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View Full Version : Too Many Lenses - What Would You Keep?



catalinajack
3-Dec-2013, 08:33
I own the following lenses. Too many to use, I think. My Crown Graphic has scales for 90mm, 120mm, 135mm, and 150mm. It's cammed to 135mm.

1. Rodenstock Grandagon N 90mm
2. Schneider APO Symmar S 120mm
3. Schneider APO Symmar S 135mm
4. Rodenstock Sinaron S 135mm
5. Schneider Symmar S (Linhof) 150mm
6. Fujinon CMW 180mm
7. Schneider APO Symmar S 210mm
8. Fujinon CMW f6.3 250mm

DrTang
3-Dec-2013, 09:14
K: 1, 3, 6, 8





who am I kidding - I never get rid of anything

Vick Ko
3-Dec-2013, 09:33
he he he, if you need a new home for the 135 Sinaron-S, call me :-)

Pete Watkins
3-Dec-2013, 10:41
8 lenses, is that all?
Pete.

john borrelli
3-Dec-2013, 12:46
Maybe you should look at things a different way. It's not that you have too many lenses, it's that you don't have enough cameras.

Some of those lenses would be OK for a 5X7. I believe I have seen 5X7 speed graphics from time to time. 5X7s of all kinds are pretty cheap nowadays, probably due to the lack of color film available.

catalinajack
3-Dec-2013, 15:32
Actually, I have a couple of more. There's the 135mm Symmar S in a Synchro-Compur shutter with X-M flash setting mounted on a perfect 4 x 5 Anniversary Speed Graphic that I use to take fun pictures at gatherings with flash bulbs. It always is an attention getter. Last is the venerable 135 Optar in a Graphex shutter mounted in a 3.25 x 4.25 Anniversary Speed Graphic, also perfect.

I also have a perfect Pacemaker Crown Graphic. When I kick off someone is going to end up with some very nice Graphics. I do also have a Toyo 45 A2 but I will be selling it soon to fund a Shen Hao purchase.

catalinajack
3-Dec-2013, 15:34
Vick Ko, I just bought the Sinaron. It would be the last lens I parted with should I ever sell everything.

Alan Gales
3-Dec-2013, 15:55
Frank Petronio would just keep the Schneider 135mm.

I only use a 135mm and 210mm with my Crown.

Some would add a 90mm to what I have.

Dr. Tang says to keep four lenses.

Pete Watkins would keep all eight and probably want more. ;)

Everyone is different. Keep the ones you use and sell the ones you don't and buy more film. That's the best answer I can come up with. :)

Alan Gales
3-Dec-2013, 16:02
And believe me in that I know what you are going through. I'm in the process of downsizing my camera collection.

neil poulsen
3-Dec-2013, 16:16
For me, I would sell both 135's and the 210. That would leave a nice spread with a 90, 120, 150, 180 and a 250.

The 135's don't have that much of an image circle. 180 is a nice intermediate between the 150 and 250. I avoided a 150mm for a long time, since it was a "normal" (and thereby a less desirable) lens for 4x5. Once I had one, I found it quite useful.

For me, I much prefer a 180mm to a 210mm. Having both focal lengths is unnecessary.

sepiareverb
3-Dec-2013, 18:17
2, 7, 8.

Your milage may vary.

onnect17
3-Dec-2013, 19:10
Keep 1, 2, and 7. Buy a 150mm apo symmar.

Leszek Vogt
4-Dec-2013, 00:16
Sell everything and get 3 XL's;). Seriously tho, why not wide, medium (portrait) and bit of a tele....that's what I'd do. You still may need a macro (?).

Les

Bill_1856
4-Dec-2013, 07:06
You can't be too rich or too thin, or have too many lenses.
The only downside is in keeping all those shutters working.

BradS
4-Dec-2013, 08:04
you don't have too many lenses...I'd say you have too few cameras!

Sekundogenitur
7-Dec-2013, 11:20
The best photographers always confined their equipment to the absolutely necessary.
Since I guess you belong to them I suggest to keep

1. Rodenstock Grandagon N 90mm
4. Rodenstock Sinaron S 135mm
7. Schneider APO Symmar S 210mm

Cheers, Mat

Steven Tribe
7-Dec-2013, 13:29
The best photographers always confined their equipment to the absolutely necessary. ....

Cheers, Mat

I cannot agree with this statement. It may be true that confining yourself to a single lens is a good idea for one session or project is likely to produce a good result.

Personally, I would describe you present range of lenses as very limited - they are modern lenses with similar characteristics. I realize that if you are using the graflex with cams, then there isn't much incentive to use "odd" focal lengths. I would keep a couple of these lenses and try out some older types that would give more variation in your "weaponry".

Sekundogenitur
7-Dec-2013, 14:34
I cannot agree with this statement. It may be true that confining yourself to a single lens is a good idea for one session or project is likely to produce a good result.

Please let me explain. Experienced people know what they will do and they know how. Often this will lead to a strict confimement in the equipment.
But there may be others who also know what to do and they know that they need a wider range of lenses. A large equipment is nor necessarily a beginners problem :-)
I only use two lenses (90 and 135) and do not have the impression to miss anything. In fact, 135 mm will cover 80 % of the photos taken.

Mat

Professional
7-Dec-2013, 23:38
So for 2XYmm FL, which one is mostly used say for portraits and some close-ups on 4x5?