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View Full Version : 135mm f/4.5 Tominon in Polaroid MP-4



pudentaineLf
20-Mar-2013, 23:55
I'm looking at one of these combos on ebay for $50, does anyone have an opinion...I'm a beginner to LF cameras and I just bought a navy surplus speed graphic that needs a front lens board and lens...do you think 1/125 is good enough speed for a beginner like me?
Thanks for any feedback, Thomas

DavyG
21-Mar-2013, 01:02
Well, that depends what you plan on shooting.
Landscapes and other inanimate things most probably wont require that fast speeds. But if you plan on making portraits (especially if the lens has flash-sync) or "street photography" 1/125 may be very useful. F/4,5 is rather fast for a LF lens too

Dan Fromm
21-Mar-2013, 04:52
Run away! Run away! Run away!

I've had three MP-4 135/4.5 Tominons. All were poor macro lenses and poor at distance. There are better tessar type lenses, if that's what you want, for general use.

Your Speed Graphic's focal plane shutter has speeds that run up to 1/1000. With a Speed Graphic you're not limited to using lenses in shutter, or the shutters lenses are in.

Michael Graves
21-Mar-2013, 05:18
I'm inclined to side with Dan on this one. I had a Tominon for a short while. A VERY short while. It didn't quite cover 4x5 at infinity, so the edges were always nasty. And the center, even stopped down to f22 was marginal at best. A 135 Optar can usually be found for around $100 (or less, if you watch). Better yet, a Xenar is usually just a hair on the top side of $100 and is a very nice lens. Either one is a superior option to the Tominon.