I own 4x5 lenses ranging from 58mm to 600mm focal lengths, which I tend to use almost equally (aside from the 58, which I use infrequently).
The longer lenses are vital for me because, aside from providing smaller angles-of-view for close-ups and distant objects, they also provide more options for optimizing compression of perspective. In general I have found that:
- My 150mm lens is the longest lens that can capture near-to-far compositions (where near is defined as within a couple yards of the camera) by solely stopping down, without resort to movements. This is important for compositions where movements just won't work.
- My 240-300mm lenses are the longest that can capture near-to-far compositions with non-planar objects, and require a combination of movements and stopping down. If the landscape is irregular (non-planar) then there is often no choice but to stop down quite a bit, even with movements. There is no getting around this.
- My 450mm lens can only capture near-to-far compositions with planar subjects, otherwise "near" must be farther away (perhaps 10+ yards from the camera). The 450 is also useful to close-ups of planar objects (such as Indian petroglyphs).
- My 600mm lens is used solely for distant objects.
Longer lenses on 4x5 are going to pose depth-of-field challenges, and all you can do is tailor your compositions so that movements can be used as much as possible, thereby minimizing the need for stopping down. To me, using a shorter lens with an otherwise overly large angle-of-view just to avoid stopping down is artificial, and can only hinder your compositions in the long run.
Jack Dykinga routinely stops down his lenses as much as the light permits, in order to achieve the most depth-of-field possible; he is more preoccupied with getting the shot in focus rather than minimizing diffraction.
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