Wide angle for 5x7?

[Scott --]

Hi, all -

I'm thinking I'd like a wide angle lens to cover 5x7, maybe something around 150mm. Anyone have ideas which cover with decent room for movements? Fujinon? Nikon? This may turn into a WTB before it's done, but I'm hoping to hear some experiences with different lenses before I make a decision.

Thanks,
Scott

[Eric James]

This is a handy table:

http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/lenses.html

[Eric Leppanen]

If you can get by with moderate movements then the 150 APO Sironar W is arguably the best solution for a modern, multi-coated 5x7 wide angle lens. It is fairly rare but crops up several times a year on Ebay. The next step up size-wise is a Super Symmar HM or (if money is no object and you need lots of coverage) a Super Symmar XL. But these latter two lenses are much larger and heavier. An ideal 5x7 WA lens would fall between these two extremes, but alas none exists, at least among modern lenses.

[Nick_3536]

The Fuji-W 150mm F/5.6 not the slower Tessar. Stated coverage is 245mm but it lights an 8x10 ground glass. This is the first series W so single coated. Smallish 46mm filters. #0 type Seiko shutter. Normally less then $200 at KEH.

[Bill_1856]

6" Goerz Dagor.

[Michael Graves]

150mm 5.6 Fujinon on 5x7.....

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

If you can get by with a image circle of ~250mm either the Symmar-HM or the Sironar-W will work admirably. Alternatively the G-Claron will provide about 270mm of IC. For a larger IC you will need to either get a super-wide lens like a 155 Grandagon, 150 Symmar XL or a 165 S. Angulon.

Of course, older wide field lenses the 6.5" WA Dagor or the 165mm Angulon work surprisingly well.

[Ernest Purdum]

I don't know anything about your budget, but if it is tight, you might consider the Wollensak Extreme Wide Angle 159mm f12.5 or f9.5 Raptars.

[Don Hutton]

120mm Schneider Super Angulon f8 rocks as a wide on 5x7.

[sanking]

If you want a 150mm lens for 5X7 there have already been a number of good suggestions.

However, 150mm is really not very wide for this format. You might want to think about your needs from the perspective of three to five focal lengths, in which case I would suggest something on the order of 105mm, 180mm, 240mm, 300mm and 450mm, or 125mm, 210mm, 300mm, 450mm and 600mm. Depending on what I plan to photography I usually carry one of the above combinations for 5X7.

Also, what do you value most? Coverage or size? In wide angle coverage you don't often get the two together. For example, the very small 120mm Angulon will cover 5X7 ok, but with limited movements. A modern 125mm wide angle, Fujinon SWD for example, will cover with a lot more movement, but is much larger.

It really depends on how many lenses you plan to use, and what you photograph. But it makes sense to think about your overall nees, not just in terms of one focal length.

Sandy King

[Dave Aharonian]

Ditto what Sandy said. I don't find 150mm to be very wide at all for 5x7. My focal lengths are 90, 110, 180, 240, 300 and 450. I use the 110 most often and its a very nice wide angle for this format. The 90 is very wide in 5x7 and I don't use it nearly as much as the 110.

[Oren Grad]

I agree with the advice to consider your kit as a whole.

That said, 150 is as wide as I ever go on 5x7, and the 150 Apo-Sironar (W) is the lens I use.

[turtle]

I think a 110Xl as the wide and 150 sironar W (if you can find one) as the medium wide is about perfect. Alternatively you could go for 180 as the mild wide and get more coverage and lower price than a 150 sironar W. I would not personally go for the symmar HM as this 150 weighs the same as the 150XL, but wont cover 10x8 and is double the weight of the sironar w. I have a little 150 G claron and will see what the coverage is like....not used it yet.

[Ole Tjugen]

http://www.bruraholo.no/images/Lodalen_GF.jpg

Schneider Angulon 165mm f/6.8

I use a 120 Angulon and a 121 Super Angulon too...

[turtle]

Ole,

I was looking to track down a 165 Angulon but the prices seem to be going up and up....last one on epay in nice condition went for $500! For that money one can buy a NEW Nikkor 180 w ($529) or a mint used 180 APO symmar for about $350-400) all of which cover as well if not better than the 150 Sironar W (but not as well as the 165 Angulon). I have seen quite a few less clean 165 angulons in the 350 range but the same comparison holds true....in fact I saw a used Fuji 180 A F9 go for $330....

I will see if that 150 G claron covers as well as some say it does (and some say it does not!!!) and stick with that if it offers enough movement. If not, the used 180 looks a very good bet to avoid paying the $1000 the 150 sironar W commands. I will keep an eye out for a bargain 165 Angulon for 5x7 use but if the current prices are anything to go by, I would happily use a modern lens. The Sironar S 180mm has ample circle for 5x7 (maybe not for your mountains tho!!) and weighs only about 50g more than the angulon....has a modern shutter and can be bought used for about $500-600. The Nikkor 180 W has a cirlce listed as 252 but only weighs 180g....the fuji 180 A weights 185g!!! altho I am suspicious about fully shar corners on 5x7 for this one.

[Chuck Pere]

Wasn't there a recent View Camera article on 5x7 wide angles? I think it was two parts but I don't recall seeing part 2. I use the 150 G-Claron. It handles my smallish landscape movements. Small and really pretty cheap.

[Ole Tjugen]

I was looking to track down a 165 Angulon but the prices seem to be going up and up....last one on epay in nice condition went for $500! ...

There have been some attempts to put the blame for that price increase on me.

Can't possibly be true - I have all the Angulons I need, and have even sold my two "spares"!

[turtle]

I meant 380g for the Nikkor 180w and 185g for the 180 f9 A....

Yeah Ole it must have been YOU...who cares, these things peak and trough as interests shift about! There is plenty of good value glass about...but for me the Sironar W 150 has gone too far also, esp as people are asking top dollar for less than wonderful examples. 250mm coverage is nice but is hardly excessive for 5x7. 276 of teh Sironar S/Symmar L is abit more comfortable!

[Larry H-L]

I went through the 150mm for 5x7 quest recently. I found the G-Claron 150 to offer enough movements for most applications, but it seemed to be very contrasty and almost harsh looking. (I don't have this issue with the 210 G-Claron).

I also tried the 150mm f6.3 Computar Symmetrigon, nicer tones, but not much in the way of movements. It is a bigger in size, (Copal 1) but is fairly light in weight.

Finally settled on a 6" Dagor when I found one I could afford.

[Scott --]

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I'm doing a lot of reading now.

FWIW, I'm finding some Fujinon-W 150s that are reasonably in my price range. I have a 210mm lens for the 5x7, so by Sandy's listing, a 125 would be useful. As much as I'd agree, too, I have a feeling it'd be way out of my budget (a couple hundred, give or take). Movement-wise, I can see using some rise/fall, maybe a little tilt. If my math is right (and it's always suspect), I have a diagonal of about 219mm. How can I tell if a Fujinon W is the CMW variety (with the published IC of 223mm) or the older, single-coated variety (with the published IC of 245mm), and would either be a good fit?

Anyone have something applicable they're looking to part with?

Thanks,
Scott

[Nick_3536]

I think all the 125mm are basically 4x5 lenses. You could consider a 120mm but they tend to be bigger and more expensive.

How to tell a Fuji-W from a later one?

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/fujinon.htm

Kerry's webpage gives the info. But I like to check the filter size. The newer the lens the bigger the filter it uses. That seems to hold for most of the Fuji-W types.

http://members.aol.com/subgallery/byseries.htm

[Eric Woodbury]

Your math on the diagonal is spot on, but measure a film holder and you'll see you need about 210mm. Given that 5x7 is a big neg, you can always crop a bit.

I've been shooting 57 for 20 years and the 150 is a great length. It also works nicely with the other available lengths such that I have an even distribution from 72mm up with 0.7x magnification jumps. 72, 110, 150, 210, 300, etc. These are all common focal lengths, the 72 being extremely wide, and all cover 57 easily. Perhaps the 150 is the toughest focal length to find that works well with 57. I did it for years with the 'standard 150' that is used for 4x5. I think it was a Caltar. It was tight. Not much movement, but it worked. Now I have the Sironar W which is more than adequate, but a real bugger to find and more expensive now than new.

Get something you like.

[Scott --]

Thanks, Nick. That makes the one I was looking at either a CM-W or so. Drat. Back to trolling.

Ah, even better, Eric. Thanks for the input.

[Carsten Wolff]

Scott,
My widest 5x7 lens is probably the 4 3/8" WA Dagor. So tiny, it's smaller than a 90mm Angulon and it just covers even 8x10 [I think I tried the 75mm SW Nikkor once on 5x7, but it only just covered at f32 or so without ANY movements.] My moderate wide is a 165/8.5....

[Ted Harris]

I use the 150 Sironar W. In fact, it always travels ith me when I am shooting 5x7. Only problem is that they have gotten stupidly expensive and the new, liited runs are even more so.

[Scott --]

Thanks, guys. I found a Super Angulon 121/8. Shutter might need a little work (might not), and I have to build a lensboard for it, but I think I have a couple undrilled blanks. Price was right, and I've got my fingers crossed!

[Scott --]

Well, the SA 121/8 arrived yesterday. Mounted it to a nice little board, and took it out today:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/bliorg/th_crop010.jpg (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/bliorg/crop010.jpg) http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/bliorg/th_crop009.jpg (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/bliorg/crop009.jpg)

That be a honkin' lens. In wonderful shape, and nice and wide for 5x7.

Thanks for all the input on this, everyone.
Scott