any results yet - the negs and slides are still to be developed (so I can not comment on possible need of center filter), but the lens is a pleasure to use. Large aperture makes the focusing easier. The lens is actually quite heavy - I think a 90/4.5 would be an overkill for Tachi.

Technically - on the flat lens board - you get very little movements - I am just about to get a 19mm recessed lens board (do not know yet wheter centered or with linhof-like offset). I figured out that 11mm would not allow for a full movements.

Good luck.

 

[Ian Grant]

Matus, I've found my 75mm is fine without a centre filter on the 6x17 and 5x4, however if I shot colour then a filter would be needed with the 65mm. The main difference between the 65mm and the 75mm (apart from the obvious angle of coverage) is the 65mm allows no movements at all, while some are available with the 75mm.

Ian

 

[Tom Stanworth]

90mm. Many good reccs here. Remember the Nikkor 90 SW f8. Small, light, sharp as a tack and great coverage. not too expensive either.

 

[Barry S]

I have the 90mm Nikkor f/8 and it's a gem of a lens. Very sharp and the best coverage of any of the field-sized 90's. I wouldn't mind if it were faster, but the fast 90mm lenses are huge and my kit is all about mobility. If coverage is less important, the 90mm Grandagon f/6.8 or one of the later Fuji 90mm f/8 (with outside lettering) are great lenses.

 

[r-brian]

With my 'Hope' Tachihara, I'm using a 90mm and 65mm. I just replaced my SA 90mm f8 with a Caltar II N 90mm f6.8 (Rodenstock II N). The SA worked fine but it was in a 00 Synchro Compur. The II N is in a Copal 0. The 65mm is an older 65 f8 Ilex Acugon reshuttered in a Copal 0. I use it on a flat board but really don't have room for movements, a little rear movement only. But then, the image circle isn't really big enough for movements anyway.

I don't know how a recessed board will work on a Tachihara, the hole in the front standard is pretty tight. The inability to use a recess board is, what I thought I've read, one limiting feature of the Tachihara. I'd like to know, because if so, I just might have to look for a recessed board.

 

[Deckled Edge]

I have a whole cupboard full of lenses for my 4x5, but over the years I found I used only a small portion of them. It seems, like you, Jason, that I reached for the 210 primarily. That said, I did get a lot of use from a 120 Angulon and a 90 Angulon.
Others have mentioned the Super Angulon and the Grandagons. They are obviously "bucks up" and love weight on the front standard. I, however, enjoy a smaller lens and more money for film. I admit that the Angulons are not top tier for sharpness or covering angle, but for 4x5 landscapes, especially B&W, they are plenty good.

 

[jimgalli]

What you really want is a 183 Protar V for the 8X10. Cake and eat it too for the 4X5 might be the Ilex Acugon. Superb in use and just squeaks around 5X7 so has good moves on 4X5. The one downside is no filter thread. Although one of them on the bay today has a 67 72 stepping ring. Not sure how he did that. Maybe it's tight enough for a kind of press fit. IMHO this is a far better lens than the 6.8 Angulon of yesteryear. Another sweetee if you can find one is the modern MC 90mm 6.3 lens that Congo makes. I think with Congo you might want to stick with MC in all black Copal. The older ones are a crap shoot for quality.

 

[jeroldharter]

I have a Caltar 90 mm f6.8 that I bought used. Very good lens. It was my first wide angle lens and it is a pain to focus indoors. However, most outdoor scenes in decent light should be no problem. This is not peculiar to the Caltar as all wide angle lenses have falloff away from the center. I think the Super Symmars are better in that respect from what I have read but very expensive. If you have the money, those would be good. I am very pleased with the Caltar. I would also recommend a Maxwell focusing screen which is outstanding although I still don't understand why plastic costs as much as gold.

 

[Ian Grant]

With wide-angles the type of screen makes a huge difference, the Wista screen is excellent and both my f6.8 Grandagon & f8 Super Angulon 90mm's are easy to focus, indoors or outdoors, but the 65mm & 75mm are much more difficult, - a plain screen with no fresnel would probably be better.

Ian

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

90 f6.8 grandagon - terrific modern lens, in a modern shutter. Relatively compact, has movements on 4x5, covers 5x7, and for modern glass, reasonably priced. That said, you can't go too far wrong with any of the recommended modern lenses here- with the advent of computer controlled grinding and computer aided design, it's hard to make a bad lens these days. If you are invested in a particular brand of lens, then I'd recommend the wide of the same brand, just for consistency of color rendition across your range.

 

[Skorzen]

Since you are looking for a "sleeper" I'm guessing that you are looking for more budget minded lenses. I have seen a few Super Angulons 90's go for about $200 (or even a little less) lately which is a bargain in my mind. Most of these come in 00 shutters which means no press focus but if you are like me with shallower pockets it's easy to work around using the bulb setting.