5x7 lens choices for a Hobo style camera.

[Wayne Crider]

Looking at B&H's chart on 5x7 lenses compared to the smaller format, it seems the 90mm's and 105's are really really wide in 5x7. I'm wondering about the usefullness of such lenses for landscape photography to keep a body reasonably thin, or somewhere around 4" thick. I could put a snout on it if necessary to get out to 150mm, but wanted some impressions on what lenses others used most often for landscapes in 5x7.

[Donald Brewster]

I'm guessing Tuan will authoritatively chime in here, but I'd have to say the Schneider Super Symmar 110XL springs immediately to mind. Might not meet you r size requirements though. On smaller, older glass, you might take a look at 135 mm WF Ektar -- it should cover 5x7 -- and the 120mm Schneider Angulon. Other ideas for small, though a longer focal length, is the 165mm WA Dagor. 120mm and 150mm SW Nikkor should also meet your needs.

[David Wooten]

I use a fugi f/9 90 mm on 6 x 17

[Brian Schall]

Clyde Butcher put together what he calls his point and shoot camera. A front and rear 5x7 standard taped together with gaffer's tape with a helical mounted lens, something superwide. It was described, I think, in his journal about shooting in the Everglades National Park. Check out his site, clydebutcher.com, and maybe you can find reference to it. You could probably contact him and he would give you the info. Now that I live in New Mexico and not SW Florida, I miss going down to Clyde's place.

[Ole Tjugen]

Two of my most used lenses are the 90mm and 121mm f:8 Super-Angulons. But if I were to put together a P&S 5x7" camera, I'd use either a 120mm f:6.8 Angulon or a pre-coating 90mm f:6.8 Angulon. It's little known that the really old Angulons covered "one size up" - so the 90mm covers 5x7", the 120mm 8x10" (really 18x24cm), and the 210mm covers 30x40cm.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I had a 5x7 Hobo (bought for the lens) that came with a Caltar 90mm f/6.8. I replaced the lens with my old 90mm Super Angulon f/8 which also worked well. I finally decided the setup wasn't for me and sold the Hobo, but it did work well. I much prefer a Crown Graphic with Graphmatic as a point and shoot setup.

[CXC]

I've used the SSXL 110mm on 5x7 and been very pleased with the results. It is quite wide, though; not for everybody, or every situation. For something physically smaller and probably more generally useful, I'd consider a G-Claron 150mm. IMHO 90mm is a specialty item for 5x7, rarely useful.

[Wayne Crider]

"IMHO 90mm is a specialty item for 5x7, rarely useful." by CXC

Now that is what I thought too. 90mm on 4x5 is actually too wide for me.

[Chuck_1686]

Another small and cheap lens that just covers 5x7 is the 120 Osaka/Congo. I use mine a lot more than the 90 with 5x7.

[QT Luong]

Personally, I use my 110 for more than half of my photographs in 5x7, and only occasionally the 90. I have a Canhan, and in general I use movements. On a rigid camera, one of the simpler lens designs would work just as well, and be less expensive.

[Michael Jones]

Regarding Clyde Butcher's point and shoot, several of us then “regulars” to the swamp joking referred to his camera as a “Clyde-a-wide.” Clyde put piece of plywood on top of a 5x7 back, taped it together with gaffer's tape with a helical mounted lens; a 38mm Super Angulon as I recall, although it could have been the Rodenstock equivalent. It was a true point and shoot. The convergence was extreme and a bit wide for my taste. I believe many of the images were eventually cropped, but if you look through the site (http://www.clydebutcher.com/) you may find an image or two that was created with it.

Like Brian, I miss my soirees into the muck and orchids with Clyde. It was fun while I lived there.