Lens set for 8x10?

[sepiareverb]

Curious what people use for 810 work here. I've moved to landscape work from studio still life, which was all done near to 1:1 with a 240, and am finding that way too wide when outside. Loving the nikkor 450 and 600. What are your regular landscape lenses on 8x10? Examples from your lens set encouraged!

[Jac@stafford.net]

I can suggest one, the Caltar 375mm (14 3/4") for its sharpness even wide open.
FWIW I use wider for 8x10, but the 375mm lives in the realm of sharpness, when it is necessary.

My only woe is the #5 shutter; both of my #5 shutters have issues, namely a lame leaf which I cope with by placing it where gravity makes it work. Big shutters are a big pain in the ass.

(I got this lens from our esteemed Jim Galli, our expert in other-than-sharp. If he contributes
to this thread, read it!)

[Vaughn]

My usual is a FujiW 300. I suppose slightly on the wide side of normal. I just got a FujiW 360 that I yet to try, but hope to later this month.

A FujiW 250/6.7 recently was added to my 8x10 pack. I am enjoying it -- my 'landscape' tends to under the redwoods, where shorter lenses work nicely since everything tends to be up close. I have a 210mm (Graphic Raptor) which is also nice under the redwoods -- it has no shutter, but that is no problem under the redwoods...but it tends to stay at home now that I have the 250mm.

On the longer side I have both 19" (480mm) and 24" (610mm) RD Artars (no shutters). The 19" is fine under the redwoods, but I rarely see good images there for the 24". Both of these are also nice on the 11x14. I would use them more on the 8x10 if they were in shutters, the lack of shutters make those lenses hard to use in the open air. The FujiW 360 I got with the idea of using it with the 11x14 -- the only lens I have for that camera with a shutter.

All with the 300mm:

[Greg]

I keep it very simple. Since the 1970s, I have always liked to hike up gorges and shoot waterfalls. Have limited myself to 3 focal lengths.

120mm WA Nikkor - least used lens but when I need an ultra wide lens, I take this optic with me

12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat or a 305mm f/9 G-Claron - images from each of these 2 optics quite different.12" Velostigmat my favorite and most used lens. In the winter though, especially with ice or snow in bright sunlight, I use the G-Claron to cut down on flare.

508mm f/7 Caltar - a dream to focus with, looks more like a f/5.6 optic on the GG

Attached image of Glendale Falls in MA. Shot with 12" Velostigmat, negative scanned, digital negative made, and final Platinum Palladium print. Final print size 1:1 with image on negative.

[IanG]

My main lens is a 12" f6.8 Dagor, made around 1940 the original owner had it coated after WWII, it's a great lens superb results. I supplemented that with a 165mm f8 Super Angulong which came with my 2nd Agfa ansco 10x8. More recently I've added a 240mm Nikkor W which I use more for 7x5, but made an dapter board so I can use it with My 10x8 Agfa ansco cameras.

If needed I have some smaller WA lenses as the uper Angulon is huge, a pair of 159mm F12 Wollensak Ex WA lens and tine 141mm f16 Ross (Protar) WA. I also have a150mm f9 Hexanon GRII that covers 10x8.

Essentially those lenses mirror what I've used for 30 yeras for 5x4 although I;ve started using longer lenses and maybe will do the same with my 10x8's.

Ian

[tgtaylor]

240mm Schneider Symmar-S (Salt Print):

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Three_Brothers.6793502_large.jpg

300mm Nikkon-W (Scanned Kallitype):

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Valley_View.168213044_large.jpg

360mm Schneider Symmar-S )Salt Print):

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/002_copy_5.63100157_large.jpg

480mm Apo Ronar (Scanned Kallitype):

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Schoolhouse_Bodie.336125920_large.jpg

610mm Apo Nikkor (Salt Print):

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/001_copy_2.74135846_large.jpg

Thomas

[sepiareverb]

Oh my word. Better than I could have hoped for. Thank you.

Lots to investigate already. But please keep it coming.

[sepiareverb]

Those images sure make a case for the 300. Not always wide, not only normal. I've got a 300 Symmar, it is a giant, and so I rarely reach for it when packing the bag. Is 240/360/450/600 a useful batch? Far enough apart? I'm a fan of 28/35/50 in 35mm, but seem to like a bit more reach with the 810.

Any of you shoot 35 too?

[sepiareverb]

I like how you seem to compress space with most of those lenses Thomas.

[sepiareverb]

Maybe I need to think of lenses for 810 by the height of the 35 frame instead of the width...

[Mark Sawyer]

I'd go with a 14-inch Commercial Ektar, a 14-inch P&S Semi-Achromat, a 14.5-inch Cooke Portrait lens (preferably an f/3.5 Knuckler), a 14.5-inch Verito, a 14.5-inch Velostigmat Series II (with diffusion ring), a 14.5-inch Imagon, a 14-inch Cooke RVP, and a nice 14-inch Petzval...

[Corran]

Generally I don't shoot much longer than 300mm. For hiking I might bring some of these lenses:

Schneider 90mm f/5.6 XL (slightly cropped) (https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr2xPbkM-NU/VrjMXw6WpPI/AAAAAAAAJug/IIq0Qk3hK5s/s1600/810wehmantest-2904_stitchs.jpg)
Nikkor 120mm f/8
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50N6_Jp-qDU/VvmegMOKqdI/AAAAAAAAJ6s/PiYGikB9PBoe4AiSnnNnyb-s2K5OFMDkQ/s1600/langdale-3049s.jpg)Graphic Kowa 210mm f/9
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ptitxfp4TRQ/T8BpYq3pR-I/AAAAAAAAAzU/gmyoKUCfzWw/s1600/prov8101.jpg)Nikkor 300mm f/9 (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HU3Zi05o5No/T5Raf0gzq3I/AAAAAAAAAwk/6n2FHQCaet0/s1600/0051+(Custom).jpg)
Nikkor 450mm f/9 (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zMLrhEHp8dE/UKMM7Q4_mEI/AAAAAAAABew/UsJJ1cJV5sA/s1600/0068s.jpg)
Nikkor-T 720mm f/16 (Haven't actually felt the need to shoot this long, but it covers)

[Jim Jones]

Maybe I need to think of lenses for 810 by the height of the 35 frame instead of the width...

Yes. I like that extra 6mm width, but almost always crop it off. My kit for Leica was 21,35,50,90,and 135 and for a compact 4x5 a fairly similar 65, 90, 125, 203, and 250. For longer reach I needed a Nikon SLR. Much depends on the way one looks at landscapes. An old travelling buddy often borrowed my 20mm Nikkor for one shot while my long tele could pick out several good compositions from the same place.

[sepiareverb]

This is coming faster than I can assimilate tonight. Will really dive into the investigation of recommendations tomorrow. At this rate of reply I should add that I'm enlarging in addition to contact printing. Mostly going to 1620 - 2024.

Thank you much!

[John Kasaian]

240mm Schneider G Claron
250mm Kodak Wide Field Ektar
12" Goerz Dagor
14" Kodak Commercial Ektar
19" Goerz Red Dot Artar

[neil poulsen]

One of my primary interests is architecture, and i use medium and 4x5 view cameras, and a full-frame digital for that work.

But I think that 8x10 is better suited for landscape and fine art. Architecture requires super-wide lenses, which are expensive and can be challenging to use on 8x10.

For 8x10, I have a Sinar-Norma outfit that includes all the rail that I need, a bag bellows, and both 4x5 and 5x7 backs. I stumbled across this outfit at a swap meet and picked it up at a modest price. It was a great find. What people may not realize is that, for a monorail, Norma 8x10's are light-weight. With about 24" of rail, mine weighs just over 13lbs, which is only a couple of pounds more than a Deardorff, and less than a Calumet "green monster". Yet, it has all the stability and capability that one might expect in a rail camera. With a 4x5 or 5x7 back and the bag bellows attached, I can easily use a 75mm lens with all the movement that might be needed. But with the intermediate standard and the 4x5 bellows that I picked up, I can manage an 8x10 maximum extension of up to about 40 inches.

I have four lenses that I've picked up over time which cover 8x10: the 250mm, f6.7 Fujinon; a 355mm f9 G-Claron; the 450mm f9 Nikon M, and a 600mm f11.5 Fujinon C.

[sepiareverb]

Will start looking at these lengths carefully at lunch today. I'm working with a Canham wood field, which I traded a Wisner for about eight years ago now. Couldn't deal with the round knobs on the Wisner any longer, and couldn't be happier with the Canham.

[N Dhananjay]

Really does depend on your vision and choice of subject. I am assuming you are not talking about extreme wide angles and extremely long lenses which are sort of special cases dictated often by other reasons (e.g., working in narrow spaces or not being able to get closer etc.). If you like the illusion of space and near-far relationships in the open landscape, you would prefer gentle wide angles. If your photographs are about patterns and rhythm across the picture plane, you would likely prefer slightly longer lenses. I lean towards longer lenses - the 14" Dagor and 19" Artar see a lot of use. Cheers, DJ

[Jim Becia]

When hiking, I like a three lens set: a 210 Graphic/Kowa, a 300 Fuji, either a 5.6 if the hike isn't too long or the 300A, and a 450, again, a Nikkor if it isn't too long or the Fuji 450C. When working close to the car, I also have a Nikkor 150SW and a Fuji 600C. I like the spacing of this group of lenses for my work with the 300 being my most used length.

[John Kasaian]

240mm Schneider G Claron
250mm Kodak Wide Field Ektar
12" Goerz Dagor
14" Kodak Commercial Ektar
19" Goerz Red Dot Artar

I should note that I don't consider these any sort of "set" but rather a "collection." I spent years quite content with just the 14" Commercial Ektar, adding the rest of the glass if and when affordable examples came my way.
The 240 G Claron is superb for hiking with it's lightness and size.
The 19" Artar is super sharp and the longest my camera can use without taxing the bellows.
The Kodak Ektars offer seemingly acres of coverage and speed and while sharp when stopped down they also have interesting qualities when wide open.
The Dagor has a classic charm all it's own.

When hiking, I'll select no more than two lenses depending on the situation and terrain--- one riding reversed, in situ the camera, and the other in my kit bag

I also have a 159 WA Wollensak "yellow dot" and a 15" B+L Petzval (Pretzel?) for when the need arises.

[Corran]

John, is your 240mm G-Claron in a shutter? If so, which?

I bought one in barrel last year but it seems to not be removable from the barrel.

[Drew Wiley]

I shoot primarily outdoors and a trend toward longer focal lengths, though my typical backpack set does include a 250 G-Claron. My most used lenses are a 360
Fuji A and a 450 Fuji C. Sometimes I also carry a 600 Fuji C. Other lenses I might substitute for a little different edge rendering in the mid range are a 14 inch Kern Dagor or a 360/9 Zeiss barrel Tessar. All of these are reasonably compact with substantial image circles.

[Luis-F-S]

For 8x10, most used is a 12" Dagor & 19" Artar. Wider, I can go with a 6.5" WA Dagor, or 8 1/4" or 9 1/2" Dagors. Longer, 24" or 30" Artars. L

[DrTang]

I rarely emerge from my studio into daylight to shoot..but if I do.. I have a 250 WFE, a 300 f4.5 Radar and a 375 Ilex all in shutters to mess around with

[Alan Gales]

I should note that I don't consider these any sort of "set" but rather a "collection." I spent years quite content with just the 14" Commercial Ektar, adding the rest of the glass if and when affordable examples came my way.
The 240 G Claron is superb for hiking with it's lightness and size.
The 19" Artar is super sharp and the longest my camera can use without taxing the bellows.
The Kodak Ektars offer seemingly acres of coverage and speed and while sharp when stopped down they also have interesting qualities when wide open.
The Dagor has a classic charm all it's own.

When hiking, I'll select no more than two lenses depending on the situation and terrain--- one riding reversed, in situ the camera, and the other in my kit bag

I also have a 159 WA Wollensak "yellow dot" and a 15" B+L Petzval (Pretzel?) for when the need arises.

I understand what you are talking about, John. When I go outside I either take just my 14" Commercial Ektar or both my Fujinon W 250mm f/6.7 and 19" Artar lenses. Rarely do I take all three lenses. I enjoy all three but if I only had the 14" Commercial Ektar I could get by.

[John Kasaian]

John, is your 240mm G-Claron in a shutter? If so, which?

I bought one in barrel last year but it seems to not be removable from the barrel.

It is in a Copal No.1.
Jim Galli knows more about G Clarons than anyone else I know. Perhaps he'll chime in with a suggestion or two.
IIRC a Prontor No. 1 shutter should be a direct fit as well---these are found on some Polaroid Copy Cameras, usually with a 127 Ysaron (Ysarex? I don't remember!) on board.

Have you tried a small strap wrench on it?

[Corran]

I think mine is too big to fit in a #1 - I believe it's an older Dagor type and the front lens element, barrel, and aperture seem to be integral. The whole assembled lens can kinda-sorta attach to the front of a Copal #3 with some finagling. I think I'm out of luck on an easy fix (other than a Packard). Oh well.

[climbabout]

I do mostly landscape type work in b&w and carry with me a 159mm wollensak/240a fujinon/300mm nikkor/14" artar/450c fujinon. The MAJORITY of the time I end up using either the 240(slightly wide) or the 360(slightly long). With the exception of the 300 you may notice my lenses are spaced approx 4" focal length apart - If I needed to leave one lens out, it would be the 300. Doing landscape work mostly in the field - it was very important that my lenses were small and compact (they all are with the exception of the artar). You don't need a lot of extreme movements for landscape work so you can get by with the smaller image circle of the compact lenses. Lots of great info on compact lenses if that is of interest to you here:
http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/lightwei.htm

Hope this helps.
Tim

[Corran]

Correction: I'm stupid and mis-remembered - I have a Graphic Kowa 240mm f/9 in barrel, not a G-Claron. Oops! The post in the classifieds reminded me. Mine doesn't look like that though.

[Alan Gales]

Correction: I'm stupid and mis-remembered -

It's ok, Bryan. I think we've all been there! ;)

[sepiareverb]

Great responses, a quick reply during my coffee break from this bathroom remodel:

I like the idea of building the kit (not set, agreed) around a consistent step of difference in length, as Tim notes above with his 4" spacing. Seems like the steps would be clear quickly, saving some time in selection and fewer missed images due to the light changing.

While I appreciate the advice to go small and light I don't ever see myself packing this up for a day hike. I'm moving a few hundred feet from the car at most, so a couple of trips isn't out of the question. The other day I went out with the camera and tripod, got myself situated, settled on the 600 and went back to the car for that and the bag with a few holders, meter, notebook, etc. I'm not working anywhere that theft will be a problem.

From the responses so far, the 300, 450, 360/75 seem to be the top lenses. Less wide overall that I would have thought, so very helpful.

Time to start investigating options.

Thank you very much!

[Ari]

Urban architecture, not landscapes, are of more interest to me, so YMMV.
I use a 150 and a 300, which cover 99.5% of my needs. The 300 converts to 450 and 600, but I have only used those longer focal lengths on a couple of occasions.
So, in essence: 150, 300, 450, 600.

[John Kasaian]

Great responses, a quick reply during my coffee break from this bathroom remodel:

I like the idea of building the kit (not set, agreed) around a consistent step of difference in length, as Tim notes above with his 4" spacing. Seems like the steps would be clear quickly, saving some time in selection and fewer missed images due to the light changing.

While I appreciate the advice to go small and light I don't ever see myself packing this up for a day hike. I'm moving a few hundred feet from the car at most, so a couple of trips isn't out of the question. The other day I went out with the camera and tripod, got myself situated, settled on the 600 and went back to the car for that and the bag with a few holders, meter, notebook, etc. I'm not working anywhere that theft will be a problem.

From the responses so far, the 300, 450, 360/75 seem to be the top lenses. Less wide overall that I would have thought, so very helpful.

Time to start investigating options.

Thank you very much!
I'll offer this thought:
For landscapes, I find the qualities of a given lens is more Germain than just the focal length when it comes to the 8x10 . Most of the time camera position can make up for nuances between a 240mm and a 300mm, or a 300mm and a 360mm. OTOH running out a real estate when employing movements, or other qualities (lens speed, weight and bulk, shutters, etc...) may be more of an issue.

[angusparker]

When hiking, I like a three lens set: a 210 Graphic/Kowa, a 300 Fuji, either a 5.6 if the hike isn't too long or the 300A, and a 450, again, a Nikkor if it isn't too long or the Fuji 450C. When working close to the car, I also have a Nikkor 150SW and a Fuji 600C. I like the spacing of this group of lenses for my work with the 300 being my most used length.

I agree with Jim. If you want to take more lenses and/or lighten the load then this bunch above is a good set. You will be giving up some speed - under the redwoods you are better off with one of the 360/5.6 options from Fuji or Nikkor is good to have in your back pocket. Also you wont get quite the same amount of movement but that is less of a concern with landscape.

Computer 210/9 or Fujinon 210/5.6 W which is old single coated with lettering on the inside of the lens - second most used
Fujinon 240/9 A
Fujinon 300/9 A or 300/8.5 C
Fujinon 360/10 A (very hard to find) - most used for me
Fujinon 450/12 C
Fujinon 600/12 C (hard to find and in Copal 3) - least used

Wider than 210, like the 150 or 120 options mentioned already may required major camera contortions but can be very rewarding. I just don't shoot that wide in general.

[jesse]

I may use 2 sets of lens, the antique old lens and the modern lens.

Antique old lens
150/9 Dagor, 182/18 Protar, 200/14 Berthiot Perigraphe, 240/9 Dagor, 305/7.2 Protar, 360/7.7 Dagor, 370/7.7 Collinear, 480/7.7 Dagor

Modern lens
210/5.6 Rodenstock Apo Sironar W, 300/5.6 Apo Sironar S, 300/9 Fujinon A, 305/9 Computar, 355/9 G Claron, 600/11 Fujinon A

Some of them are really rare :P

[Whir-Click]

My 8x10 lens criteria are compact size and large coverage in a modern shutter, and I prefer to space focal lengths 1.5x apart. The results echo several lenses that Jim, Angus, and others have mentioned:

210 Graphic Kowa f/6.8
300 Fujinon A f/9
450 Fujinon C 12.5

I feel well covered with this set. In the rare instance when I need a wider angle, I'll swap the front cell of my 210 for a Graphic Kowa 150 front cell to achieve a ~170 f/8 that is pretty darn sharp with room for minor movement. Meets my needs and beats carrying another lens around.

[Peter De Smidt]

Ari, what 150 do you have?

[valdormar]

My favorite lenses and the only lenses I now use on my Deardorff 8x10 (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?36782-Show-off-your-Large-Format-camera!&p=1344925&viewfull=1#post1344925).
Kodak Wide Field Ektar 10" = 1948
Kodak Commercial Ektar 14" = 1947
161608

[Vaughn]

Finally got the Fuji W 360mm on a Sinar lens board. I am off on a road trip soon and will be able to use it with both the 5x7 and the 8x10. Not a light lens!

[angusparker]

By request I wrote a blog post on a couple of suggestions for modern 8x10 lenses. Thought I'd put the link in this thread for others who come this way: http://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blog/2016/11/good-lenses-for-an-8x10-view-camera

[David Lobato]

I have the Fuji 360mm that Vaughn has. It was with my 11x14 kit for a while, but now it's with my 8x10 kit. Superb lens.

[David Lobato]

Often I think in terms of the width, height, diagonal dimensions of the format and compare it to another, more familiar, format. For instance, the 35mm format is 24mm x 36mm. So a 35mm lens is near the long length. Use that same trick for 8x10. A 10 inch, 250mm, lens is the long length and approximates a similar field of view. An 8 inch, 203mm, is the short side of 8x10, and is similar to 24mm on 35mm format. The format diagonal dimensions work the same way. I use this method with 11x14 and 4x5 to make sense of a particular FL.

The aspect ratios are different but it will get you close. It's a quick way to gauge how the lens will cover a subject and compare FL relative to another format you are familiar with.

[John Kasaian]

I think mine is too big to fit in a #1 - I believe it's an older Dagor type and the front lens element, barrel, and aperture seem to be integral. The whole assembled lens can kinda-sorta attach to the front of a Copal #3 with some finagling. I think I'm out of luck on an easy fix (other than a Packard). Oh well.

Mine happens to be an older Dagor type and fits in the Copal #1. This is very curious!

[DrTang]

Hmmmm

studio: 12" Voigtlander , 14" Voigtlander, 17" Steinheil, 20" Olor - all in barrel - - dark hat shutter



my carry around rig- 10" WFE, 12" 4.5 Radar, 375mm Ilex..

but I also have a sinar shutter I adapted to my B&J Commercial so some of my barrel lenses are in play as well



and then I can use my 11x14 triple convertible on either set up and that is 12 1/2" / 20" / 26" - in shutter (no sync)

[Corran]

Mine happens to be an older Dagor type and fits in the Copal #1. This is very curious!

I will correct myself. I double-checked and mine is indeed a Plasmat type. I have since purchased a typical 240mm G-Claron in shutter so this GK need to get sold I suppose.