Lens Recommendation for a Handheld 4x5 Camera

[Hugo Zhang]

Well, it's been over 10 years since I last used a 45 camera. Now I am going to get my hands on a new toy, a handheld 45 camera, in a few weeks. I have to choose a lens for it and I will use the camera mostly for portrait in natural light. The factory recommeds that my lens choice should be in 120mm-150mm range with f/5.6 for easy focusing and the lens should not be super heavy.

So I would like to have some ideas as I have no experiences in handheld 45 cameras.

Thanks,
Hugo

[GPS]

135/5,6 Apo Sironar S.

[Jack Dahlgren]

If you are using a modern lens I'd go with the 135mm Sironar N as it is smaller, lighter, cheaper and on a handheld camera you don't need the larger image circle given by the Sironar S. If you are going handheld you should endeavor to keep things as light as possible.

Of course there are probably older lenses (tessars) which could be lighter yet.

[IanG]

I use an early 1950's 150mm T f4.5 Tessar (T = coated) on my Crown Graphic and while it's a superb lens at f22 a Sironar or Symmar would give better edge/corner sharpness at f11/f16. The Tessar's no lighter.

Another option (I've used) is the late production f5.6 150mm Xenar this is a much smaller & lighter lens but again it needs f22 for optimum sharpness across the frame and the image circle allows little movements.

So I'd go for a Sironar/Symmar - 135mm or 150mm as suggested above

Ian

[Hugo Zhang]

150mm Heliar will be too heavy for it? As I mentioned earlier, I will shoot mostly portraiture in black and white and would consider some older lenses with interesting characters.

[GPS]

If you are using a modern lens I'd go with the 135mm Sironar N as it is smaller, lighter, cheaper and on a handheld camera you don't need the larger image circle given by the Sironar S. If you are going handheld you should endeavor to keep things as light as possible.

Of course there are probably older lenses (tessars) which could be lighter yet.

The fact that the Sironar S has a larger image circle is exactly the reason I would choose it for - given the larger image circle, the lens will have a better resolution at 5,6 aperture on the edges of 4x5 than the smaller image circle Sironar N.
And the 5.6 aperture is often useful in handheld cameras.

[GPS]

150mm Heliar will be too heavy for it? As I mentioned earlier, I will shoot mostly portraiture in black and white and would consider some older lenses with interesting characters.

Heavy is not an disadvantage for 4x5 hand held cameras (up to a point) because they are often less shaky in hands than lighter cameras.
150mm lens is not as easy to hand hold as the shorter focal lens though...

[IanG]

150mm Heliar will be too heavy for it? As I mentioned earlier, I will shoot mostly portraiture in black and white and would consider some older lenses with interesting characters.

A Tessar would be great for portraits, or an earlier f4.7/f4.5 Xenar.

Ian

[David de Gruyl]

Unlike, apparently, everyone else, I like the Nikkor-W 135/5.6. It looks like a modern lens, though.

How are you focusing?

[Hugo Zhang]

Unlike, apparently, everyone else, I like the Nikkor-W 135/5.6. It looks like a modern lens, though.

How are you focusing?

Something like this.