Looking for a 4x5 wide lens in the 60-75mm range

[esearing]

I found myself in the middle of a stream today balanced precariously on a narrow rock capturing a lovely water fall with a 90mm lens. Framing the image was tight and took a few raises and lowering of the tripod and even a little creative tilting of base and standards. I found myself wanting a wider lens at that moment.

Are there any reasonably priced lenses in the 60mm to 75mm range that would work on a 4x5 field camera? Am I going to run into bellows compaction issues? Camera is Ikeda Anba.

[IanG]

I've been using a 65mm f8 Super Angulon since the late 1980's, and more recently a 75mm f5,6 Super Angulon, there's a bit of fall off in exposure at the edges but I can cope with that with 5x4 but a centre filter is needed for E6.

There's wider but costs soar :D

Ian

[Old-N-Feeble]

What do you consider "reasonably priced"? :)

Is your cameras like THIS (http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/anba.htm) ?

[Jim Jones]

A Super-Angulon 1:8/65mm works on my Ikeda Anba with no problem with bellow compression. There would be slight room for using a front rise if this lens's coverage permitted. The back standard doesn't have to be moved forward to keep the bed out of the field of view on horizontal or vertical shots.

[esearing]

What do you consider "reasonably priced"? :)

Is your cameras like THIS (http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/anba.htm) ?

Yes it is so it looks like a 65mm would work. And it looks like some can be had for under $400 for F5.6 or even less for f8.
Shutter accuracy and lens dust is always a concern in this lower price range for me.

[Eric Woodbury]

You could get a very nice Fujinon SWD 65mm f/5.6. Nice lens and all the Fujinon lenses are a bargain.

[Jac@stafford.net]

You have received all the correct responses to make a decision. IMHO for full coverage without compromise a 3" Biogon, not the 75mm Biogon military, lens is ideal, but they are hard to find, and they are so large that fitting them to a typical 4x5 lens board is a hassle.

Settle for Rodenstock which is just okay.

[Old-N-Feeble]

There's a 58mm SAXL on eBay right now for $498 plus shipping but the filter ring is dinged.

[Alan Gales]

Since you own a 90mm I would think a 65mm would be the logical choice. It's a good spacing between them.

[LabRat]

Before you go too far with this, check if your own camera is compatible...

On a field camera, first see if the camera will compress enough to focus on of those lenses...

Second, when camera is in shooting mode, will the bed in front get in the way at the bottom, or can the rear standard be pushed forward enough for focus, and stay in alignment???

And might you need a recessed board (that you can access the controls with)???

Check this first...

Steve K

[Jim Noel]

Your Ikeda will handle the 65 super angulon OK. At least mine did.

[LabRat]

Oh, and another thing I was thinking... A 65mm is a different beast than a 90mm and is a little different to shoot, but I remembered another trick if you are set up, and need just a little bit more angle to clean-up the edges...

A +1 close-up lens reduces FL, so keeping one (with a step-up ring) in your bag will come in handy when you "back's to a wall" somewhere... You will have to decrease exposure slightly, and stop down a little extra, but I have used one once while shooting an interior (when I was in a corner, with nowhere to go) and it was sharp enough stopped down that nobody (or myself) noticed on the 4X5 chromes...

Cheaper than a new lens that you don't use all the time...

Steve K

[jesse]

Another choice is Nikkor SW 65mm f4, larger aperture, with image circle 170mm.

[Drew Bedo]

I rummaged in my box of forgotten stuff and found a 75mm Tominon in a Compur shutter, from a Polaroid MP-4. Seems it covers my 4x5 Zove VI. Is this only good for macro work?

[Dan Fromm]

I rummaged in my box of forgotten stuff and found a 75mm Tominon in a Compur shutter, from a Polaroid MP-4. Seems it covers my 4x5 Zove VI. Is this only good for macro work?

Look again. It should be in a Polaroid Copal or a Prontor Press shutter. Either way, not from an MP-4. MP-4 lenses are all in barrels that screw into the front of a #1. If in Copal, probably from a gel cam. If in Prontor Press, barely possibly from an MP-3; most MP-3 lenses were Rodenstocks. If really in Compur probably a half-assed remount.

I tested the MP-4 75/4.5 Tominon as a macro lens. Not particularly good in that application.

People have stated that the gel cam Tominons (all in Polaroid Copal shutters) are ok to good at distance. The equivalent MP-4 Tominons that I've tested were all awful at distance. I don't know whether this is a taste of different standards or whether the apparently very similar lenses are in fact different designs. To add to the confusion, I've had -- still have a least one --ex-gel cam 127/4.7 Tominons that worked well at distance. Go figure.

Your discovery may well illuminate 4x5 but I'd be surprised if it puts good image far off axis. Ain't no 90 degree tessars.

[EdSawyer]

I have both the Nikkor 65/4 and the Super Angulon 65/5.6. Both are excellent, the faster Nikon is not really a big difference in brightness though, there's so much cos4 falloff that it really doesn't make a big difference. A fresnel is almost required to focus into the corners on a 65 on ground glass, btw.