Just one lens?

[john borrelli]

I have been a weekend 4X5 landscape photographer for several years and I own one lens; it is a 150mm Rodenstock Apo Sironar N lens I bought used from KEH for $400.00. I have bought used 240mm and 300mm lenses and returned them. The older 240mm was not sharp compared to the 150 and the viewfinder appeared too dim. The seeming loss of depth of field with the 300 compared to the 150 was disconcerting. The 300 was sharp but didn't have the three dimensional qualities of the 150. It seemed to compress the background and foreground together. Though I enjoy this effect with 35mm cameras I didn't with my 4x5. I haven't tried a wide angle lens as they tend to diminish objects in the background and that would mean making New England's small mountains seem even smaller. I eventually may upgrade to a Rodenstock 150mm Apo Sironar S, though I have returned a brand new one that didn't appear sharper than my much less expensive N version with the small amounts of movements I typically use. Incidentily, I have heard that Ansel Adams took many of his most iconic images with the equivalent of a 150mm lens for his 8x10 camera. All in all I like my one lens approach and I have been happy with the particular lens I own.

[David K.]

Lots of votes for the 110 Schnieder, but I have had the 120 SS HM since it first came out, and just love it.

The 120 Super Symmar is with me for life, and is the "one lens" for my classic Master Technika.

[Gordon Moat]

While I rarely shoot landscape, I have thought about the one lens issue. My return to large format a few years ago meant starting with one lens, so I got a 135mm f5.6. I tend to still use that for the majority of my work, though I sometimes like the greater coverage and slightly tighter composition from my 180mm f5.6. Since it is so easy to change a lens, and having at least one backup is a good idea, I don't see much reason to limit your gear to just one lens.

Another consideration is how close you want to get to your composition. If you want a tighter view without cropping, but you cannot get closer to the scene you want, then a longer focal length is the only solution. I would think this applies more to landscape, though the same idea can be used for other types of images.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

[John Berry]

If your only going to have one lens make it a 210. It will be the most versatile.

[Kirk Fry]

The only lens I owned for 10 years was a 210mm f5.6 Rodenstock Sironar. Made life much easier. I could look for pictures instead of lenses. K

[Mark Sawyer]

Just one lens? As a wise man once said...

"There's too many pretty women to love just one!"

Variety is the spice of life...

[archivue]

3 lens kit : 110XL + 150AS + 240AR
2 lens kit : 110XL + 150AS
1 lens only : 135S

for 8x10 i use a 240AS and a 360N... so the choice depends also on what's possible considering price, coverage...

[Kirk Gittings]

For many years, even after I was making my living shooting architecture for national magazines, I used only two lenses. For a long time that was all I could afford. But I continued with it, as It became a kind of trademark. They were a 210 and 90 Fujinon. By changing camera position I always seemed to be able to get what I wanted. I loved the simplicity of my vision then. There was a kind of discipline to it that I was proud of. That gave way over the years, now I carry 9--a 47, 65, 90, 120, 150, 210, 350, 450 and a macro. I can handle the diversity now and rarely make a change after initial lens selection, but when I was new it would have been confusing, slowing and a detriment to developing my eye. Does that make sense?

My single favorite lens of the group is the 120 Nikkor SW. It avoids that "wide angle" look but is a "roomy" angle of view and since the lens cover an 8x10, on my 4x5 I never have to worry about running out of movements. If I could only have one, that would be it. I like it so much that I replaced a perfectly serviceable one (which I bought new maybe 15 years ago) with a new one not too long ago because I wanted a new one while they were still available.

[E. von Hoegh]

If you were to have only one lens for 4x5 landscape photography, regardless of price, which one would it be?

I use a 9 1/2" Dagor almost exclusively on my 8x10,; this would be 120 on 4x5.
For some strange reason, I use an 8 1/4 on the 4x5. This is a bit long; I'm waiting for a 7" to pop up.

If I may I'd like to pass on a bit of advice I recieved when I first had the big cameras: Pick one lens and use it. When you go shooting, take that one lens only.Learn how it "sees". I did that for about a year, and I think I learned more than I ever would have had I carried a battery of lenses to choose from.

[irwinhh]

Interesting:
I can only comment from the context of what lenses I use.
I have multiple 35mm cameras and over the years many lenses from < 15mm to over 1000mm. I take 95% of my pictures with a 50mm the remainer with a 35mm or a 90mm.
I have an 8x10” I take the vast majority of my pictures with a 14" lens. A 12” lens is a normal for this camera.
I take a very few with a 10" lens and a very few with a 6" lens. I also have a 4 inch lens a really nice aspheric - I have only used it three or 4 times over 8 years.
I have an 11x14 inch camera and have only used a 19" lens on it. Very close to a normal lens.

Looks like I take most of my personal pictures with a normal or very slightly longer lens.
So using one lens would work for me in most cases.

For commercial work I suspect one would use a lot of different focal lengths.

Go figure?
Andy