favorite LF and ULF lens if you had only one lens

[Greg]

Back when I was a student at RIT in the 1970s, I wanted to learn the Zone System. Found a used 8x10 B&J wooden view, a 12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat in a Betax shutter, some used 8x10 holders, a B&J wooden tripod with simple wooden head, and one very primitive spot meter. For probably the next 10 years, this was my LF outfit.

In the 1980s found an 11x14 Improved Empire State view camera, 2 holders, and a 508mm f/7 Caltar. For the next 20 or so years that was my ULF outfit.

Would love to know which is your favorite one lens for your LF and ULF camera.

For me:
4x5: 178mm 7 inch f/3.1 Darlot Portrait (Petzval)
Whole Plate: 210mm Nikkor
8x10: 12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat... my first 8x10 lens
11x14: 508mm f/7 Caltar. again my first 11x14 lens

[Alan9940]

I don't shoot ULF, but for me:

4x5: 210mm Schneider Symmar-S
8x10: 360mm Schneider Symmar-S (even though the front cell is the size of a small dinner plate and it weighs about as much as a bag of sugar!)

[ic-racer]

Fujinon 300mm for 8x10. I can't say it is my favorite lens, but if I had only one 8x10 lens, this one gets the job done more times than not.

[Jeffrey Arthur]

For the 14x17 I have an affinity for the little 12"/22"/27" Gundlach Perigraphic convertible. Also works great on my 8x10. Uncoated with alphax shutter.

[chassis]

Right now I am enjoying an 11" no-name meniscus in a Betax shutter. Equal or second choice is a Nikkor W 150/5.6. Nothing fancy but they get the job done.

4x5 only for me.

[Luis-F-S]

12" Dagor!

[mdarnton]

I guess my choice would be my 12"/6.3 Paragon, for both 5x7 and 8x10. If I were only shooting 4x5 and 5x7, it might be my 190mm/4.5 Raptar.

But maybe since we're allowing multiple formats but not lenses, the Paragon would work for all three sizes and I'd just change formats instead of lenses. :-)

Bottom line is that the Paragon is my favorite lens of all of them.

It's interesting how many people are choosing a twelvish-inch (if we can include that one 11") lens, but for a variety of formats!

[David Karp]

In 4x5 I want to say my 125mm Fujinon NW, but the reality is that I use a 210mm more, so I have to say 210mm Fujinon L our 210mm Caltar Pro (Xenar). They are equal.

Not sure yet about 5x7. Maybe the 300mm Nikkor M.

On my Whole Plate camera, the same Nikkor. Although, like Greg, I like a 210mm on Whole Plate too. Mine is a Caltar II-N. The 300mm Nikkor edges it out though.

[MAubrey]

For 11x14, my one lens is two: the Symmar 360mm f/5.6 Convertible--real element is 620mm f/12. It's really all you need, I'd say.

[Tim Meisburger]

135mm Fujinon for 4x5 (if I only had one lens). Otherwise, my 300mm Universal Heliar.

[John Jarosz]

For 8x20 it's my 420mm Apo Nikkor.

For 8x10 I really can't pick one, If I'm out West I need much different lenses than in the East.

[Hugo Zhang]

5x7: apo-lanthar 21cm
WP: apo-lanthar 30cm
8x10: 14" Dagor f/8
11x14: Protar v 39cm
14x17/16x20: 24" Artar

[karl french]

8x10: Cooke Series XVa 311/f6.8
10x12: Nikkor M 450/f9
7x17: Nikkor M 450/f9
8x20/12x20 Fujinon C 600/f11.5

[Bernice Loui]

5x7: 8-1/2" Kodak Commercial Ektar
8x10: 12" Dagor


Bernice

[IanG]

10X8 12" f6.8 Dagor (Goerz Am Opt) - the original owner had it coated after WWII

7x5 240mm Nikon SW

5x4 150mm f5.6 Sironar N (UK)
5x4 150mm f4.5 CZJ T (coated) Tessar (Turkey)

Ian

[jnantz]

4x5=laverne
5x7=morrison 6x8
8x10 darlot semi hemi
bigger = a noname rr
nothing purchased for more than 40$

[drew.saunders]

I only shoot 4x5, but if I had to keep only one lens, it would be the 200/8 M-Nikkor. Even though I started 4x5 with a 120/5.6 APO-Symmar "pre-L," (and have replaced that with a single coated 125/5.6 Fuji for the greater coverage), I'd still stick with my 2nd lens, the 200 M. After that 2nd lens came a 3rd, 4th, 5th...

[Monty McCutchen]

Ebony 20 x 24. Dallmeyer 8D

Phillips 7 x 17. 355 G Claron

Canham 10 x 12. 300 Heliar

Monty.

[Graham Patterson]

As a pragmatic type, whatever I have...
I'm using a 150mm Sironar for 5x4 at the moment, but I sort of miss my 135mm Symmar-S (bad case of separation in the front group).
Since the 270mm G-Claron can move from the 5x4 to the 8x10, I guess that would be the _one_, even if it is a bit long for regular 5x4 use.

[angusparker]

Fujinon A 360/10 and Fujinon C 600/11.5 for 8x10 and 11x14


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[Professional]

What is favorite meaning here?
If i shoot landscape this will be different than me shooting portraits or shooting architecture indoors and such.
I bought my LF as a full kit that is coming with Rod 150 Sir.N, it is like a general lens, but because i wanted wider i couldn't think more than 90 or 72, so i bought 72, even i didn't use it from the photos i saw from this lens i can confirm it will be one of my favorite lenses for 4x5 definitely.
Now i need a lens that is in range 200-300 for my 4x5, i wanted to buy only brand new, but i see most are gone, so i will go with the alternative more than the main one i was looking as a brand new, thinking about 240mm but not sure if this is gonna give me what i want or not over 210 which i wanted badly as brand new.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

8x10 240 Fuji

8x20 360 Gerogon

11x14 15" Ilex Process lens

14x17 24" Artar

Like it has been said favorite sharp? Soft? Landscape? Portrait?

That is just a few of mine.

[e]

Probably my Computar 270mm would be the one I would be ok with forever on 7x17...as a 1 and only lens..

[jp]

Different tastes here..

4x5 - Gundlach Hyperion 9"; verito being a close second.
8x10 field camera - Kodak 305 portrait
8x10 studio camera - B&L Sigmar
14x17 haven't shot enough to settle on anything yet.

[jesse]

4x5 - Kollinear 15cm f12.5
5x7 - Collinear 20cm f7.7
8x10 - Collinear 31cm f6.3
12x20 - Goerz Double Anastigmat Series III 48cm f7.7

[Vaughn]

8x10...was just the Fuji 300/5.6, but now its equal is the Fuji 250/6.7
11x14...too many lenses and not enough images yet. The 355 G-Claron was nice.

[Mark Sampson]

I'll say an f/6.3 Kodak Wide Field Ektar with the appropriate focal length for the format.

[John Kasaian]

My first years with 8x10 I only had a 14" Commercial Ektar and had no issues. If that was all I had today, I'd still be a happy camper.

[Peter Gomena]

4x5: 150mm Symmar-S in the field, 210 Symmar-S in the studio.
Still looking for the right lens for my whole-plate camera. 305 G-Claron is a bit long, the 210 Symmar-S covers but is a bit wide. Casually shopping for a deal on a 250mm Fujinon f/6.7. I tend to like "normal" in the field. (Casually shopping means I don't have any money for one at the moment...)

[David Karp]

. . . Still looking for the right lens for my whole-plate camera. . . . Casually shopping for a deal on a 250mm Fujinon f/6.7. . . .

Peter,

The 250mm Fujinon is very nice on WP. I got a good deal on one from Japan. I have only gotten to use it a couple of times, but I really like it. It could possibly replace the 300mm Nikkor M as my favorite.

[Doremus Scudder]

I'll say an f/6.3 Kodak Wide Field Ektar with the appropriate focal length for the format.

+1

My favorite and most-used lens for 4x5 is my 135mm WF Ektar. Sharp, small, and coverage that you can't get in a Plasmat. I'm surprised this design disappeared so early. It's a real winner in my estimation.

Doremus

[Randy]

When using my Graflex Series D 4X5 I can't seem to get away from using Reinhold's (http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Lenses.html) 190mm Wollanston Meniscus.

When shooting 8X10 I often mount my B&L 11X14 1C Tessar (400mm).

[John Layton]

4x5: 135mm Sironar-N (still lusting after an Apo-S)
5x7: 210mm Sironar-N (see above!)
8x10: 305 G-Claron (might be 240mm if I made greater use of this format)
11x14: 14" Goerz-Kern (Swiss) Blue-Dot Trigor (why, oh why, did I sell this lens? but the 305GC covers fine)

[premortho]

Back when I was a student at RIT in the 1970s, I wanted to learn the Zone System. Found a used 8x10 B&J wooden view, a 12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat in a Betax shutter, some used 8x10 holders, a B&J wooden tripod with simple wooden head, and one very primitive spot meter. For probably the next 10 years, this was my LF outfit.

In the 1980s found an 11x14 Improved Empire State view camera, 2 holders, and a 508mm f/7 Caltar. For the next 20 or so years that was my ULF outfit.

Would love to know which is your favorite one lens for your LF and ULF camera.

For me:
4x5: 178mm 7 inch f/3.1 Darlot Portrait (Petzval)
Whole Plate: 210mm Nikkor
8x10: 12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat... my first 8x10 lens
11x14: 508mm f/7 Caltar. again my first 11x14 lensOn 8X10, a Gundlak triple convertable 12,21 28 inch
on 5x7, a Wallensak Velostigmat 8 inch
on 4X5, a Kodak Anastigmat f6.3 7 inch