Fujinon 65mm SWD at one time was my favorite lens and I tended to work much closer to the subjects. I have had a hatred of all my 90mm lenses due to bad shutters or other problems within the lenses. I tend to use 135mm most of the time for 4x5. - A 75mm SA might be a good alternative to a 65. And with the 65 or 75 you will likely want to find a center filter, vs a 90 or larger you can generally get away without it.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I have the MT 2000 with its design changes intended to facilitate use of wide lenses, and as well my 90mm and 75mm lenses were on Linhof recessed lensboards. However, like Joel, I was also frustrated when trying to use the 75mm lens with that camera. I have better luck with the 90mm lens, but a couple of times over the years I've ended up with some of the focusing bed in front of the lens memorialized in my negative (aargh, my operator error).Originally Posted by Joel Kitchens
In his post #2 of this thread darr mentioned his Ebony RSW camera which is designed specifically for using wide and ultra-wide lenses. After my frustrations with the MT 2000 (which camera I really like for 90mm and longer lenses) I decided to purchase a camera specialized for using wide angle lenses; in my case it was a Nagaoka Woody Super Wide 4x5 that I purchased from Kumar through the For Sale section of this Forum.
With that camera the front standard is fixed (except for allowing a bit of rise or lower), and the focusing rails (which carry the rear standard and film holder) are always behind the front standard and allow you to precisely focus with any lens down to 58mm (and out to 150mm). Such specially designed cameras will make your life much easier when using lenses shorter than 90mm. One other difference from the MT is that the Nagaoka version I have uses 80mm square Horseman style lens boards (but I have a specialized adaptor version of a Linhof Technika style lens board that allows for inserting a lens within an 80mm Horseman board into the Linhof Techknika lens board adaptor for us on my Linhof MT 2000 or Master Kardan GTL studio camera (should I need to).
Another good option for using wide lenses was the Linhof Technikardan 45S (or a similar "rail" design camera like the Sinar, or others made by Horseman) that I had for a few years, but sold because I wasn't using it too much. My kit for the Nagaoka woody camera is very small and lightweight, so I think it was a good tradeoff for me so I will feel less inhibited about using lenses shorter than 90mm with 4x5 film.
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
im not sure about the 65mm Fujinon but I know the 65mm Schneider requires a center filter. The center filter new costs a few hundred dollars ( at least the B+W one I bought did ) and often times without a bag bellows and deeply recessed lens board might be difficult to use except on something like a speed graphic, I love mine and have a lot of fun with it. 90mm lenses I have had the pleasure of using have never required center filters, and often times depending on the make ( again, I can't speak about the Fujinon lineup ) can be scored for not tooo much money, the wee wollensak 3 1/2inch EXWA f12 comes in a weird little alphax shutter and stopped down covers a 5x7 sheet, and the 90mm raptars aren't to be messed with ...
... have fun!
John
I don't have a 65 but I do have a Fuji 75 SWD and Fuji 90 SWD (and SA90/8). I find they both serve very different purposes with the 90 more easy to work with and the 75 just gets that little bit extra. The 90 often isn't that much extra wide compared to the 125 I normally use.
To be honest, I'm curious about a 65 but I really take not enough photos to justify yet another lens.
Expert in non-working solutions.
The extra short, wide-angle lenses typically have longer flange focal lengths which helps avoid the need for a recessed board. I use a Fujinon 65mm f5.6 (FFL = 74mm) on a flat board. I have no problem focusing at infinity with my Toko cameras which collapses to 65mm.
Good to know.
I photograph buildings for my business and for fun with 4x5 Technikardan or digital. Most often I use a 90mm Grandagon or a longer lens for exterior images. I do use the 90mm for interior images but years ago obtained a 75mm Grandagon for interior images - to get a broader feeling of space. Both of these take 67mm filters. I once used a 58mm lens for an interior - it was very very wide. The wider the lens, the ability for movements decreases (although you need less movements as well) and the object distortion increases near the edges of the image. Good luck on your journey! Interior of GMC / Pontiac Dealership - 90mm, Entry to house 75mm, Sky and telephone pole - Kenmore 75mm, Clouds and light pole Kenmore Village Shopping Center - 75mm
I think everyone is on the right track. Movements are really more dictated by the camera than the lens in most cases that I have run across. Certainly get a bag bellows if that is an option for you. I wound up through circumstance of having both a 90/8 and 90 4.5 Rodenstock lenses at one point. I did find the 4.5 quite a bit more pleasurable to focus, given the brighter aperture. This could have been exacerbated by doing a lot of work at night, but it is something to consider as well. I have the 75mm 4.5 as well. Both lenses are stellar and in general I find very little need to go wider, but that is different for different individuals.
Here's an example of using a 65mm lens on a Horseman 45FA, with no center filter. At very bottom center you can see the front railbed - it was pretty hard to avoid it but I think I was able to after some practice. The 45FA is not the best choice for ultrawide 4x5 shooting.
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