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Thread: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

  1. #1

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    What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    Tell me what do you shoot and what is your favorite focal length for 8x10?



    I mainly shoot portraits and I think my favorite focal length is 300mm. I've tried 210mm (environmental shots), 300mm, and 420mm. My cameras stability kind of maxes out with the 420mm Goerz Artar...it's a nice lens but between the stability and the max aperture being f/9.5 I find myself going for the 300mm f/5.6 lens more. Just curious what other peoples favorite 8x10 focal length is and why.

  2. #2
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    14.75"

  3. #3
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    For portraits, 300mm, followed by 210mm. I never liked the compressed look of lenses longer than 300mm for portraits.
    For buildings and such, the 210, and a 150.

  4. #4
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    Landscapes. 300mm/5.6 (Fuji W), but the Fuji W 250/6.7 is gaining favor.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  5. #5

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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    Usually my Fujinon 250 6.7 gets the bulk of the work. But weekend before last, I went out and exposed ten sheets of 8x10. They were pretty evenly divided between the 210mm Fujinon and the 14" Wollensak Apo. Just one of those days, I guess.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

  6. #6

  7. #7

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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    I like my 14" (358mm). I'd prefer a 420mm over a 300mm though for portraits.

    I think a lot depends upon what type of portraits (environmental, full length, waist-up, head and shoulders, head, etc.) you take and like Ari says, how much compression you like.

    I shoot a bit of everything. My 14" is my overall favorite. Next, I like my 19" and 250mm equally.

  8. #8

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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    240/250mm, 14" and 19" covers most all my bases as far as focal lengths go.
    The 14" is probably my favorite, but that's too much like declaring having a favorite child---they are all my favorites.
    The 240 G Claron because it's small and light for back packing.
    The 250mm/10" WF Ektar for people and especially architecture since coverage seems to measured by acreage.
    14" Commercial Ektar because it's a fast "normal" lens with lots of coverage and I really like Universal shutters(weird, huh?)
    19" RD Artar because it's small and light and looooong for back packing, since it teams up well with the 240 G Claron.
    Less used---12" Dagor. 14" APO Artar and 159mm Wollensak EWA Velostigmat
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  9. #9
    Angus Parker angusparker's Avatar
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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    210 and 360 seem to be 90% of my shots.

  10. #10

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    Re: What is your favorite focal length for 8x10?

    right now I have the choice of 12" or 19"

    I usually use the 12"..but yesterday my woodworking was a fail so I had to use the 19"

    we'll see how that turns out tonight


    I think a 15 or 16" would be a good lens to have with the other two though

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