Need some help with 120mm

[dalton]

I've been shooting 4x5 for about two years, mostly with a 150mm lens and occasionally a 210. I primarily shoot landscapes, in color.

I have been looking to add a wider lens to my kit, so I just bought a 90mm Fujinon SW. It looks like a great lens, but now I am starting to think that 90mm is too wide. 120mm would probably be a better fit.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good 120mm lens? There are tons of options and information for 90mm lenses but not as much for 120. I've been searching through the archives but I am getting different answers depending on the thread.

Something lightweight would be nice, and sharp is a must. I plan on eventually blowing these images up to 40x50 some day if I can. I don't need a ton of movements but some rise, fall and tilt would be useful. My budget is somewhere around $400 although I could go a bit higher if I had to.

Right now the two lenses at KEH that seem like they might fit my needs are the 120 F5.6 Symmar-S and the 120 APO Symmar. I'm having trouble digging up specific information about either. Can anyone help?

By the way, a link to a few photos just to give an idea of the kind of things I like to shoot:
http://daltonrooney.com/photographs/tibidabo/

Thanks for any advice you might have.
Dalton

[Gem Singer]

Nikon/Nikkor f8 120SW.

Keh has one listed on their website.

Large lens. Mounted in a Copal 0 shutter. Weighs 1.34 lbs. Takes a 77mm screw-in filter, but will cover 8x10, if necessary.

Great lens.

[J. Gilbert Plantinga]

What Gem says. But if you could swing more $$ the Super Symmar 110 would really rock. Your work is really worth it, and it looks like your on your way with Humble Arts, Daniel Cooney et al.

[Warren Clark]

Hi Dalton,

I have used a Schneider 120/5.6 SS HM for several years and it is a great
lens-- also occasionally use a Schneider 120 Apo Symmar for light weight
but less coverage. I use the 110 XL mostly for 5x7 but would be excellent
for 4x5.

Good shooting

Warren Clark
Ft Collins, Colo.

[healyzh]

I'm curious, how would a Schneider Super-Angulon 8/121mm rate in this area?

[John Bowen]

Ansel used a Schneider Super Angulon 121/f8......'nuff said. The "updated" version is a 120/f8.

[dalton]

Gem, I've heard good things about the Nikkor (and my other two lenses are Nikkor), but isn't that lens quite big? I spend a lot of time on my feet, I am hoping to find something a bit more backpack friendly.

Gilbert - thanks for the nice words. I think the 110 XL is out of my budget for the near future, but it's something to look forward to!

The Schneider 120/5.6 SS HM & the Super Angulon 120/f8 both sound like contenders. I need to do some more research on the weight and coverage of those lenses.

Warren - when you say that the APO Symmar has less coverage, can you give me a practical example? I do not shoot with any extreme tilt, shifts, rise, etc, but I would like a little flexibility.

I just found Kerry Thalman's remarks on this page about the 120 Super Symmar. That sounds like a nice balance of what I'm looking for. Does anyone know what $ those usually go for and if they ever come up for sale?

Thanks for the info so far.

Dalton

[dalton]

I just came across a reference to the Fujinon 125mm CM-W, which is also supposed to be reasonably light. Unfortunately I don't see that one for sale anywhere either.

[Sanjay Sen]

Hi Dalton,

I have a Nikkor-SW 120/8, and it is a big and fairly heavy lens. The Nikon LF lens catalog I have lists this lens at 21.5 oz (610 g).

Good luck with your search! Let us know what you settle on.


Best,
Sanjay

[Kirk Gittings]

Dalton. I am a huge fan of the Nikkor 120SW, but I don't care about size and weight. Check out this classic page by Kerry Thalman:

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/wide.htm