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Thread: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

  1. #11

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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    Thanks for all the input. I ended up with a nice Rodenstock Sironar N MC 180mm f5.6 and i hope that I like it.
    I have vintage Wollensak 9 inch f4 Verito diffused focus for portraits, but it is really heavy.
    Time will tell.
    J

  2. #12
    Dave Karp
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    Dec 2001
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    I think that you will be very happy with that lens. I have the 210mm Caltar II-N version (same design). Of all of the modern lenses in this category from the big four, the Rodenstock lenses have the nicest out of focus characteristics. Most of the time, I am trying to get as much as I can looking sharp, but when I want shallow depth of field with an out of focus background, I always notice how nice the Rodenstock lenses look. (I also have a 150mm.)

  3. #13
    Angus Parker angusparker's Avatar
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    Nov 2012
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by Doremus Scudder View Post
    For me it's a no-brainer because I've standardized on lightwieght: The Fujinon A 180mm f/8. Yes it's a bit dimmer than the f/5.6 versions but its small, lightweight has a more than adequate image circle and is a superb performer. Did I mention it was small and lightweight?

    Best,

    Doremus
    +1


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  4. #14

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    Jul 2016
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by durr3 View Post
    I just bought a Chamonix 4x5 and I want a 180mm lens for it as my GO TO lens.
    I may ask, why do you want a 180 as a GO TO lens ? What kind of photographs are you prone to do ?

    The Fujinon A is 170grs, but f/8. The rest are f/5.6 but around 400gr. The Sironar-S has 276mm circle, the Fuji is 252...

    Of the 180mm choices here http://www.largeformatphotography.in...s/LF4x5in.html all are good enough, just weight, aperture, circle and price. The Sironar-S is the fanciest, with some ED glass, but more expensive.

    I would make just the same photograhs with any of them.

  5. #15
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    The Fuji 180 A is a real gem. Tiny and better corrected than any general-purpose plasmat.

  6. #16

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    Jul 2016
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    The Fuji 180 A is a real gem. Tiny and better corrected than any general-purpose plasmat.
    Drew, not as tiny, but the Nikon SW 90 f/8 performed excellent in the C. Perez benchmark

    f/11 80 80 60

    yes, a DIY test, but if he was reading 80Lp/mm... (and there is the sample to sample variation... )

    Just pointing that there are a lot of well corrected lenses around.

  7. #17

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    Nov 2022
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    Re: Which LF 180mm lens would you buy?

    Years ago when starting out in Large-Format I was fortunate to have a studio in the NYC Photo District and there were many great Pro Camera stores in the area. If you were a working pro and had a relationship with a store, they would let you take equipment for a few days and try it out before purchasing. So after working for more than 50 international publications and teaching Large-Format for over twenty-years, here is my best piece of advice that was given to me when I was selecting my first lenses..... Brand or Country of manufacture is VERY Important, because it will determine the look of your images, especially in color. German lenses (Schneider, Rodenstock (Calumet) tend to favor warmer tones with moderate contrast. Japanese lenses (Fujinon, Nikkor) tend to favor cooler colors (greens, blues) with a little more punch. Films from these countries will usually have the same color biases.... The reduced contrast of the German glass works well for B&W, although in processing you should optimize your developing technique for your equipment and workflow. ALL OF THESE MANUFACTURERS MAKE GREAT GLASS, however, you need to know what you want and what tools will help you get the results you desire. I shoot people, prefer warmer tones and 180 & 210 Schneider & Rodenstock glass are my pick!

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