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Thread: 90mm lens

  1. #1

    90mm lens

    If I am prepared to carry the extra weight is it worth getting a faster 90mm or am I better with F8 ? I am looking for a lens to use with Wista RF (fresnel screen) for landscape and I want very sharp results with a good colour balance.

    For each of these which would you choose out of Nikkor, Schneider, Fuji ?

  2. #2
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    2,960

    90mm lens

    Joel,

    I can't speak about the other manufacturer's products, but I do have a 90mm f/4.5 Rodenstock Grandagon N that I like a lot. The colors look good, and it is plenty sharp. I use it on a monorail camera. I don't know if the rear element will fit into the front of your Wista, since it is quite big. Try before you buy one of the big 90s from any of the manufacturers to make sure it fits. It might also make your camera feel pretty front heavy. The big Grandagon N just barely fits into the front of my Crown Graphic (it rubs on the way in), and it makes things quite front heavy.

    If you decide to go with one of the lenses with a slower max aperture, then I would recommend that you consider the Nikkor 90mm f/8. This is the only one of the bunch that I am aware of that gives you an image circle comparable to that offered by all of the other big versions, except for the Schneider Super Angulon XL (which has the largest circle). I can't speak to its color balance, but many photographers who carry their lenses into the field swear by this lens, including John Sexton (for whom color balance matters little).

    I am sure you will get a lot of other responses with direct comparisons between lenses. I hope this helps.

  3. #3
    Octogenarian
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Frisco, Texas
    Posts
    3,532

    90mm lens

    Hi Joel,

    For the Wista RF, I would use an f8 90mm lens because of its lighter weight and smaller sized design. As you know, the faster 90's are larger sized heavier weight lenses. They also take large sized filters. For outdoor work, there is very little advantage to having the speed increase of a faster lens. An f8 90 will allow ample brightness for focusing most of the time.

    The lens I would choose is the f8 Nikkor 90SW. It has an image circle of 235mm. and good used ones are readily available if you search around.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Loganville , GA
    Posts
    14,409

    90mm lens

    There is no problem mounting a 90mm 4.5 Grandagon-n on any camera using a Linhof Technika board like the Wista.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    9,487

    90mm lens

    I'd be interesting in hearing why a faster lens would somehow have a better color balance than a slower lens. If anyone told you that that are full of it. The faster, larger lenses have more coverage, which is helpful for architecture - but for most landscape work you'll be fine with the slower, more compact versions. You might consider getting a dedicated center filter down the road, to see if it makes a difference to you (especially with skies.)

    Rodenstock 90/6.8 Grandagons are somewhat brighter than the Schneider and Nikkor 90/8s; and they are all in the same price range. 67mm filter size, Copal 0 shutter. I think any of the three top brands would suit your needs fine.

  6. #6
    Beverly Hills, California
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
    Location
    Beverly Hills, CA
    Posts
    1,108

    90mm lens

    I use the Nikon 90mm f8. Extremely sharp. Large image circle for 5x7 use and 4x5 architecture.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Tonopah, Nevada, USA
    Posts
    6,334

    90mm lens

    Joel, I have Grandagon 4.5, Grandagon 6.8 and a tiny Congo. The only possible strike against the 4.5 is it's weight. Other than that It's a pleasure to have the bright screen and I think it's the sharpest of the 3. Not sure why it wasn't in your list. It's actually the Caltar version which made it a better bargain yet.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Posts
    1,905

    90mm lens

    Color balance and image circle size are not related. Any moderns lens - made in the last 20 or so years - will be fine for color work

    With whatever lens I selected I would get a brighter screen - from Beattie, Bromwell, or Linhof. This will brighten the image from any lens by about 2 stops.

    steve simmons www.viewcamera.com

  9. #9

    90mm lens

    I use the 90/8 Nikkor SW, too, after reading Kerry Thalmann's reviews (http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/). I was initially concerned that it would be too dark and difficult to focus, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to use. I do have a fresnel screen.

    I really like the lens. The image circle is large, larger than you'll ever need for landscapes, and it is incredibly sharp. Compared to a 90 with a larger maximum aperture, it is lightweight. It's a great choice for a landscape lens.

  10. #10
    Michael Hewson
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Ferny Grove, Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    31

    90mm lens

    G'day I use the Nikon SW90 on my Wista field 4*5 - and I think it perfect for the job - lightweight, sharp and so I concur with others.

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