LF Lenses to choose

[Two23]

As everyone is saying, just start taking photos. The photos you can't take will tell you what you actually need. Myself, as a "general" photographer, I have them spread by roughly doubling focal length. I normally take 75/90/135/180/300mm. Note at the wide end I have lenses a little closer together, but originally I just had 90/180/300mm. From that I learned I tend to photo with wider lenses than longer ones and added a couple as I went.


Kent in SD

[John Kasaian]

I didn't use them much yet, 72XL is never used yet as the recessed lens holder has some issues i don't know why, 150 is like a general lens, but if i go for more dedicated such as still life close up or even portraits i don't know if 150mm is enough, what i want to say is that those two lenses are great but will they cover 100% of what i will image with great results?

There is a reason why 90s and 210s are some of the most commonly used lenses among 4x5 guys, and your 150 fits in smack dab in the middle of the pack. Just sayin'

[Professional]

Professional, It sounds like you would like a longer lens than your 72mm. I started with a 90mm before my 75mm lens. It does depend on what your visual goals are. The 72mm like my 75mm has a little bit more distortion - especially in the corners. for my business I have used my 90mm probably more often for building exteriors, and with some larger interior rooms etc. The 90mm is a nice lens for landscape images as well. The 72mm / 75mm lens allows exterior and interior images that the 90mm can't get wide enough for (rooms are often smaller than you think - and so are places to set up a tripod and get an exterior building view). If you want to keep on adding lenses a 55mm 58mm lens can get even wider images that the 72mm 75mm lens can't quite get. It goes the other was as well with longer lenses. Sometimes you need to set up across the road and use a longer lens. You also may want to set up a a distance from the subject and use a longer lens. Depending on the need for perspective corrections - the lens may need to have a larger image circle ( lens coverage). The larger the image circle the greater the corrections you can make. For instance taking an image of a tall building that is in front of you. if you want the vertical sides of the building vertical, that requires you to have a lot of rear and front movements. A large image circle of the lens allows for this correction. The 150mm is a great lens, I have a 135mm for quite a while, so I haven't purchased a 150mm lens. All said, it is a learning process, to get all of the elements done correctly. It takes practice, to set the camera up, expose the film so that you get what you want recorded, develop the film correctly, print the film correctly - and then see if what you printed is what you thought it would be. I have been doing this for a long time and I am very happy when an idea works out - they don't always work out.

Excllent post, straight points, so i don't have much to say.

Simply i want few more lenses that's all, 72XL is an excellent lens but not for everything, 150mm is another excellent lens but also not for everything, so i can't just pretend that i will image everything forever with two lenses even if i didn't use and test my setup, anyone will know we need more even a little kid will know that without testing, i tested only 150mm one time, from that one time only i saw the limitations or what i need more to do, t is either i used the lens wrong or the lens wasn't the right choice that positions, i don't need to image hundreds times to understand, i do image with digital for a while then i moved to medium format, so a large format is just same if i know the equivalent lenses focal length values, and for that digital or film 35mm/MF i also have several lenses from super wide to long telephoto, large format has movements which helps a lot beside the big size format, and i am not in rush to buy new lenses, but i prefer to buy them before i return back or use large format again so i have enough flexible choices than using two lenses and regret not having more or just give up quickly until i buy more first, and the time isn't in our side to spend long time to try first and decide, i was lucky to catch 72XL brand new on time, i was looking for to get 90XL also brand new that time but i couldn't afford on time and bad things happened in my life and i stopped photography, i decided by next year to return back to photography.

[Professional]

Well, given what you have a 105 or 110 and a 210 or 240 would give a good spacing.

No doubt they will, so will see what i get after all later, thank you

[Professional]

As everyone is saying, just start taking photos. The photos you can't take will tell you what you actually need. Myself, as a "general" photographer, I have them spread by roughly doubling focal length. I normally take 75/90/135/180/300mm. Note at the wide end I have lenses a little closer together, but originally I just had 90/180/300mm. From that I learned I tend to photo with wider lenses than longer ones and added a couple as I went.


Kent in SD

Can't compare myself to you, as we can't compare your setup of yours to mine or others, i might do things different or my approach is different, after all i can see you mentioned 5 lenses while i only have two, and almost the majority on this site also have more than 1 lens or even more than 2 even new comers, so all what i want to say is that until i would use those two lenses enough i want to know what next ones will be before i decide to buy, and i am trying to have a bigger gaps, so 72XL is like the widest side, 150mm can be in middle maybe, so i want to have one at the longer side, then if i can i might add few more like something between 72 and 150, and something between 150 and the longest i am having, so ending up with also 5 lenses as you.

[Professional]

There is a reason why 90s and 210s are some of the most commonly used lenses among 4x5 guys, and your 150 fits in smack dab in the middle of the pack. Just sayin'

150mm just came as a kit lens with the large format Shen Hao i bought, so i can consider it as a free lens and no reason to get rid of, you all can consider it as it is not exist by price i ordered, so it is like i bought 72XL as the alone lens, means i didn't spend a lot yet, i liked 72XL from many images i saw from others, nice enough like 90mm lenses, i wanted to add 90mm brand new that time in the past but i was late and things happened and i stopped photography and hence stopped buying gear, this year i saw more large format images that made me to remember the past and felt i really need to get back to photography once i fix my life situations and need to use film gear either large format and also medium format so i am back to enjoy it, and to keep myself busy and keep going is buy having more gear so i force myself to do more or use them, if i had only one lens most likely i will shoot for a while and feel regret i don't have another lenses and i will stop, and large format is always in my mind to do, just wasn't sure when, and definitely more lenses is the idea to push forward.

[jnantz]

Hi Professional

Great 2 lenses! The 72 is not really *that* much wider than a 90mm lens. Some may argue that I am completely insane but in the great scheme of things it's really pretty close.
Have a great new year!
John

[Gabe]

I have the 72 XL but use my 90mm a hell of a lot more. For landscapes the 72 is just too wide for my tastes most of the time, but for architectural interiors it can be a godsend. I also use my 150mm, 210mm and 300mm lenses frequently. My most recent addition is a 115mm, but thus far have used it only sparingly.

[Professional]

Hi Professional

Great 2 lenses! The 72 is not really *that* much wider than a 90mm lens. Some may argue that I am completely insane but in the great scheme of things it's really pretty close.
Have a great new year!
John

Don't worry John, i saw results of 72 and 90 and i decided on 72 on purpose, i am never regret of this lens, i just ask to add more, not to replace anything i have, i am afraid maybe people think i am sad and regret my lenses and i want to replace them, not the case at all, thank you.

Happy new year too!
Tareq

[Professional]

I have the 72 XL but use my 90mm a hell of a lot more. For landscapes the 72 is just too wide for my tastes most of the time, but for architectural interiors it can be a godsend. I also use my 150mm, 210mm and 300mm lenses frequently. My most recent addition is a 115mm, but thus far have used it only sparingly.

I bought 72XL for a purpose, and good you mentioned between 72 and 90, that is exactly the thing i know about even without using both, so i know when that 72 is the better choice and even sometimes i want to go wider than that, but another times that 72 or even 90mm are really too wide, and thus i wanted something in between 72 and 150mm, and another one longer than 150mm when that 150mm isn't enough reach or narrower FOV for use, you got the point.