If I had only one focal length, It would be my 135 wide field ektar, but we all know you can't eat just one.
If I had only one focal length, It would be my 135 wide field ektar, but we all know you can't eat just one.
I was all set to write a fairly lengthy response, but Oren Grad already wrote what I was going to, so you can save us all time by reading Oren's post twice. It was actually kind of eerie, reading it.
Except for the part about Fujinons. I don't agree with him on that.
But the rest of it, especially the part about the 135mm Apo-Sironar-S, I wholeheartedly agree with.
I have a Horseman 45FA and use the Rod. 90mm 6.8 mostly and I like it a lot. Next I use the Rod. 75mm 6.8 and I like it a lot. (it is wiiiiiiiide). The next most used lens is a Rod. 180mm 5.6. I don't it as often as I mostly see in the wide way. I do want very badly a nikon tele 270mm as it matches my narrow view. I have a nikon 125mm 5.6 that I bought for use with a roll film holder and I like it's medium wide look, but it dosen't cover 4x5 well. My focusing aid is the toyo 3.6 power and it does not enlarge the fresnel lines badly. With the wide lenses I tilt the focuser to brighten the image around the edges, and it's easier to focus.
dee
I have a Fujinon 135 and a Schneider 210 Convertible for landscapes. I started out with the 135, and still like that field of view, but for technical reasons it's very awkward to use on my camera with the standard bellows, and as a result the 210 is my standard tool. I should note, though, that I do a lot of detail work in landscapes and gravitate toward slightly longer lenses than a lot of other people do--I never did figure out how to use wide angle lenses until I visited Europe, for example, and I have a lot of trouble using them at home now implying the density of a European city was very important. Presumably I would have similar fortune on many cities on the East Coast of the US.
I haven't had much of a chance to use my 4x5 of late, but I plan on making the time soon and will make an effort to use the 135 more.
If you tried a 135 and didn't like it, for heaven's sake don't buy a 125 or a 135.
It shouldn't be all that hard to focus a 90 unless you are shooting in relatively dim surroundings. For reasonably well-lit conditions, a 90 is an extremely popular lens, so don't rule it out; perhaps there is some other factor that is impeding your focussing. The SSXL 110 is another winner.
Many people use a "laser" pointer to aid in focussing when there's not much light. I tried it but never could get the hang of it, but it might be worth a try for you.
Many folks have warned you that your camera may not allow you to focus in close with a 200-210. But how often would you be doing that (I shoot at infinity at least 90% of the time)? Don't restrict yourself for factors that are irrelevant to you personally.
I have the older version of the Fuji 125mm (with a smaller image circle than the current version). I love it. It is my only lens between 125mm and 210mm. The 125mm and the 210mm are my most frequently used lenses.
Great advice. Thanks to all for sharing. Sometimes I probably put too much thought into a purchase. My friends say I am tight. I think having a general purpose lens that works in alot of situations is a good idea. I just know my preference for wide images so want to plan for the going wider in the future.
If my experience with the 90/8 had been better I would have gone 90 all the way but I like to do alot of images in the twilight prior to sunup. The 90 was so difficult to work with it was frustrating. The 135 was fine and I did fine with a 75mm Biogon on an overcast day so I figure I just need faster lenses. The fast 90 lenses were really big so back to square one on that.
So since I might skip 90 and go to a 75 on the wide end maybe the 125 is a good compliment to it. Rates a future classic and is reasonably priced. I know if I went 150 or 135 I could go cheap but I have read enough here to really really consider the Rod -Sironar -S line. But that ties up more $$ in a lens that might be phased out as I get more lenses.
All food for thought. Thanks again.
How much coverage do you need? How much weight are you willing to carry? How much money are you willing/able to spend?
Depending on your answers to these questions, there are several alternatives (in addition to the 125mm Fujinon CM-W and 135mm APO-Sironar-S already discussed).
If you don't need much for movements, the 120mm f5.6 APO Symmar is small, light, fairly cheap on the used market, and blazingly sharp. The only drawback is the limited coverage (Schneider says 179mm, but they are a bit on the conservative side). I've actually used this lens for backpacking a few times over the last two years and really like the focal length on both 6x12 (plenty of room for movements) and 4x5 (a bit tight, but usable if you don't push the front rise too much).
The 120mm f5.6 Super Symmar HM costs a bit more, is bigger and heavier and has significantly more coverage. It's a good compromise in this focal length.
For even more money and coverage, there is the wonderful 110mm Super Symmar XL. It's not tiny or ultralight, but it's also not THAT big and heavy. It is expensive though. It is one of my most used lenses and an all time personal favorite. I'm not a big ultrawide shooter, so the 110mm focal length is a very comfortable wide angle for me. If I could only own two lenses it would be the 110 and a 210. In my general purpose kit, I also carry a 150mm that nicely fills the gap between the the 110 and 210. And, I carry an 80mm SS XL as my widest lens.
Focal length preference is a very personal choice. I tend to favor lenses in the slightly wide (110) to slightly long (210) range. Given your preference for wide lenses, something in the 110 - 12o range might make a good "normal" lens for you. It would also be a good intermediate focal length between your planned widest (75mm) and longest (200mm) focal lengths. Something like 75, 120, 200 is a nice focal length spread in a three lens kit.
Kerry
while i would prefer a 135 in therm of angle, i bought a 110xl and an apo sironar S to be have to use a lot of movements...
for movements in 4 lens you can't beat that...72xl / 110xl / 150s /210s
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