For 4x5 & 8x10 is there a longer lens than 300mm that does not cost a mint?

[ataim]

I’m going to Yosemite in July and would like to take along a longer lens. For my 4x5 I have a 90, 150 and a 300. Only the 300 is used on my 8x10. I’d like a longer lens for the 8x10 that could also be used on the 4x5. Any suggestions?

[Jim Galli]

Check out the Fuji 450C. Incredible lens!

[Bob McCarthy]

Hi Paul,

New/modern = $$

Maybe something like a 19 inch (just under 500mm) Artar. Likely half the $$'s of a modern.

Glass is fantastic, old shutters work fine given a proper CLA.

That was my solution. In the moderns, I'm fond of the 450 Nikon, wish I never sold mine.

bob

[cdholden]

Longer glass is even cheaper if you don't need a shutter. If you can use just the caps as a shutter, or maybe a front mount Packard, the barrel lenses are much more affordable.

[Kevin Crisp]

Single element protar.

[Ken Lee]

Consider a Sinar Copal Shutter, which is a one-time expense. After that, all manner of barrel-mounted lenses can be used: modern and vintage, short and long. They are generally cheaper than their shutter-mounted equivalents.

For example, my 360mm APO Nikkor is deadly sharp, as good or better than my 300mm Fujinon A for example. My 210mm Macro Sinaron is the sharpest lens I've tested, even at infinity. Neither are mounted in a shutter. The 610mm APO Nikkor is also impressive, and I got mine - new in box - for around $250 if my memory is correct.

There are plenty of APO Ronars, Nikkors, and other barrel-mounted lenses longer than 300mm.

[Peter Yeti]

The APO-Ronars are long and often quite affordable. Though designed for 1:1 repro work, they perform fine at infinity as well.

I think one can also remove the rear element of a Symmar to double focal length (and roughly f-stop). I never tested this myself but read about this several times.

Peter

[rdenney]

I think one can also remove the rear element of a Symmar to double focal length (and roughly f-stop). I never tested this myself but read about this several times.

The Symmar previous to the Symmar-S is commonly known as the Symmar Convertible. Removing the front cell turns the rear cell into a much longer lens (about 1.75 times as long). I guess the longest I've seen that is commonly available is the 210/370, but the 300/500 comes up from time to time. The shutters that came with these had two aperture scales (the rear cell alone is an f/12 lens), and there is a bit of a focus shift so you have to check the focus stopped down. But it is a cheap way to get a long lens.

Rick "who has a 180/315 Symmar Convertible" Denney

[Peter Yeti]

Rick,

Thanks a lot for the correction. I love to learn and unfortunately don't have an old symmar to try it myself. Can you still do it with the later symmar-S?

Peter

[rdenney]

Thanks a lot for the correction. I love to learn and unfortunately don't have an old symmar to try it myself. Can you still do it with the later symmar-S?

Theoretically not. They optimized that lens for better infinity performance and gave up some of its symmetry. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth trying.

Rick "noting that f/32 solves a lot of problems except diffraction" Denney