Curious to know what lenses 4x5 LF photographers lens kit consists of whether it be primarily for landscape, architecture, portraits or a bit if this and a little of that.
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Curious to know what lenses 4x5 LF photographers lens kit consists of whether it be primarily for landscape, architecture, portraits or a bit if this and a little of that.
What's in yours?
Mine consists of a 90mm, 150mm and 210mm. Focal length is pretty close on all these but I'm just building up my kit and these were all great deals. Plan to get something much wider and something reasonably longer and there I'll stop. Yes.. yes, I know.. I say that now.. :)
I do mostly landscapes so far (they don't move much and I'm new so r e a l l y slow). I have a 105 with very little room for movements, a 135, and a 210. I might want something longer than the 210, but I need to learn to use what I've got before I buy more.
I do a lot of landscape but unlike landscape with small format, use the 210 mostly. I have a 115, 135, 210, 300, and 480, also 120 macro and 250 Imagon. Will be looking at a 600ish telephoto tomorrow. The 115 is a Rodenstock Grandagon-N and covers 5X7 so it has good coverage, very good for a short lens. I find the 210 gets as much use as all the rest combined.
I have a 90, 150, 210, and 300.
Gary
I've dedicated my 4x5 to shooting 6x12cm roll film only. Mostly landscape.
38 SA XL
58 SA XL
90 f/8 SA
135 Apo Symmar
210 Graphic-Kowa (double duty for 8x10)
300 Fujinon-C (double duty for 8x10)
450 Fujinon-C (double duty for 8x10)
72 SA XL for 6x10 (8x10 cropped)
110 SS XL for 8x10
150 SS XL for 8x10
for 4x5: 47, 75, 105, 135, 17"
for 8x10: 300mm
I shoot almost exclusively landscapes with my 4x5. My lenses are: 65mm f8 Ilex Acugon, 90mm f6.8 Caltar II-N, in the mail headed to me a 127mm f4.7 Rodenstock Ysarex (to fill this gap), 150mm f5.6 Caltar II-N, and an old 240mm f5.5 Tele-Xenar.
I'm more of a wide angle shooter so the 65mm and 90mm are my primary lenses. Wouldn't mind having something in the 300mm range just to fill out the set, but it can wait.
Architecture and landscape:
47 XL Schneider
65 SA 5.6 Schneider
90 5.6 SA Schneider
120 SW Nikon
120 AM Macro Nikkor
150 Nikon
210 S Symar Schneider
305 Schneider G claron
450 M Nikon
Mostly Landscape and some architecture:
90 f8 Nikkor
135 f5.6 Fujinon
180 f5.6 Fujinon
210 Schneider Symmar-S
300 f9 Nikkor-M
-Preston
I rely on a 3-lens kit to tackle 4x5 landscapes; I don't do a lot of architecture or portraits.
If they're all w/ me in the field, they serve about 97% of my diverse needs.
Funny thing is … adding a 180mm would get me to “98%” or “99%,” quicker than a lens wider than 110, or longer than 240.
1) Schneider XL 110mm/5.6
2) Schneider 150mm/9 g-claron
3) Fuji A 240mm/9
135mm on 4x5
Sometimes I've stitched to make a wide shot.
Mostly landscapes, with an architectural bent:
47/5.6 Super Angulon (not XL, and therefore for 6x12 and smaller only)
65/5.6 Super Angulon
90/5.6 Super Angulon
121/8 Super Angulon
150/6.3 Geronar
180/5.6 Symmar Convertible
210/5.6 Sinaron (APO-Sironar-N)
8-1/2"/4.5 Ilex Paragon
240/6.8 Caltar Type Y (Ysarex)
12" Ilex Caltar (copy of Commercial Ektar)
I don't carry them all, of course. For 4x5, I would carry the 65, 90, 121, 210, and 12" or some similar combination. For a lighter kit, I might only take the 90, 180 (which also provides 315), and 240.
Rick "not usually too far from the car" Denney
This is the kind of question where the answers given won't help you out a single bit
If you can't narrow it down any I'm pretty sure with a large enough sampling every lens ever made will make its way into this one
Tell me
Did you create this thread just to say the word "KIT"
Mostly shooting lifestyle, transportation, and automotive. Sometimes shooting urban landscapes.
90mm f6.8
135mm f5.6
180mm f5.6
The 135mm gets used on the majority of my shots, then the 180mm, and rarely the 90mm. These are not the only lenses I have for my 4x5, though with my airline travel backpack, there is really only room for these and one back-up camera (usually medium format body and one lens). The 135mm folds up into the 4x5, when it is reversed, so that saves some space.
Ciao!
Gordon Moat Photography
I don't shoot much 4x5 but I've got a
127mm Kodak Ektar (uncoated prewar)
162mm Wollensak Velostigmat (uncoated)
203mm Kodak Ektar
215mm Ilex
My active kit right now is my new (60 year old) 4x5 Speed Graphic with a 135mm F4.5 Zeiss Tessar.
Roger
Since you're deciding on focal lengths, I'll tell you my tale of focal lengths. The standard starter set for 4x5 is a 90mm, 150mm, 210mm and 300mm. I started with a 150mm, 210mm, and 300mm since wides tend to be more expensive, and I used the 150/210/300 combo for several months. Reviewing my compositions and field experience, I felt the compositions were a little "tight" or "crowded", and being in the Appalachian area, a lot of times I couldn't back up to get a wider view either physically or compositionally.
So I ended up doing an 80mm, 110mm, 135mm, 180mm. My longer lens is a 10-3/4" Red Dot Artar custom mounted in a Copal 1 as opposed to the more common 300mm. I've been very happy with this set of FLs and haven't had any desire to change. These are usually what's in the backpack.
I also have a 55mm Apo Grandagon, and a 120mm Macro Nikkor which many of us picked up when Nikkor discontinued LF lenses and these could be had new for a song. I'd used a 65mm previously, and may add that FL back. The 55mm is wonderful, but a 65mm is easier to shoot some times from a composition standpoint.
I've also picked up a 400mm Apo-Tele Xenar from one of our forum members but haven't had it out over winter.
So I'd try a 150mm, 210mm, and 300mm for a while to see how they feel. I'd probably buy good used first or second generation lenses from a reputable dealer. That's what I did because I didn't want to deal with hazy glass and balky shutters while on the learning curve.
Cheers, Steve
Started with an initial purchase of someone else's set-up. Very lucky find. Zone VI 4x5, SA 90mm f8, SA 121mm(wonderful), 210 Symmar-S. Added 65mm Nikon, Linhof 150 conv Symmar and 270mm Linhof Tele Arton. Just a couple of weeks ago, fell into a coated f4.5 150mm Heliar and 9 1/2" uncoated Dagor. Which I havn't had on yet, came with older Technika boards, that need to be traded for Linhof boards (hint. Anyone?) Some of these do double duty on 2x3 & 5x7. Bill
I started with a Toyo 45A field camera which came with a 90/6.8 Angulon and a 210/5.6 Symmar MC. I added a Computar 150/5.6 and also got a Fujinon 150/6.3 for its small size. Needing some wide-angle movements, I obtained a Super Angulon 90/8, but it's bigger than I like for field work. I also have a 300/5.6 Symmar convertible for 8x10 and a bunch of oldies that I'm struggling to fix shutters, find boards to mount and time to do all this stuff. Paul
For starters I had a 150, then added a 90 and 210. As it stands now:
Caltar 75mm
Caltar 90mm
Nikkor Macro 120 mm
Caltar 135 mm
Schneider Apo Symmar 150mm
Caltar 210 mm
Schneider G-Claron 210 mm
Rodenstock Apo-Sironar W 210 mm
Schneider G-Claron 240 mm
Nikkor-M 300 mm
Schneider G-Claron 305 mm
Schneider Apo Symmar 360 mm
Fujinon C 450 mm
Fujinon c 600 mm
Some of these I use for 8x10 also. If I had to pick one lens for 4x5, it would be something that I don't have, a 180 mm, which would have excellent coverage and be in between my most commonly used lenses of 150-210mm.
My main kit:
Nikkor 90/8
Sironar-N 135/5.6
Fujinon-A 240/9
In reserve: Angulon 90/6.8
Ektar WF 100/6.3
Ektar WF 135/6.3
Fijinon 150/6.3
Sironar-N 180/5.6
Afga Super Integon 300/9
Artar RD 19"/11
90mm Grandagon
150mm Symmar and G-Claron
210mm Symmar and G-Claron
305mm G-Claron
and on the rare occasion when I feel the need to pretend that I’m Reinhart Wolf – a 480mm Apo-Ronar
Usually I just carry the Grandagon and the 210mm G-Claron.
A 127/f4.7 only. I'm new.
Nikkor-W 135 f/5.6. Additionally, I have no intension of getting more lenses for that camera. I might choose to use the 240 (8x10) on 4x5, but I doubt it.
For my 4x5 Zone VI I have a Fuji 125mm, a Fuji 210mm, and a Nikon 300M
Mike
Tominon 105mm
Fuji 125mm
Kodak Ektar 127mm
Bausch & Lomb 6" Rapid Rectilinear
Nikkor 180mm
Voigtlander 7 7/8" Collinear II
Fuji 250mm
Geeeeeeeeeeeze, I didn't realize that I had so many lenses.
They are used for some of this and a little of that.
For 4x5:
- 135 Wolly Raptar
- 101 Wolly Raptar
For 8x10:
- 10 1/4" Wolly APO Raptar
... I sense a trend here. :rolleyes:
210mm f5.6 Caltar (Rodenstock)
90mm f8 Caltar (Schneider)
and no room in the bag for any additional lenses, thank you very much.
one ,,....APO Lanther 150mm
one ,,....115mm pinhole for 10 x 8
one ,,....75mm pinhole 4x5
one ,,....componon 210mm reversed for 10x8
one ,,....novar on a nettar
one ,,....pancake on a program
one ,,....135mm soligor front element only for 4x5 and 10x8
one ,,....200mm prinz front element only for 4x5 and 10x8
Nikkor 65
Nikkor 90/8
Fujinon 150
Fujinon 250
Fujinon 450
Would like to try the 38mm XL and Mike1234 got his to cover 4x5 just barely.
90mm f/8
135mm f/5.6
250mm f/6.7
Nikkor 65
Nikkor 90/8
Fujinon 150
Fujinon 250
Fujinon 450
Would like to try the 38mm XL and Mike1234 got his to cover 4x5 just barely.
Recently overhaul to lighten the load,
58 or 65
110
180
240
360
450*
*As soon as I get a camera that will take it. This is what's in the bag. On some occasions, substitutions are made. I'm shooting abstracts and small landscapes.
I have 2 4x5 sets since I live on 2 continents and don't want to carry it back and forth all the time.
Set 1 for a Technikardan: 55-80-110-150-210-300-450-mm, can be augmented by 38 and 720mm when needed. A factor of close to 1.4 (square root of 2)between the focal lengths.
Set 2 for a Technika: 90-135-200-300-500mm. A factor of 1.5 except for the last step.
As you can tell I like the lineup equally spaced.
These are fascinating posts! I especially enjoy visiting those posters who have websites and/or blogs that demonstrate how these lenses are put through their paces:
ejwoodbury.blogspot.com
http://www.anonymousvernacular.com
http://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
http://www.seangalbraith.com/new
http://www.gordonmoat.com
http://www.frankpetronio.com
http://www.gittingsphoto.com
http://www.willwilson.com
4x5 Landscape -- 150mm Caltar IIN f5.6
4x5 everything
127mm Tominon
210mm Fujinon W
I have several lenses, but most of the time I use
72mm SA XL + #4B center filter - I will not recommend this combo as your 1st lens.
and much less
210mm APO
Most of my editorial 4x5 work is portraiture (if one can call it so:))
65 SA • 90 SA •* 127 tominon • 135 wollensak • 150 symetrigon • 10" veritar • 6" meniscus • 6" seminat • "laverne" •10" darlot hemispherical • 210/370 symmar • and whatever is on a cyclone #3 box
Interesting the mix of glass makers in each kit. I don't think anyone had all one brand. I have one friend that bought his Master Technika and glass in the mid 70's and bought all Fuji glass.
My travel kit when flying or traveling light is:
90 Congo
150 G Claron
203 Ektar or 210 Golden Dagor
300 Nikkor M
Sometimes I'll throw in a 125 or 135 Fuji
Traveling heavy:
72 XL SA
90 5.6 SA
125 Fuji
135 Fuji
150 Symmar S
210 Symmar S or Golden Dagor
300 Nikkor M
Normally I will carry either the 125 or 135 but not both.
My work is 90% documentary.
360/500/720 Nikkor T set
"Light" group:
80/4.5 SSXL
120/5.6 APO-Symmar (pre-"L" and I may get a Fuji 125 to replace it some day)
200/8 Nikkor-M (if I want to go super light and bring one lens, it would be this one)
300/8.5 Fuji C
If I don't might the weight, I add one or both of my two heavy lenses:
165/3.5 Zeiss Jena Tessar, T single coated.
250/6.3 Fuji (the one that doesn't cover 8x10, so is much cheaper for us 4x5 only users).
I just weighed them, with both caps and lens board, and I was surprised that the two "heavies" are more than the 4 "lights" combined: 80: 336g; 120: 250g; 200: 236g; 300: 315g (1137g plus cable releases). Heavies: 165: 527g; 250: 671g for 1198g for the pair.
Win the lottery additions: 110 SSXL, Cooke PS945.
If I am hiking: XL110, Fujinon 150 maybe, M200, M300, C450
Rolling case: XL90. Fujinon 150, Schneider 210, M300, M450
OK, didn't make it very far, I leaving for New York tomorrow, and just reworked my lens kit for the Speed Graphic. To the one camera, one bag, one lens kit I've add another small bag and now have.
90mm f8 Super Angulon
150mm f9 G-Claron
210 f5.6 Schneider Symmar Convertible
Roger
It's nice to read up on what everyone is packing. I'm just trying to figure our my lens line up for a trip to Chile on Monday.
I think I'll go with:
Ebony SV45 Ti
90mm f4.5 Nikkor SW
135mm f3.5 Carl Zeiss Planar T*
180mm f5.6 Schneider Symmar-S
250mm f6.3 Fuji W
400mm f8 Fuji T
+ bessa III as a snap shooter
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/...14d566b4_o.jpg
it's just enough to fit in a CompuTrekker AW
on a side note, it's so hard to find a camera bag with out a computer compartment these days!
Fuji:
75 SW?
150W?
210W
240A
300A
450C
600C
Nikon 120 Macro
? I'm at the library right now and can't remember exactly what... all newer EBC with writing on outer barrel.