New to 8x10 need aperture advice Nikkor 300 W/ M

[Melissa]

Hi folks, im new to LF (well.. a little 5x4 when i was a student)- have recently acquired a chamonix 8x10 & am looking for a 300mm (maybe 240). I am not a hardcore landscaper but want to mix in portrait, portarait in environment & a little landscape. If i opt for say nikkor/ fuji f9 i save on weight but am i going to be at serious disadvantage portait wise? If anyone has examples that would be great, ill be honest.. im a little daunted.. but excited. oh- shooting colour neg.
many thanks :)

[Paul Fitzgerald]

" If i opt for say nikkor/ fuji f9 i save on weight but am i going to be at serious disadvantage portait wise?"

the weight savings for your whole kits would be minor at best and f/9 would be rather dark, slow to set-up and focus. Don't argue with success, find a 14" Commercial Ektar in shutter and have fun with it.

For longer lenses you can go with the smaller max. aperture, the light goes into the GG straighter and looks brighter than expected.

[Leigh]

Don't argue with success, find a 14" Commercial Ektar in shutter and have fun with it.
There's a 14" Commercial Ektar for sale right now:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=72614

- Leigh

[Gem Singer]

A 300mm lens on 8x10 is okay for full length portraits, but is slightly short for head and shoulder portraiture.

If size and weight are an important factor, a f8.5 Fuji 300C for landscapes and a f12.5 Fuji 450C for portraits would make a good pair of lightweight lenses for your 8x10 camera.

[Steve Hamley]

14" is the classic portrait lens on 8x10 and the Commercial Ektar is an excellent choice. Many noted portrait photographers used one.

f:9 isn't too dim, I believe Timothy Greenfield-Sanders used a 450mm Nikkor-M to shoot the recent supermodels at 40 spread that was in View Camera magazine not too long ago.

Cheers, Steve