Let's Vote!!! Only one wide lens, 75 or 90?

[Michal Makowski]

I want to buy wide angle lens for 4x5 work, I’m thinking about 75 or 90. That will be my only wide lens, I already have 150 and 210. I’m not looking for advice which brand or which specified lens. So let’s vote, statistic will shaw! :)

[David A. Goldfarb]

The 90 is a workhorse lens that I use frequently. The 75 is more of a problem solver or special effect, so if I had to choose, I'd go with the 90.

Of course some people will say you can always use the 75 and crop or maybe you can always use the 90 and stitch.

[Oren Grad]

What David said.

[Sheldon N]

90 for me.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

It all depends on style, but it's the 90 for me, too.

[Brian Ellis]

As between these two I'd go with the 90 also, there would be a big gap between a 75 and 150, plus the 90 is a more practical lens IMHO. But better than either of those would be the 80mm Schneider Super Symmar XL. I used that lens for several years and I think it combines the best of the 75 and 90, plus it's small, light, and tack sharp. Unfortunately it's also quite expensive but if you're in this for the long haul it's a lens you can keep forever.

[Armin Seeholzer]

If I only could have one then it would be the 72 Super Angulon!
And if I could have 2 then the 47mm XL would be the second and a third would be the 90mm.
My opinion only, Armin Seeholzer

[naturephoto1]

Of the two focal lengths I would chose the 90mm. That would either be my Rodenstock 90mm f6.8 Grandagon N MC or my sharp Congo f6.3 90mm WA (particularly with my Toho Shimo FC-45X). But with the small land light 90mm Congo (and the Toho), I could at times also carry my Rodenstock 75mm f6.8 Grandagon N MC if I felt that it would be useful.

Rich

[Walter Calahan]

90

I tried simply to write 90, but the system said my message was too short.:confused:

[Jeremy Moore]

i'm a big fan of the 90mm, especially matched with a 65.

[Ron Marshall]

I would go with the 90 as well, in a three lens 90-150-240 kit. Then if I wanted/needed something wider I would add a 58.

[Gordon Moat]

75mm - mostly with the idea of interiors. Also makes a nice crop view when I go to a rollfilm back on my 4x5. Besides, nearly everyone uses a 90mm.
:p

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[C. D. Keth]

definately 90. It's just the right wide angle for a large variety of subjects.

[Frank Petronio]

What David said. A 90mm 4x5 shot can still read as "normal" but the >75mm always look like an effect to me. I wish all architectural photos could be done with normal -- not wide -- lenses because they describe the space so much better to me.

[eric black]

Id opt for the 90- I rarely use my 75 or my 58 schneiders
and... if interested see my for sale post on a Nikkor 90/8 in excellent condition

[Tony Karnezis]

I agree with Frank. A photo with the 90 can look very "normal" but the 75 gives too much wide angle effect for my taste.

[Jean-Marie Solichon]

I don't have a 90 anymore, nor a 150. 75 & 120 work better for me.

[David Karp]

90mm

[Eric Leppanen]

My SS80XL is my general-purpose workhorse wide-angle lens, and I haven't found any need to go wider except in very unusual situations (I used to own an SA58XL, but sold it since it virtually never got used). Also, 75-150 is a very large gap in my book, so I'd also suggest getting the 90.

Going 80-110-150 is the ultimate bomb IMHO, but incurs serious damage to one's bank account!

[Capocheny]

Definitely the 90... :)

Cheers

[erie patsellis]

I guess it depends on one's shooting preferences, I've tried the 75 and a 65, and with my limited time with them, I found that the 90 still presents a natural looking perspective, though I usually bring a 90, 135, 180, 210 & 300 when I go out shooting. I've found that my LF lens selection is vastly different from my 35 and MF work, as in those formats, I tend to lean towards wide, wider, and holy S$%^. With LF (both 4x5 and 8x10) I tend to isolate subjects more, and work the image subtleties, while maintaining a natural looking perspective.


erie

[Michal Makowski]

Ok then, let's summarise: we have:

15 votes for 90mm

2 votes for 75mm

2 or 3 votes for different focal length

So we have the winner... 90mm. But I think we have to be patient, because half of the LF World is slipping now, let's wait for them.;)

[dneilson]

I'll go for the underdog. 75mm.
I had a 65mm , 90mm, 150mm and 210mm combination. I now carry the 75mm, 125mm and 180mm. And usually a 240, 300 and 450, although the first 3 get the bulk of the use.

[OldBikerPete]

I use 90, 135 and 210mm lenses. The mathematically inclined will see that there is a reasonably close relationship in the gaps between the focal length ie. 135 = 90 x 1.5, 210 = 135 x 1.55.
Harking back to your kit, you would find that the difference between your 150mm and a 75 would be a very big step, whereas the difference between your 150 and a 90 would be closer to the difference between your 150 and your 210, which is only 40%.
Depends on what you want to do with it.
You've seen what my vote is.

[David Karp]

Ok then, let's summarise . . .

Of course, the problem is that you don't know what we photograph or how we use our lenses. And we don't know what you photograph. It may be that the 75 or even a 65 is better for you.

I use a 75mm a lot if I am photographing interiors, but I always try to make the 90 work if I can, for the reasons Frank stated. I never use the 75mm for landscapes. 90 is the widest I go. And I use my 125mm a lot more than I use my 90.

[Doug Dolde]

Neither...110mm

[roteague]

Neither. If the issue isn't money, go with the Schneider 80mm XL lens.

[D. Bryant]

Two thumbs up for the 90. An f5.6 will be bigger but you will be able to work faster in my experience.

Don Bryant

[Steven Barall]

The 75 requires great optimism. It's kind of a glass half full lens. The 90 seems to be more versatile and realistic yet very very useful and you get movement with the 90 that you can't get with the 75. Good luck and have some fun.

[Songyun]

I am using 90, 150, 210. most of time 90 is fine. Sometime, I want a little bit wider. 20mm in 135 is my favorite, I guess I am looking for a 75 or 65. I agree that 80 ssxl is a good lens, 90 is a bit heavy.

[Pete Watkins]

I've got a 65 and a 90, the 90 gets far more use and is nice to use.
Pete.

[Ole Tjugen]

I use 65 and 90, and the 90 (Super Angulon) gets more use on 5x7" than on 4x5".

[Ongarine]

In my experience 90 solves many (almost all) situations, 75 is more specific and too wide for my taste. I vote for the 90.

[Michal Makowski]

Thank you guys for voting. I know that everything is depending of your style and vision and thousand others variables. I’m doing mostly landscape and I would love to have such light and superb optics like 80XL and 110XL but they are also superb expensive. I focused on 75 and 90 because the prices are reasonable. So, as soon as commission will count all votes (Florida is still counting:D ) I will decide. For 99% I wiil go for 90 and then I will choose between 90/8 Nikkor, 90/6.8 Rodenstock and 90/5.6 Schneider. I have opportunity to buy mint condition Rodenstock for 600$. I’m in Europe so the prices are much higher than in US.

[Juergen Sattler]

90mm

[evan clarke]

90....ec

[Bruce Watson]

My SS80XL is my general-purpose workhorse wide-angle lens, and I haven't found any need to go wider except in very unusual situations (I used to own an SA58XL, but sold it since it virtually never got used). Also, 75-150 is a very large gap in my book, so I'd also suggest getting the 90.

Going 80-110-150 is the ultimate bomb IMHO, but incurs serious damage to one's bank account!

I'm with Eric on this. I already had a 110mm SS-XL and 150mm Sironar-S. With this combination the 90 was too close to the 110, and 75 was just a touch too wide. The 80mm SS-XL turns out to be the ideal compromise.

[Herb Cunningham]

If your subject is interiors, wide as you need. If it is landscapes, depends on what the subject is. Forests will call for different lens than seascape or desert.

I tried 65 outdoors, never found a use for it. 90 f4.5 nikons are still out there new, and they are as good as it gets.

[Frank Bagbey]

After reading Jack Dyginga's book I just had to have a 75mm lens. As it turns out, the 90mm I use is much more practical and usable. The 75 shines in special applications, but if I could only have one it would be the 90mm.

[jnantz]

the 90

[Matus Kalisky]

OK, it seems that 90 is much more preferred - well I have currently 125 & 210 and when (only with 20-40 mm zoom lens on 35mm camera) I compared the difference between 40mm (like 125 for 4x5) and 28mm (90mm in 4x5) I found the difference too small, so I lean to get 75mm first, but not to forget to mention - I did the comparison having in mind some architecture photographing - for the ladscapes it may be different. Yes, the 80mm XL would fit the place nicely.

Matus

[stevebeyer]

I think I am getting to the party late on this one but I would go with the 75. This seems to be the same question often discussed in the 35mm world as the 20 vs 24 debate. I have been on the 20mm side so I would also choose the 75 or even better the 80xl:)

[Mark Sampson]

I use both; but the 75mm is a special-purpose lens. You should also consider that some cameras will not have a bellows flexible enough to make movements possible with a 75.

[photographs42]

My large format work is mostly landscapes.

I’m voting for the 90 but I seldom use one. When I used 4x5 (I use 5x7 now) I used a 300 more than anything, a 210 was next then a 360. I carried a 75 and a 90 and in 25 years I used the 90 about 30 times and the 75 zero times. It depends on the things you see and the way you see them but I agree with others here that the wider perspective of a 75 is a little unnatural.

Jerome

[archivue]

80xl and 110xl !!!

[Michal Makowski]

Summary no 2:


25 for 90mm

6 for 75mm

11 for 80xl or 110xl

Florida is still counting ;)

[Ralph Barker]

Between the 75 and the 90, I'd vote for the 90. But, my 90 has seen little use since I got the 110mm SSXL.

[Sergey Botvin]

75 or 90? It's 80 and 110 in my case :)

[Ed Richards]

I like WIDE in 35mm, but I found that in 4x5 I use a 90mm most of the time. It is as wide as you can go and still get a more or less normal looking (but not normal) perspective. Wider, and I think you should go really wide, 65 or 58 and be WIDE. (Unless you are an architectural photographer, then the 72 XL might be the ultimate lens for cramped interiors.) I think you need to decide whether you want people to look at your pictures and notice the perspective, or whether you want to be able to use a wide view in obtrusively.

[Rakesh Malik]

I also favor the 80mm SSXL. Though it's my least used lens, it's still one of my favorites, because when I find an opportunity for a nice, dramatic, near-far shot, it's perfect (for me) :)

[big_ben_blue]

I have a 90 and a 75. Personally, I think the 90 is more useful as a general purpose lens than the 75. Sure, the wide perspective of the 75 is wayyyyyyyyyys more dramatic than anything the 90 delivers, but how many times would one be wanting all the drama all the times? Becomes boring rather fast. The average lens coverage would be another scoring point for the 90; my 75 is pretty limited in terms of camera movements.

[MJSfoto1956]

If you already own a 210mm and a 150mm, then the 90mm is the better than a 75mm as the jump from 90mm to 150mm is similar to the jump from 150mm to 210mm. (you would want it to be 105mm to match the spacing exactly). OTOH, if you wanted a perfectly spaced set of four lenses you would want: 210mm, 150mm, 105mm, 75mm

So perhaps do go with the 75mm for now, and start looking for something close to a 105mm to fit "in between"

Just my two cents.

My kit: 47mm, 75mm, 120mm, 210mm, 360mm, 500mm -- all nicely spaced and all using 67mm filters

[Dave_B]

I have 47, 65, 75 and 90mm lenses for my wide angle kit. While the 47, 65 and 75 are fun to have once in a while, the 90 is a "must have" in your kit. At 90mm there is a very wide selection of new and used lenses to pick from, many of the inherent trade-offs in making lenses are mimimized by the time you get to 90mm-most are superb performers, the lenses and cameras can give you reasonable amounts of movement, there are large and small f-stop versions of some brands for a variety of applications-studio shots or backpacking, you can actually focus it so that the images are critically sharp, you do not need a center filter to get uniform exposure and most images (at least to me) look best at 90mm. As said earlier, the wider angle lenses produce images that say "wide angle lens". 90mm just lets you take a picture that does not tell the viewer that this is a wide angle stunt shot. I also like the Nikkor 90mm f4.5. It is one of my most used lenses for landscape shots although lately my back has voted for the Nikkor 90mm f8.0 and is being listened to more of the time....
Cheers,
Dave B.

[Eric_Scott]

I vote for the 75. I use it a lot more than the 90.

[Henry Dove]

90mm wins it for me too, perhaps my most used lens. I agree that 65mm makes a better super wide than the 75mm, which is too big a gap to the 150. My kit goes 65-90-150-210-360-500. However, only you will know which wide suits your style best!

[andy bessette]

...the 90 is a "must have" in your kit...As said earlier, the wider angle lenses produce images that say "wide angle lens". 90mm just lets you take a picture that does not tell the viewer that this is a wide angle stunt shot. I also like the Nikkor 90mm f4.5....
Cheers,
Dave B.

Yo Dave,

I couldn't have said it better. My Nikkor-SW 90mm, f4.5 is a must-have lens. If I could have only one wide-angle, this would be it.

best, andy

THERE'S MORE TO OPTICS THAN MEETS THE EYE

[walter23]

Rodenstock 90mm f6.8 Grandagon N MC

a.k.a. caltar-II N 90mm f6.8 MC for much less money.

[Ray Fenio]

One vote for the 90mm --I use my 90 f8 nikkor often and have a 65 nikkor when I occasionally want to go wider.

[rachase]

My three-lens kit includes a 75mm, a 135mm, and a 210mm. Overall, each of the three gets considerable use. I like my 75 - I use it for certain sea/landscapes as well as for interiors and don't consider it particularly dramatic - I like to get a lot of detail in the foreground. I tried a 90mm and ruled against it - I would recommend comparing the two in the context of your own photographic work.

[Hany Aziz]

90 mm for me. I do have a 75 but that rarely gets used. My most used lens is actually the 135 mm lens followed by the 210 and 300 mm, probably followed by the 90 mm. I have used the 75 mm only a handfull of times. It obviously does depend on how you see the world.

Sincerely,

Hany.

[JW Dewdney]

I'm sure this is an unorthodox and unpopular opinion - but what works very well for me is to use the LONGEST lens I possibly can in any given situation. Of course, many times- if I'm shooting interiors - that ends up being a 75 or even wider if the situation really needs it. But I always shoot from as far away from the subject as I possibly can.

[Remigius]

90mm (Nikkor f4.5), at least to start with. I also love the dramatic effect of super wide angles, but most likely you'll end up using a 90mm much more often if you have both of them.

Cheers, Remigius.

[David K.]

Replaced both a 75 and 90 with a 80XL - great way to go