minimum focal length wide angle lens

[Herb Cunningham]

I have a wisner 4x5 tech field and will soon have a Pocket expedition 5x7-

Does anyone have experience (not opinion, now, just experience) as to what is the minimum focal length of a wide angle lens that can be used on either or both of these cameras with or without a bag bellows, AND without obvious optical distortion?

I tried my Nikon SW 90mm f4.5 on the 4x5, and it is close, unless you do the tilt the front back while holding the lens panel vertical and then reset using the geared rear tilt. I was able to get it to work, but being new to wide angle in lf I suspect it may be lack of expertise on my part.

[ronald moravec]

With a zone VI, you have to do the tilt thing too. The bag bellows allows much more movement which is why I bought a 4x5.

[Jeff Moore]

I have a Wisner 4x5 Expedition and I regularly use a Schneider Super-Angulon XL 58mm-f5.6 without too much difficulty. With the regular bellows this combo allows tilt and swing movements satisfactory for most of my shots (landscape). If more movement is necessary I use the bag bellows. Of course, it is necessary to tilt the lensboard back as you described in your post.

[Mark Sawyer]

The widest angle lens I know of for a 5x7 is the 60mm Goerz Hypergon, if you can find one... A recessed lensboard may help you put a shorter lens on either camera and might save you the trouble of a bag bellows, which would likely be too short for your other lenses.

- Mark