Just starting, was curious the quality of my lens

[caspalta]

So I loved the concept of LFF and dived in. Bought a Arca-Swiss camera setup on ebay (specifically, this one (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arca-Swiss-Monorail-4x5-Large-Format-Camera-with-ILEX-Acutar-215mm-f6-3-lens-/263997569371?_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true) ) and been having a ton of fun with it. Was curious if its worth it to get a super-angulon 90mm 5.6 lens and how good the one it came with was (ILEX Acutar 215mm f6.3)

edit: link fixed, old one was confusing since it does similar listings...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arca-Swiss-Monorail-4x5-Large-Format-Camera-with-ILEX-Acutar-215mm-f6-3-lens-/263997569371?_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true

[Dan Fromm]

If in good condition both are better than good enough.

[Peter Lewin]

You are asking two questions. Dan answered the one about the quality of your 215mm Acutar. Your second question is about buying an SA 90mm. Personally, I think adding a wide-angle lens to your options makes sense, you should think about the pictures you made before LF (or the ones you are thinking about now) and see whether you like the wider-angle perspective the 90mm will give you. I find my own 80mm very useful in situations where I physically can't move back from my subject (primarily when shooting interiors or other cramped locations), outdoors my "go-to" focal length is 150mm, followed by my 210mm. I also have a 300mm to cover the other end of the range, but use it rarely. Since I've been doing this for a long time, I have other lenses in-between, but the "standard" LF lens selection is a wide-angle (the 90mm you asked about), a "middle" typically anywhere from 150-215mm, and a long (around 300mm). By the way, welcome aboard!

[DrTang]

I use a 215 acutar on my Keith twin lens 4x5 - - it's very sharp.. maybe a bit too sharp for me but it's a matched set with the cam..so what am I gonna do?

[Louis Pacilla]

The Acutar was also labeled and was sold by Calumet as "Series S" and that series mostly consisted of rebranded Schneider Symmar S lenses but one, the 215 Ilex acutar which Calumet rebranded Series S & they are all Plasmat design. It will do good work if you do your part.

[Pieter]

Sinar, not Arca Swiss?

So I loved the concept of LFF and dived in. Bought a Arca-Swiss camera setup on ebay (specifically, this one (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arca-Swiss-Monorail-4x5-Large-Format-Camera-with-ILEX-Acutar-215mm-f6-3-lens/263997569371?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649) ) and been having a ton of fun with it. Was curious if its worth it to get a super-angulon 90mm 5.6 lens and how good the one it came with was (ILEX Acutar 215mm f6.3)

[Dan Fromm]

I thought I was clear. The 90/5.6 SA is good enough to use too.

[Jac@stafford.net]

If you procrastinate enough you will never make a picture. Get on with what you have first!

It takes more effort to find an inadequate lens in a basket than finding a good one.

[Louis Pacilla]

Sinar, not Arca Swiss?

I almost made the same mistake because of course eBay opens to a "live auction/sell" of a "Swiss Made" Sinar f camera w/ a Nikkor 120 micro lens. However if you look for the banner at the top of the OP's link you'll find a completed auction for a very lovely Arca-Swiss (older vintage) that the OP won. It is a very capable camera and looks to be in fine condition.

[mdarnton]

I don't know where you are coming from, but here's my experience: I was mostly 35mm when I started back into LF after a few decades off. In 35mm I like wide wides, 15mm, 21mm, and 28mm is my "normal" lens. In LF I find myself taking a quite different type of photos. Because I like wide, right off the bat I bought a 90mm/5.6 SA, and I have to say, it's been about six years and I haven't used it once--it's too wide for what I want to do on big film. My favorite 4x5 lens is an old 108mm Wollensak, and in 5x7 a roughly equivalent 150mm.

So you might think about that. For me, a 90 to 215mm jump would be too big, anyway. When I saw the other camera in the link with the 120mm lens, I thought "Why, he's got close to the perfect W/A, already!" I'd probably get something around there, if I were you.

[caspalta]

If you procrastinate enough you will never make a picture. Get on with what you have first!

It takes more effort to find an inadequate lens in a basket than finding a good one.

Don't worry! I got a few pictures done. mailed a few color ones to develop, bought the 445 kit and developed a couple black and whites and also got a few expired Polaroids which are the most fun to test out since I can have a friend come over and take the picture immediately. I was interested in doing portraits and possibly do landscapes since it seems the image quality is unmatched for 8x10 and above, but wanted to start somewhere more safe.
Also thank you everyone for the replies!

[caspalta]

also fixed the link, seems ebay tends to suggest instead of showing the original listing unless you click it again.

[Roger Thoms]

Definitely get out and expose some film with the 215mm Acutar, you’ll figure out pretty fast if you like the lens. As fas as the 90mm SA I find it to be an excellent focal length on 4x5. For many years my 4x5 Lens kit was a 90mm and 210mm, did just fine with just those two lenses. Nice thing now is that it’s very easy to buy and sell used gear. So buy the 90mm SA and if the don’t like it sell it.

Roger

[John Kasaian]

There's nothin' wrong with a 215 Acutar so long as you do your part:)

[William Whitaker]

If you procrastinate enough you will never make a picture. Get on with what you have first!


What Jac said!

Learn to use what you have. Become better than the lens.

Of interest: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?66086-Ilex-Acutar-215mm-f6-3