5X7 Camera and lenses

[Donald Miller]

I am strongly thinking about moving into 5X7 exclusively and getting out of 4X5, 8X10, and 12X20 formats. I have been looking to the Canham Woodfield. It appears that in new field cameras my choices are Canham, Wisner, and Ebony. I prefer to stay away from Wisner because of all of the horror stories and Ebony, while nice, is a bit pricey for me. Is the Canham a good camera? What shortcomings does it have?

I have a 210 Schneider F 5.6 Symmar and I believe that it will cover 5X7, I know that my 450 Nikor M will cover. I am looking at the 305 G Claron as a third lens and my lack, as I see it, is in the 120-150 mm range. At first thought the 120 seemed reasonable...but then I rarely use my 90 SA with my 4X5 so am I getting the same effect at 120 with 5X7? What lens would be more near my 120 Apo Symmar on 4X5 as far as aspect ratio in 5X7? Any recommendations in that focal length?

Thanks for your help.

[steve simmons]

Try something in the 150mm range.

On the View Camera site in the free artiles section there is an article on 5x7 cameras.

www.viewcamera.com

steve simmons

[Francis Abad]

Might I suggest the 120 Super Angulon or the 150 Super Symmar HM. I am sure good deals abound.

I am curious as to why you are considering 5x7 out of the 4 formats. I would have thought 8x10 would be the winner of the 4 - very nice contact print size (no need to use a cutter) and still usable on many enlargers.

[Eric Woodbury]

I use a 45 metal Canham and like it. A friend had both the metal and wood 57 Canham and after using the cameras for a while liked the wood the best. I use a Deardorff for 57 and it is a good camera and you might consider it as there are many around.

With the 57, the choice of lenses is huge. I use lenses from the 72XL SA to the 800 T Nikkor. In the range you asked about, I have a Super Symmar xl 110mm. Very nice. Will cover 810 in a pinch. I had a 121 SA, an older lens that is very good. There are many of these and not very expensive compared to new glass. I also use a 150mm sironar-W. That lens is no longer made. Too bad. Next lens up for me is the 210mm. For 300mm I always recommend the Fuji C.

HOpe this helps.

[wfwhitaker]

5x7 is a great format. You'll find it's not nearly so cumbersome to carry about as an 8x10, yet it offers almost twice the negative area as 4x5. 5x7 is a good size for contact printing and 5x7 enlargers are not hard to come by. They generally fit into most folks' darkrooms much more easily than 8x10 enlargers.

Regarding the Canham wooden 5x7, I had one in the past and think it's a terrific camera. They're maybe a little bit twiddly as far as opening and closing, but with practice, you will adapt. I recommend the camera wholeheartedly; I only sold mine because I needed the money at the time. It's been one of those sales I've always somewhat regretted.

A 5x7 offers the possibility of not only 5x7, but 4x5 with a reducing back. The Canham wooden camera is constructed so that it's easy to adapt a Graflok back using simple wood tools. I did, and it worked great. You'll find that many, if not most 4x5 lenses work well with 5x7, so they can get double-duty.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Yes, the 120mm with 5x7 will be a similar view to than of a 90mm in 4x5. As for medium wide 150mm lenses you don't have a lot of choice. The discontinued 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-W or Schneider SS HM are both good choices for fieldwork, with 260mm of image, and are (especially the Rodenstock) pretty compact, and are multi-coated. The 150mm G-Claron (and also the Kowa) works very well, and covers nicely, I think about 275mm, but isn't, in my experience, as sharp as the above and is single coated. For a larger coverage you can go either for older lenses (6.5" WA Dagor, 165mm Angulon, etc) which have great coverage, are very small, but are single (or un)coated, and are not as sharp as either the G-Claron, Sironar-W or the HM. Finally there are the big lenses: Nikon 150mm SW, 165mm Super Angulon, 155mm Grandagon: these are REALLY big, and have massive coverage. There is also the 150mm Super-Symmar XL, which is a great lens, but takes massive filters. I use the 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-W, and am very satisfied.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Don,

I also prefer a semi-wide lens on most formats. On 4x5, that is the 110mm Super Symmar XL. On 5x7, I like something in the 150mm range. Although the little 150mm APO-Sironar-S, covers 5x7, it doesn't leave much left over for movements. The two lenses I always recommend in this focal length for 5x7 are a pair of discontinued 80 degree lenses - the 150mm APO-Sironar-W and the 150mm Super Symmar HM. While the Super Symmar HM is more common on the used market, the APO Sironar-W is my personal preference as it's quite a bit smaller and lighter. This same lens was also sold as the APO Sironar (no -W suffix) and by Sinar as the Sinaron WS.

You can read more about this lens at this thread:

http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/497232.html

Kerry

[Ben Calwell]

Don,

I'm glad to hear you're going to 5x7. I've been shooting 5x7 for a few years now and only make contact prints from my negs. In my opinion, a well executed 5x7 contact print is a thing to behold. My only lens is an old Schneider 180mm lens, which I think is a terrific focal length for this format. I shoot with an old Linhof Tech III. It's a little heavy for me, but it feels solid and precise. Wouldn't mind having a Canham, though. Welcome to the 5x7 club.

[Donald Miller]

Thank you everyone for your input and direction. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

[clay harmon]

Don:

I started with a 5x7, and probably the most used lens on that camera still is the Symmar XL 110mm. It is by far the sharpest and best lens I own. It seems to be about like a 28mm focal length in 35mm terms. My next most used lens is a 240 gold dot dagor. This focal length is just ever-so-slightly longer than normal, and is great for environmental portraits or closeups. Just my two cents worth.