First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

[Esstee]

Hi, I'm getting ready to pull the plug on an 8x10 camera - been wanting one for as long as I can remember and finally have the opportunity to get one, and so I wanted to ask if anyone could recommend a lens that will hopefully allow me to shoot landscape and possibly some portrait work though not essential.

With that said, I would really like to shoot 8x10 using one single lens, as I have a cabinet full of lenses, and where I really just want to shoot landscapes with this particular camera.
And so, could anyone recommend a good lens that would hopefully allow movements, as well as a large enough aperture to hopefully help keep my shutter high enough to accommodate the vivacious Newfoundland landscapes(very windy here), lots of big waves, etc...

[Vaughn]

Fuji W 300/5.6 (or European equal) -- in a Copal 3 shutter. It was been my 8x10 one-lens...perhaps leaning more towards landscapes than portraits, though.

On the wide side of normal for the format. I found it a versatile focal length for 8x10.

[robphoto]

Fuji W 300/5.6 -- in a Copal 3 shutter..

Very fine lens, and I own it, but I'd advise anyone to see and lift one before purchase: it's a big, heavy lens.

[Vaughn]

Very fine lens, and I own it, but I'd advise anyone to see and lift one before purchase: it's a big, heavy lens.

Not compared to my Fuji W 360mm plasmat! :cool:

But lots of movements and fast. Esstee: You will find that stop-action 8x10 work is not easy, but by no means impossible or improbable. Depth of Field issues that crop up with longer lens can limit how wide of an aperture one can use without giving up DoF and/or shutter speed.

[BrianShaw]

Twelve inch Kodak commercial ektar

[Jody_S]

Lenses are like potato chips. Nobody can stop at one.

[Ari]

Use the focal length that you use most in other formats.

Some possible contenders:
Fuji 250mm f/6.7
a double or triple convertible lens
Nikkor-M 450

My most used lens on 8x10 is a 210, but that's probably no one else's cup of tea.

[Esstee]

Use the focal length that you use most in other formats.
That sounds like a good approach to take, my main landscape lens on FF is a 35mm, and so I guess that would put me right around 300mm

[William Whitaker]

Good recommendations already. But you can never go wrong with a Dagor. 12" Dagor is appropriate to a lot of situations. You won't regret it!
Remember that with large format and especially with 8x10 and larger as you focus closer, e.g. portrait distances, bellows factor comes into play such that a 12" lens can quickly become effectively a 14" lens. So if you start with a longer nominal focal length, your effective working focal length will put you into the realm of a longer lens very quickly with the resulting loss of depth of field. Likewise your coverage will effectively increase because your lens is now further from the film plane. That can have its benefits, although loss of depth of field usually is not beneficial.
So while a 14" lens may be considered a "normal" lens for 8x10, you'd probably do well to stick to looking for a 12" lens. And again the Dagor is a very worthy design. Lots of modern formulations are worthy too, as already mentioned. See what the market has to offer, then choose wisely.
In the end you pay your money and you take your choice. And then you learn to use it. It's a journey. Enjoy! :-)

[paulbarden]

Another vote for the 12" Ektar, Commercial f6.3 or the non-Commercial f4.5

[Ari]

my main landscape lens on FF is a 35mm, and so I guess that would put me right around 300mm

To be more precise, that would put you right at 240mm: https://lensn2shutter.com/35mmchart.html
But 240mm lenses typically don't have a lot of coverage, maybe a Computar 240 f/9 has some extra wiggle room.
So if you need more coverage, the Fuji 250 f/6.7 will work. Ditto the Kodak Wide Field Ektar 250mm, but the Fuji is lighter and in a more reliable shutter.

[Hugo Zhang]

Get a Cooke XVa convertible lens and you are done.

[lenicolas]

I’d go for the Fuji 250mm.
Closer to the 35mm field of view you like, a little less bellows extension than a 300mm, making you a little less vulnerable to wind, and a little more depth of field if you have to use wide apertures.
For the occasional portrait you could just crop to 5x7 or even 4x5 and still have a huge negative with plenty of detail.

[Esstee]

Thanks so much for all your input to everyone who offered

It looks like the Fuji 250mm will be a good choice of lens - maybe I'll revise this once I get my LF legs, but I'm thinking this will do just fine given that it will match my favorite FF FOV
With that being said, and as final question before placing an order, are there any models or variants of this lens that stand-out or that I should be wary of?

[Ari]

With that being said, and as final question before placing an order, are there any models or variants of this lens that stand-out or that I should be wary of?

Don't buy the f/6.3 version, it doesn't cover 8x10. The lettering on that version is on the outside of the barrel.
You want the lettering inside the lens rim.
This one:
215889

[Esstee]

Don't buy the f/6.3 version, it doesn't cover 8x10. The lettering on that version is on the outside of the barrel.
You want the lettering inside the lens rim.
This one:
215889
Awesome - thanks a bunch!

[Vaughn]

If you had not mentioned portrait work, the Fuji W 250/6.7 would have been one of my top recomendations...I like mine on 8x10 and 4x10.

Unless you are going light-weight on everything (pack, pod/head , wood holders, $lightweight camera body, etc), an extra pound of lens is not significant. If I had forgotten my lens, I would not know it until I took the pack off and looked inside. Depends on one's size, age, and back, of course. I was only in my early 40s when I started carrying an 8x10 around...no big deal (w/ Ries over my shoulder...once I got rid of the big Majestic).

But if I needed to take less lenses, the 250/6.7 would stay in the pack...and perhaps the 19" RD Artar in barrel for a lighter long lens.

[neil poulsen]

Awesome - thanks a bunch!

And just to be sure, you want the 250mm with lettering inside the rim that has maximum aperture f6.7.

[Esstee]

If you had not mentioned portrait work, the Fuji W 250/6.7 would have been one of my top recomendations...I like mine on 8x10 and 4x10..
No worries, I had considered the notion that I might not get the best of both worlds, though I though I'd mention it just in case.

Having said that, and just out of curiosity, what lens would you consider to be the better portrait lens on 8x10?
For example, such as taking photos of subjects outside?


And just to be sure, you want the 250mm with lettering inside the rim that has maximum aperture f6.7.

Yes, very happy to know that, and have already begun with procurement :)

[Vaughn]

If we are not talking head or head&shoulder full-frame portraits, either will work fine. Otherwise they might be considered a little on the short side. Both are rather sharp which some portrait workers avoid. I used the Fuji W 300 extensively for environmental portraits, but those are a whole different beastie!

[Bernice Loui]

Camera serves, lens, combo serves your image goals. Ponder and ask yourself what your image goals are then what lens focal length and rendering will meet these image goals. There is no single lens that can meet all image goals and image making needs.

Keep in mind any view camera is nothing more than a light tight box that is flexi in the center.

Landscape image making can involve any lens focal length from ultra wide to telephoto depending your what you're trying to achieve as the done image. As for camera movements, that also depends on image goals. Typically landscape images usually need modest camera movements compared to images like studio table top which can be extremely demanding on lens, camera, lighting and more.

It would be wise to sort out image goals, lenses needed to achieve this with the camera choice being last on this list as discovering the camera of choice has great difficult accommodating the lens(es) needed to achieve the image goals.


Know 8x10 view camera alone is not an image making panacea, it has a long list of difficulties and challenges unlike other film cameras and image making methods-process.


Bernice




Hi, I'm getting ready to pull the plug on an 8x10 camera - been wanting one for as long as I can remember and finally have the opportunity to get one, and so I wanted to ask if anyone could recommend a lens that will hopefully allow me to shoot landscape and possibly some portrait work though not essential.

With that said, I would really like to shoot 8x10 using one single lens, as I have a cabinet full of lenses, and where I really just want to shoot landscapes with this particular camera.
And so, could anyone recommend a good lens that would hopefully allow movements, as well as a large enough aperture to hopefully help keep my shutter high enough to accommodate the vivacious Newfoundland landscapes(very windy here), lots of big waves, etc...

[esearing]

Schneider 300/500 (12"/15") convertible is a nice heavy lens for distant landscape. It may depend how far away you are from your subjects.

if you have deep pockets a Cooke Series XVa Triple Convertible Lens can be used as 12.25", 19", or 25.5" focal length covering your normal to long lengths.

[j.e.simmons]

If you’re lucky like me you can find a 12 1/2” Rapid Rectilinear triple convertible for $15.50.

[BrianShaw]

If you’re lucky like me you can find a 12 1/2” Rapid Rectilinear triple convertible for $15.50.

Nobody else on the face of the Earth will be as lucky as that!

[Maris Rusis]

Fuji W 300/5.6 (or European equal) -- in a Copal 3 shutter. It was been my 8x10 one-lens.......

Fujinon-W 300mm f5.6 for me too. It's a sharp modern plasmat with a big image circle.

Against the rules and unofficially this lens can be used as a convertible. With the front half removed leaving just the shutter and the rear group, the focal length doubles. Stop down two stops to take care of most of the focus shift, then focus, stop down some more and shoot. Oh, and also add 3 stops for the effects of bellows extension and the reduced entrance pupil. Plenty sharp enough for contact prints.

The same Fujinon 300mm with a #1 close up lens screwed onto it becomes a useful 250mm semi-wide. Again stop well down and the image is sharp enough for contacts.

Why abuse such a nice lens? For many years it was my only 8x10 lens and it had to do everything.

[Esstee]

...With the front half removed leaving just the shutter and the rear group, the focal length doubles

Now that is intriguing!

I'm still going to get the Fuji 250mm, and swore I would only get the one lens, but now I'm thinking maybe the magic formula is 'two lenses' to do it all :cool:

[Vaughn]

Just don't forget that you need the bellows for those long conversions! My Zone VI will not focus a 28" lens at infinity...not enough bellows. And of course one would even need more bellows for closer work (portraits). I have to switch to the Kodak 2D for that.

[Bernice Loui]

One lens might do it, or 100 lenses might do it. All depends on what the print or image goals are. There is no single lens that can or will do it all. With that fact and reality in mind, any camera choice will be forced to support all of that. Or why camera should never be the driving factor for this view camera stuff.


Bernice



Now that is intriguing!

I'm still going to get the Fuji 250mm, and swore I would only get the one lens, but now I'm thinking maybe the magic formula is 'two lenses' to do it all :cool: