For head and shoulders, I figure between 360 and 480 should be OK? What do you use?
For head and shoulders, I figure between 360 and 480 should be OK? What do you use?
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
10 3/4" because I've got a nice Cooke Series IIA in that focal length and it seems right to me. A 300mm Heliar would also be good. Obviously I'm not thinking as "long" as you. Choose your lens and make it work to fit your own vision. The only rules are the ones that work for you.
Richard, when the format size approaches the same size as a human head, traditional rules break down. In the days of 8X10 studio photography it was rare for a guy to use anything longer than 18" with 14" being the rule for 8X10 and 10 3/4 like Will suggests or 12" being fine for whole plate. A 14" Heliar would be a fine choice. A 12 3/4" Cooke Portrellic, even better. What size is the lens board on your outfit? How sturdy is the front standard?
I was actually thinking about that just yesterday. I'm likely to grab a 300.
Sinar 5.5" square boards; standard is sturdy - Hiromi tells me it could in fact hold the 10 lb, 42 cm Heliar...Originally Posted by Jim Galli
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
A Sinar lensboard would not fit the flange however. You will either have to have the lensboard threaded, have a special flange made for it, or (shudder) trim original flange. Historically, 14" to 16" Petzvals were used with whole plate.
"Richard, when the format size approaches the same size as a human head, traditional rules break down".
That's why we don't see 600mm or 1000mm as the typical length for 8x10 portraits.
I used my 450 Fujinon C (which has very nice blur incidentally), and found it pretty long. In 35mm terms, it would be a 75mm "portrait" length.
I mounted a 360 Heliar on a Sinar board, and used it with a Sinar shutter. It required a spacer ring around 1/4 inch thick, so that the rear of the lens stayed clear of the shutter. I sold the lens, but it worked nicely.
Re: What FL for portraits with WP?
I used my 270 mm Crown Anastigmat and my 355 G-Claron during a workshop. When I first started WP, I tried my Fujinon-SF 250 mm with a friend of mine. I didn't have any problems with any of them. On 8x10, I used a 19" APO Artar (485 mm) as a portrait lens and it worked very well.
I've got a rebadged Wollensak Vesta (marked Seneca Whole Plate Portrait) that I use with Whole Plate which is around a 12" lens.
I differ on this. Focal length is the distance from the lens to the film, and as you focus closer with a view camera, you run the extension out, so the focal length becomes functionally longer. Your 450mm lens with, say, 600mm of extension is functioning as a 600mm lens. This happens to a much lesser degree with 35mm lenses that focus with moving internal elements.
And a 600mm 8x10 lens would be about a 100mm 35mm lens. Nikon's favored portrait lens was a 105mm.
"I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."
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