recommendations for cheap or inexspensive lenses around 200-240mm

[Imagowan]

Hi again,

So I have my Chamonix f1 4x5 and 150 mm nikkor lens, but would like another lens/es option. I am looking for something within 200-240mm. Open to dirt cheap options, but would be willing to spend up to 300.

Let me know your thoughts!

[Imagowan]

also any suggestions on cheap lenses 90-120mm

[Carsten Wolff]

If you're talking US, Canadian, or European currencies, you have quite a few options. S.A. Rand if you're lucky, Baht, Peso, or Yen: getting difficult.
almost all 200mm lenses are less than $300 these days. One of my favourites is the rather excellent Komura 210mm f6.3. Cheap moderate wides are some vintage wide angles: Angulon, WA Raptar, ExWa Velostigmat and WA Optar. But if you're lucky you can find cheap modern ones as well.

[Imagowan]

u.s. currency

[vinny]

just watch the for sale section.

[Imagowan]

For example here are many fairly priced lenses, my issue is I don't understand how to pick one, to know what the names imply. Is there anything up there in the 210-240 range under 200 thats a great lens. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated. http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-Large-Format/system-Large-Format/category-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses?s=1&bcode=LF&ccode=6&cc=3159&r=WG&f

[IanG]

The 210mm f6.3 Geronar is cheap and a good performer stopped down, it's a modern multi-coated triplet. Also the Congo 210 f6.3 a tessar type lens, I've acquired both this year. A late 90mm f6.8 Angulon is a good wide angle.

Having said that I've bought a 210mm Symmar S for quite a bit less than $300 and also a 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon. If you want both FL's for under $300 you'd need to look at an older lenses or the budget lenses I mentioned.

Ian

[dave_whatever]

203mm ektars are dirt cheap and bloody sharp, and weigh nothing. Whats not to like?

[Vaughn]

The 210mm f6.3 Geronar is cheap and a good performer stopped down, it's a modern multi-coated triplet...Ian

And I believe this was the lens that was rebadged as the Caltar E, identical, but can be found even cheaper. Small lens.

A larger lens (especially if found with the original metal lens hood) is the Computar Symmetron 210/6.3 in a Copal 1 shutter ( a four lens air-spaced design). A very sharp lens with good contrast and covers 5x7 easily.

[Leszek Vogt]

Agree with Vaughn on Caltar II E, but if you don't like the "conventional" or "normal" view, you can pick up Fuji W 250mm F6.3...and it can be had for below $300.

Les

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Modern f5.6 multicoated plasmats (Symmar-S, Nikkor-W, Sironar-N, et cetera) are great all purpose lenses.
They regularly sell for less than $200.

[Alan Gales]

At the wider end I paid less than $200 for my Schneider Super Angulon 121mm f/8 lens in a later Compur shutter. It's sharp and has huge coverage for 4x5. It fits on a Copal 0 board but it isn't a small lens.

It's similar to a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera or full frame DSLR.

[Jim Jones]

203mm ektars are dirt cheap and bloody sharp, and weigh nothing. Whats not to like?

Yes, indeed. It is my most often used lens on 4x5 for 40 years. Its 5x7 coverage and macro performance is sometimes an additional asset.

[Imagowan]

Can't seem to find any ektars

[Gem Singer]

You already own a Nikon 150W. Why not match it with a Nikon 210W and a Nikon 90SW?

You would have the ideal lens set for your 4x5 Cham.

[IanG]

Can't seem to find any ektars

MWClassic in the UK has two for sale, they are both in Kodak Epsilon shutter, so Mount 370 which essentially means they were UK made and #0 shutter compatible, later Kodak used the Prontor SVS shutter and the last few were in the more modern Compur.

Ian

[angusparker]

You already own a Nikon 150W. Why not match it with a Nikon 210W and a Nikon 90SW?

You would have the ideal lens set for your 4x5 Cham.

+1 Best to stick with one lens brand and a max filter size. I like a modern copal shutter too. Nikon lenses are great.

[ruilourosa]

g-claron 210 / 240 with lenscap shutter, will cover 8x10

[hiend61]

You already own a Nikon 150W. Why not match it with a Nikon 210W and a Nikon 90SW?

You would have the ideal lens set for your 4x5 Cham.

+1, both are excellent lenses, small and both use 67mm filters. With an inexpensive 52-67 filter adapter you can use 67mm filters on your 150. The 90/8 SW is a great lens, small and with a 236mm image circle, only available in much bigger and expensive 90mm wide angle lenses. If you shot color slide film or feel you need a center filter to correct fall off, a 67mm center filter is much more affordable and easier to find than a 82mm centerfilter which is the filter size of Nikkor SW 90/4,5, Rodenstock Grandagon-N 90/4,5, and Schneider Super Angulon 90/5,6. All these lenses have a 235-236mm image circle, but are much bigger and expensive than the Nikkor SW 90/8.

[Dan Fromm]

Can't seem to find any ektars

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kodak-Ektar-203mm-f-7-7-Lens-in-a-Kodak-Supermatic-Shutter-4x5-5x7-8x10-/251547601385
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kodak-Ektar-203mm-8-f7-7-Lens-In-Prontor-SVS-Shutter-/191195400548

Look and you will find. A little patience will help too, the market for used lenses is thin.

[Peter De Smidt]

There are lots of good choices. I had a 203 Ektar for a number of years. It was a fine performer. Adapting filters was a bit of a pain, and the shutter wasn't as good as other types. Given what you can get a good modern plasmat for, I personally wouldn't choose the Ektar unless small size was really important, such as for multi-day back-packing. On the wide end, I had an 90mm F8 for about ten years. Recently I switched to a F6.8, and at that focal length, the added brightness when focusing was very welcome. It's not as important for longer lenses. The 90 F5.6 lenses are very good, but they are a lot bigger. In addition to those mentioned, Fuji makes a number of fine lenses.

[IanG]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kodak-Ektar-203mm-f-7-7-Lens-in-a-Kodak-Supermatic-Shutter-4x5-5x7-8x10-/251547601385
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kodak-Ektar-203mm-8-f7-7-Lens-In-Prontor-SVS-Shutter-/191195400548

Look and you will find. A little patience will help too, the market for used lenses is thin.

A good example of the two different versions, the US in a Supermatic and the UK made version in a Prontor SVS (#0 Compur/Copal compatible) shutter. My experience is that the coatings of the UK version had been significantly improved in the later versions of the 203mm Ektar in the Prontor or Compur.

Both are priced high compared to the typical prices they sell for on Ebay or through some dealers.

Ian

[angusparker]

Fujinon SW, W, C and A series are all good depending on the focal length required. 90 SW, 125 W, 180 A, 240 A, 300 C, 450 C are all fine choices. On my Chamonix 45F1 I find I use the slightly wide 125mm more than the 90mm lens, 180mm more than 150mm, 300mm some and the 450mm hardly at all. Many of the A and C lenses can also cover 8x10 so that makes them upwardly compatible in case you want to upgrade. But they are not larger than many of the 4x5 only alternatives. Small filter sizes and modern multi coating are found for most of these lenses.