6x7 Roll back lens question for 4x5

[Gerry Harrison]

Hello,

I have just got a Cambo ( new style ) 6x7 roll back for my Cambo 4x5 and was wondering if my 210 lens will work or is their something better. New to large format. Thanks Gerry

[BrianShaw]

It will work just fine, if that's the perspective you are after. I prefer, though, to use a wider lens to get closer to a "normal" perspective.

[Glenn Thoreson]

Think of it as cropping a 4X5 to make it look like a telephoto shot. You would actually be using the sharpest part of the image circle with your 210. A "normal" focal length for 6X7 would be around 105mm. I, for one, am not usually a "normal" person, though. :D

[Narcissist]

210mm would be a pretty long lens to use. I use a 110mm with my 6x7 back which is just slightly longer than 'normal' which is around 100mm. Take a look at typical focal lengths for RB67/pentax 67 to get an idea.

[Brian Ellis]

I used a 200mm lens with 6x7 quite a lot, it should be a useful focal length for your 6x7back unless you tend to use lenses with a wider angle of view most of the time. I wouldn't use it as my only 6x7 lens though. I think most people would want at least three lenses, something in the 200mm range which you have, a "normal" lens in the 100mm range, and a wide angle lens in the 45-55mm range. These are just generalities of course, your method of photographing might dictate different choices. If you plan to use this and any other lens for 4x5 as well as 6x7 then you'll want to check out conversion factors. There are plenty of tables that will give you this information, just Google on something like "focal length conversion factors."

[Brian Stein]

I predominantly use 6x7 backs as time/space/energy leave me with type 55 for 4x5 work. I use a 210 quite a lot as my 'longish' lens.

Rough approximation/rule of thumb: 6x7 to 35mm divide focal length by 2, 4x5 to 35mm divide by 3. So a 210 lens will be roughly 100 mm 35mm equivalent or 300 mm 4x5 equivalent: shortish telephoto in other words. Wide angle on 6x7 is about 65mm or shorter, 'normal' is around 90-110.

[Gary Tarbert]

Hi Gerry ,if you want to shoot everything slightly telephoto then this a good choice.
Depends on your favorite type of photography if you shoot landscapes maybe too long?
If you shoot architecture (interiors) absolutely too long!!
If you shoot portraits then great .
But i would keep an eye out for something a tad wider if i were you.Cheers gary

[65Galaxie]

I absolutely love my 135 lens with my 6x7 back. Great for portraits like Seniors. I do have a coupled rangefinder which makes handheld usage fast and easy. The 135 lens will do tighter head and shoulder pictures and full figure pictues will softly blur the background. For landscape work it's back to the 4x5 back. If I were doing scenics and shooting transparency film I would consider the 6x9 back as it'll give you a wider picture that allows some cropping if need be. With negative film it's hard to get proofs made on the 6x9 format. (my pro lab wold only do contact proos with 6x9 and if that's the case I might as well scan and do my own proofs on the computer).