Portrait lens for 4x5

[rince]

Hi,

I am sorry for testing your patience with another newbie question. I just got my first 4x5 camera a few weeks back and I bought a 150mm lens with it, which is great and makes me really happy most of the time. One of my favorite things to photograph though are portraits and for a tight headshot I feel my Nikkor lens might be a little on the short side. Is there a lens that you can recommend that does not break the bank and makes for a decent portrait lens and which focal length might be a good starting point?

Thanks for your opinions
Dennis

[BrianShaw]

One of my favorite things to photograph though are portraits and for a tight headshot I feel my Nikkor lens might be a little on the short side. Is there a lens that you can recommend that does not break the bank and makes for a decent portrait lens and which focal length might be a good starting point?

I'm sure that you'll get a lot of advise, and maybe lots of differing opinion. For all but environmental portraiture I find the 135 or 150 mm lens to be too short. Something more like 210 works better for me. My favorite is a 250mm soft focus lens. For real tight head shots I like a 300. I suppose "break the bank" is a very individual criteria, but there are many viable options htat won't run more than $200 or so.

[Simon Liddiard]

I'm looking forward to seeing what people recommend too, although I suspect every answer will be different. That is part of the fun with photography I think - experimentation!

It was my impression that 210mm would be about right for head and shoulders portraits on 4x5, considering that 150mm is considered a normal lens. This roughly equates to 35mm, where 50mm is normal and 85mm - 110mm are considered optimal for portraits.

One thing I'm interested in learning more about is Petzval lenses. There are several branded and unbranded ones on ebay but I need to know more about them before considering a purchase.

Happy hunting Rince

Simon

[Two23]

One thing I'm interested in learning more about is Petzval lenses. There are several branded and unbranded ones on ebay but I need to know more about them before considering a purchase.



Simon

Keep in mind these lenses don't have shutters. You use ND filters to eat up exposure, then use either a black hat or black glove as your "shutter." I usually try for a 1 second exposure to make it easier.


Kent in SD

[rdenney]

How much is a little? There are substantial groupings of lenses of all types at around 210mm (which is "normal" on 5x7), 240-250, and 300 (which is "normal" on 8x10). There are tessar designs that are nice for portraits (8-1/2" Ilex Paragon, 240mm Rodenstock Ysarex labeled as a Caltar Type Y, and Ilex-Caltar 12", to name three examples in my collection), and plasmat designs that are uniformly sharp by the modern Big Four (Rodenstock, Schneider, Fujinon, and Nikkor) at all these focal lengths. If you like the rendering of the Nikkor, stick with a plasmat. If you want something with a little more vintage look, go with a tessar design. There are so many options at these focal lengths that it's hard to be specific without just spouting One Man's Opinion.

Rick "IMHO" Denney

[Alan Gales]

If you are not looking for a soft focus lens, how about a 12" Kodak Commercial Ektar? It would be about a 305mm. Yousuf Karsh used a 14" Commercial Ektar on his 8x10.

[BrianShaw]

If you are not looking for a soft focus lens, how about a 12" Kodak Commercial Ektar? It would be about a 305mm. Yousuf Karsh used a 14" Commercial Ektar on his 8x10.

That's a great suggestion. My recent portraiture efforts have been done with 12" Commercial Ektar on 4x5.

[Ari]

I'll use anything for a "portrait lens", as short as 90mm or 115mm, but I usually go to a 210.
I like the 150 also, don't sell it short; it requires less bellows when shooting close-in, and it gives an excellent perspective from farther back as well.

[Bill_1856]

10" Tele Raptar (same as Tele Optar). Don't be put off by it being a mild telephoto design, it's great for portraits. It's small, fast (f:5.6), sharp, coated, in
Wollensak shutter, and takes 55mm screw-in filters. Between $100-$200.

[jnantz]

hi dennis

if you want a nice inexpensive lens that is great for portraits bill's suggestion is a good one !

10" Tele Raptar (same as Tele Optar). Don't be put off by it being a mild telephoto design, it's great for portraits. It's small, fast (f:5.6), sharp, coated, in
Wollensak shutter, and takes 55mm screw-in filters. Between $100-$200.

have fun !
john