Recommended 135 or 150 for 4x5

[charlie jay]

Hi everyone,
I have been shooting large format for about a year now at university and have always used Schneider APO-Symmar 150mm's and the odd 90mm borrowed from the uni's store. After a chat with one of my lecturers, he let me borrow his Fujinon CM-W 135. I got on well with it and really liked the large image circle and overall quality of the lens.

I am in search of a lens similar to the Fuji and would be open to all opinions on 135's or 150's. I have everything in my kit apart from a lens and just want to round it off so i can be independent and don't have to rely on borrowing the uni's lenses!

Can anyone recommend either a 135 or 150 that isn't too expensive.. Don't really want to spend more than $400 on a second hand piece of glass but could stretch if i find something amazing. Everyone says go for the Sironar-S but they are really hard to come by and are often expensive.

What is everyone's thoughts?

Thanks,
Charlie

[goodfood]

I own a 150 Symmar over 25 years, Three years ago I bid a Fuji 135-W. I never go back to 150 again. This lens always stay with my camera. I like it. Not expensive in used market.

[catshaver]

Favorite and most often used in my kit: Wollensak 135 4.7 raptar. Got it in minty condition for $125. Had a brand new Rodenstock 150 5.6 APO Sironar S - sold it when I saw what the Raptar could do.

[Bill_1856]

This looks pretty yummy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Schneider-Kreuzn...item3cab072da9

[Eric Woodbury]

It comes down to what you like and what other lenses you have. For years I used 58, 121, 150, 210, etc. Then I sold the 121 and got a 110. Recently I bought Fuji glass and now use 58 (or 65), 110 (or 125), 180, 240, etc. This is fine for my work and it is much lighter to carry. When I switch to 5x7, it is 72, 110, 180, and up. 5x7 is harder to fit, altho my Sironar W on the 5x7 is one of my favorites.

[Robert Hughes]

Favorite and most often used in my kit: Wollensak 135 4.7 raptar. Got it in minty condition for $125.

Huh. I bought a Busch Pressman D with that same Wollie 135 Raptar for about $125. It works great!

[charlie jay]

Thanks for all the fast replies! Does anyone know what kind of coverage the Raptar has? I'll be using the lens for primarily Architecture/Landscape work

[Dan Fromm]

The Raptar is an f/4.5 tessar type, like all f/4.5 Tessars covers its own focal length plus around 10%. Useful lens on press cameras, don't mean to denigrate it, but not the best 135 for shooting architecture.

[Bill_1856]

For landscape the Raptar is all you could ask, for architecture it may be a little tight (which is why I suggested the Symmar on ebay).

[vinny]

135mm nikkor's can be had for about $200. Takes 52mm filters and really sharp @f16 too.