Longest lens on Wisner traditional

[Rider]

The Bellows draw on a Wisner traditional is 500mm.

Would anyone consider using a non-telephoto 450mm (the small Fuji) on this camera for landscapes, or is it just too restrictive?

[Ted Harris]

Restrictive is in the eye of the photographer ... all depends on what you want in your image. My 450mm Nikkor M is one of my less used lenses for 4x5 but when I want tight composition and can't move closer then I am very happy to have it in my kit.

[Rider]

Ted, would you even be able to use it if you had only 500mm of bellows draw? That's what I mean by restrictive. I have this nutty idea of doing wildlife photography with a 450mm.

[Brian Ellis]

I'd think a 450mm lens on a 500mm bellows should be fine. There's a formula for figuring out how close you can focus but I don't know what it is, probably some of the more mathematically inclined here can provide it. But apart from math, I use a 12 inch lens with a 13 inch bellows and can focus that to about 10 - 12 feet. That's roughly 10% more bellows than focal length, which is about what you would have with a 450mm lens and 500mm of bellows. I don't find 10-12 feet to be unduly restrictive, when I use a 300mm lens it's usually for a distant object, not something up close. But using a 450mm lens on a 4x5 camera for wildlife? Apart from the other obvious problems, I wouldn't think it's long enough. With 35mm 300mm is usually considered a minimum length for wildlife and the 4x5 rough equivalent of a 300mm lens in 35mm is about 1100mms.

[Ted Harris]

Like Brin says you can figure the math for how close you can get with 500mm of bellows but a bit more detail. The Fuji 450 C that you mention has a flange focal length of 425.3mm which gives you a good bit of room to play with a 500mm bellows. The question is how close? Not to mention I question getting up very close to wildlife with a LF setup unless you are going to setup in a blind and just wait for the critters to wander by .... or come to my place and setup on the Farmers Porch outside the barn :). What are you thinking about in terms of distance beetween your camera and subject?

[John Powers]

The Nikon 450mm M is the longest lens I use on my Linhof Technikardan 45. Bellows is 485mm and I use the macro/telephoto rail. I use it for distant landscapes when I can't move closer.

I would be interested to know what wildlife would be tame and patient enough to let me go through the gyrations of set up to pose for a picture. Are you planning to set up in advance in a blind? If shooting close be sure to check how close the lens you choose can focus. I remember having difficulty focusing for a test on a wall that was about 22 feet away.

John

[Rider]

By wildlife, I'm imagining "environmental portraiture" of slow-moving critters, not close-up of a bear's tooth as it chases down an antelope.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a herd of buffalo in Yellowstone. They don't move too fast (usually). What I'm imagining is a shot with a 450mm being no different than a 450mm on a 35mm camera, except that you can see more of the surroundings.

I did not realize the 450mm Fuji had flange distance of only 425.3mm; that's certainly helpful.

Would a 500mm or 600mm telephoto be more suitable for what I have in mind?

[John Powers]

Coincidentally I had similar ideas and posed such a question about a year ago. I would encourage you to read the APUG thread of advice I received clear to the end. The stories are both amusing and frightening. http://www.apug.org/forums/forum54/25744-buffalo-not-city-photographers.html

John

[Brian Vuillemenot]

I use the Fujinon C 450 on my 4X5 Wisner TF all the time, and it is probably my second favorite lens. From the looks of it, there is still at least around 4-6 inches of bellows extension remaining when it is focused at infinity. I believe the TF has a bit more extension than the Traditional and Expedition models, but they should both be fine with this lens. I've used it to shoot quite a bit of wildlife, including a number of mad cows up in Sonoma a few weeks ago!

[Rider]

I use the Fujinon C 450 on my 4X5 Wisner TF all the time, and it is probably my second favorite lens. From the looks of it, there is still at least around 4-6 inches of bellows extension remaining when it is focused at infinity. I believe the TF has a bit more extension than the Traditional and Expedition models, but they should both be fine with this lens. I've used it to shoot quite a bit of wildlife, including a number of mad cows up in Sonoma a few weeks ago!

The Wisner Technical has about 80mm more bellows extension (according to the published specs), which could make all the difference. I will try to borrow a 450 and see how it goes.