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Chris Richards
15-Sep-2014, 22:57
I have an MPP mk8, which I mainly use for portraits, with Fuji 210 and 150 lenses which I like very much. Currently I am contemplating a photographic project documenting the lock-keepers' houses on the Canal du Midi, in the south of France, where I live. For this I am sure I will need a wide angle lens of some sort, because otherwise I will have to photograph the houses from the other side of the canal, and this is not always practical. I would welcome your advice as to focal length, and also whether there will be any problems using a wide lens on an MPP.

Thanks!

Chris

Dan Fromm
16-Sep-2014, 06:21
http://www.mppusers.com/

David Hedley
16-Sep-2014, 06:34
I've not used an MPP, but I guess that it may be tricky to use a lense wider than 90mm; the MPP users group that Dan links to would be able to give a more informed view. In any event, 90mm is a good starting position; it works well on 4x5, and there are many excellent lenses available at budget prices. A Fujinon SW 90mm f/8 is a good starting reference (and Nikon, Schneider and Rodenstock will have very similar offerings), and you may have the same filter size as your existing lenses, which helps. Nevertheless, focussing and composition is easier if you can stretch to a faster lense - perhaps f/4.5 - although this will be heavier and more expensive, and may require additional accessories such as filters.

Chris Richards
17-Sep-2014, 00:11
Thanks for the advice so far. I'll contact the MPP users' group, but in the meantime I wonder if anyone knows whether I'll need to look for a lensboard with a cone to work with 90mm or less, and if so, why?

Thanks again

Chris

Cybertrash
18-Sep-2014, 02:34
As I understand it the cone is there to put the lens at the proper distance for infinity focus whilst keeping the front standard on the rails inside the camera body. The reason you want to do this is so you can drop the camera bed to avoid having the focus rails showing up in the image.

Regular Rod
18-Sep-2014, 03:24
I have an MPP mk8, which I mainly use for portraits, with Fuji 210 and 150 lenses which I like very much. Currently I am contemplating a photographic project documenting the lock-keepers' houses on the Canal du Midi, in the south of France, where I live. For this I am sure I will need a wide angle lens of some sort, because otherwise I will have to photograph the houses from the other side of the canal, and this is not always practical. I would welcome your advice as to focal length, and also whether there will be any problems using a wide lens on an MPP.

Thanks!

Chris

I use a 90mm Angulon with my MkVII in a flat lens panel. With your Mk VIII I believe you have even better ability to drop the front track down further than the MkVII so might use even wider.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u69/regrod/1Symmar150_zpsf9b2b5f7.jpg
150mm

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u69/regrod/4Angulon90mm_zps914fe028.jpg
90mm

RR