Thoughts on 4x5 lenses (confessions of one who despises ‘normal lenses’).

[Diane Maher]

Just a point on 3 formats and 10 lenses. Do you not find that this hampers your seeing? there are many ways of shooting a given 'image' and if you have too many lenses I find this hinders my ability to really see and make the most of a scene on a given frame.

I usually pick a format to shoot on a given day; I shoot 5x12, 8x10 and 6.5x8.5. I find that any more than that takes a lot of logistics and trunk space. While I'm out, I use a frame cut to the appropriate format size to help with my lens choice by helping me to compose prior to setting up the camera. My lenses are generally geared toward the 8x10 and cover 5x12 too. However, I have tried to come up with a 'kit' of lenses which I try to keep separate for each format because I have found that I like them with one of the formats.

[ic-racer]

Since all mathematical descriptions of DOF and diffraction involve some assumptions about viewing distance and/or enlargement and/or viewers visual acuity, I should point out that I probably don't view photographs like the 'average' viewer.

Perhaps because of growing up with myopia (though I wear glasses) I tend to move in real close when viewing a good phograph (I take my glasses off). I love a photograph that really draws me in close to examine little detail. A popular example would be Ansel Adams "Golden Gate Before the Bridge" where I am drawn in to examine the detail of the tiny boats on the water.

Now that I have pointed it out, I think you can see how I tend to be more critical of these smaller F numbers.

Well, since this is a forum to discuss such artistic nightmares, I will share some bad experiences with diffraction.

As a young child I was quite the 'concrete thinker' much to my detriment. I has been told at an early age that the more you stop down your enlarger lens the sharper the picture. I went through a lot of mental anguish making blurry enlargements at F16 when I could see sharper grain at F2.8. When I did figure out to use my own eyes, rather than what someone tells me, I realized how foolish I was. This was a lesson well learned, not only in photography but as it applies to other facets of life.

Second, when I started shooting B&W reversal movie film in 2000 I had the best Switar lenses for my bolex, but those first few rolls shot in the sunlight were terrible. I knew the evils of diffraction but I guess I did not realize it would be that bad when projected. Mathematically I knew I shouldn't go much beyond F4, but why would a lens designer make a 5.5mm lens that stops down to f22? So, again I felt very stupid for wasting that film at f16, when I knew beforehand it probably would not come out sharp. (now that I have ND filters and holders etc, the sharpness of these tiny lenses really amazes me)

I think one of the contributing factors toward my Minox purchase was great respect for Walter Zapp as a designer, for not including an adjustable iris on the Minox.