4x5 lenses

[Csholl]

I'm just getting into 4x5 again. Right now I have a 108mm Wollensak lens, my only lens. I'm looking into future lenses and from what I see Fujinon and Schneider seem to be rated the best. Next lens I'm thinking about is a 150mm, if possible. My Wollensak seems sharp stopped down, but I do notice some softness to a lot not stopped down. Contrast is sort of monotone, not sure if that's as it should be. Fujinon seems like a great lens, but Schneider and Rodenstock are certainly all great too. Fujinon is a newer lens, however, although I do like the German ones. For black and white, is a 150mm Fujinon just as good as Schneider or the other, or maybe even better - any opinions?

[Vaughn]

150mm/f5.6 lenses are common and not very expensive. The love of German glass seemed to keep the prices of the Fuji glass down for awhile (and a lack of North American distribution), but they are fine lenses. I own several in the W series for different formats (180mm to 360mm).

So starting out with 4x5, any of the 150mm/5.6 plasmats will do. Often quite reasonable are the Caltar IIN (re-branded Rodenstock)...I used a 150/5.6 for years with 4x5.

Buy a couple -- a spare shutter would be nice to have.

[Conrad . Marvin]

All are used lenses now, so make sure that the shutter is working properly and that the glass has no haze, scratches or separation in the elements.
Then if you buy any of the big four, you will have an excellent lens to start your adventure. (Fujinon, Nikon, Schneider,Rodenstock in any order) I have a Caltar llN which has just been pointed out to be Rodenstock, it is fabulous.
Good luck and enjoy!

[xkaes]

I'd worry less about the brand name, and find a lens that meets your needs -- that will be hard enough to figure out. Even then you'll have choices to make. Fuji alone made almost a dozen 150mm large format lenses -- with different features & prices:

http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/

[Joel Kitchens]

Hello Csholl,
Others have made some good suggestions so far. I will just say I have been a Nikon fan for quite a few years now. The M Series is a fine group of long lenses. I have the 300mm f/9 and the 450 f/9. Although the 450 is a beast, the 300mm is compact, lightweight, uses 52mm (reasonably priced) filters, and is absolutely tack sharp.

Some things you need to consider (and xkaes alluded to) are: the camera you have, what kind of movements you anticipate using (dependent largely on your choice of subjects: architecture? landscape? etc.), and what you might want to be shooting a few years from now. The Nikon 300 M will cover 8x10, so it has pretty generous movements for a 4x5. My other favorite lens is the Nikon 210mm f/5.6 W. It is a little bigger and heavier, but still sharp, and covers 5x7; again plenty of movements for a 4x5 camera. Another consideration is whether you are shooting b&w, or color, or something like alternative process. Some folks like the modern multi-coated lenses, while others go for the antique brass vibe. Your call.

I hope this helps!

[Joseph Kashi]

I'm just getting into 4x5 again. Right now I have a 108mm Wollensak lens, my only lens. I'm looking into future lenses and from what I see Fujinon and Schneider seem to be rated the best. Next lens I'm thinking about is a 150mm, if possible. My Wollensak seems sharp stopped down, but I do notice some softness to a lot not stopped down. Contrast is sort of monotone, not sure if that's as it should be. Fujinon seems like a great lens, but Schneider and Rodenstock are certainly all great too. Fujinon is a newer lens, however, although I do like the German ones. For black and white, is a 150mm Fujinon just as good as Schneider or the other, or maybe even better - any opinions?

From personal experience - I have two Fujinon 150/5.6 NW multicoated Plasmat-style lenses. Both are exceptionally sharp and contrasty with zero observable defects. This lens covers 5x7 with room for movements, so using it on a 4x5 will not be any problem.

As others have noted, nearly any modern 150mm Plasmat-pattern lens from one of the four major manufacturers, Nikon, Fujinon, Rodenstock, and Schneider, will be an excellent lens. All of these lenses were made for the demanding professional market in the era of computer-design and multicoating. All are capable for professional results when used correctly.

That said, the Fujinon NW and CM-W lenses ( multicoated and identified by the writing on the outside of the lens barrel rather than the older inside-ring writing lenses) tend to be less expensive compared to comparable German-made lenses. That's supposedly because Fujinon was not as well known in the US as the company lacked a consistent US distributor. Another factor is that the deservedly-high early reputation for German lenses tended to carry over beyond the long-past time when the German lenses really were demonstrably superior technically to LF lenses from Nikon and Fujinon. I'm not trying to start a fan-boy flame war, only noting that all of the four major LF lens manufacturers made comparably high-quality products. YMMV depending upon your use and technique.

Another positive factor favoring Fujinon lenses is that the cpmpany seems to have consistently high quality control, resulting in a very high likelihood that the lens left the factory without major faults.

Of course, nearly all LF lenses are used at this time and so the condition of the lens and shutter will be of utmost importance. If the lens has been dropped, badly scratched when cleaning it, or otherwise knocked about or if the shutter not taken care of, nor cleaned and adjusted periodically, etc., then even the best lens will probably not retain the high quality and reliability that it had when first shipped from the factory.

Some older lenses are capable of producing results just as good as more modern multicoated optics, if perhaps having a different character, but that's a separate, sometimes contentious discussion that you can read about here on the LF Forum at your leisure.

There are numerous well-regarded older optics. Some prominent ones that come readily to mind include Kodak Commercial, 203/7.7, and Wide-Field Ektars, a great many Tessar-pattern lenses by various makers, some symmetrical lenses such as the Zeiss or B+L or Ross Protar VIIa sets, Heliars, and various Dagors and Red Dot Artars made by Goerz American Optical Company, Some of these iconic older lenses are hard to find and often more expensive than modern lenses, making the modern lenses usually a better and more reliable purchase. Of course, this list is only a minimal start, not anything comprehensive.