Lenses for 10x8"

[The Muid]

Hi everyone,

I'm after buying a 10x8" Toyo camera off ebay. I'm hoping now to buy some lenses for it, as cheaply as possible. However, I'm finding it hard to find lenses that will cover the 10x8" format, with enough coverage for me to use the full movements of the format.

I was thinking of a 210mm, 300mm, 360mm and maybe a 150mm lens too. Is there any way to tell from the names of the lens whether or not it'd cover the format? or any other way?

Thanks for all your help


Diarmuid:cool:

[IanG]

Look on the Schneider websites, they will help.

basically a 300mm is standard, but the 240mm Symmar will cover 10x8, the 210mm Symar won't. the 165mm Super Angulon is roughly equivalent to a 90mm on 5x4 and covers well, the 120/121mm SA doesn't quiote cover but some people use them.

There's plenty of info on the other part of this site.

Ian

[Dave_B]

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lenses/LF8x10in.html

This information is elsewhere on this site. The link above is an example. The search function can help you find it. Good luck.

[Walter Calahan]

My kit for 10-8:

120; 165; 240; 311 (Cooke XVa); 360; 476 (Cooke XVa); 646 (Cooke XVa); Nikkor 600/800/1200 convertible.

Good luck.

[John O'Connell]

I'm hoping now to buy some lenses for it, as cheaply as possible.

Short answer:

There are plenty of 300mm and 360mm cheap options. Forget the 210mm: none of the cheap options are very attractive, and get a 165mm Super Angulon instead.

[erie patsellis]

Short answer:

There are plenty of 300mm and 360mm cheap options. Forget the 210mm: none of the cheap options are very attractive, and get a 165mm Super Angulon instead.

Unless you luck into a 210 angulon, that is...

[Ole Tjugen]

My "main kit" is:

121/8 Super Angulon (tends to give at least one dark corner unless I use 18x24cm film which is a little smaller)

165/6.8 Angulon

210/6.8 Angulon

240/5.6 Symmar

300/5.6 Symmar

355/9 G-Claron

That's about as cheap as it's possible to get. The two Symmars are convertible too, giving 420mm and 500mm respectively.

[John O'Connell]

Unless you luck into a 210 angulon, that is...

My luck is such that the last one I saw was selling for $1000. I also missed out on the barrel 210mm Computars when they were cheap. Not to mention the unlabeled Apo Sironar W opportunities that never happen for me . . .

[erie patsellis]

My luck is such that the last one I saw was selling for $1000. .......

heck for 2/3rds that I'd sell mine.;)...I was quite happy with a 210 Componon / Symmar on 8x10 (even though it SHOULDN'T work), I just happened to fall into the one I have.

erie

[Don Dudenbostel]

6-1/2 in WA Dagor
10 in WF Ektar
12 in Dagor
14 in RD Artar
19 in RD Artar

Also can use 120mm Nikkor, 6-1/2 Golden Dagor, 240 G Claron, 305mm G Claron and 450mm Nokkor M from my 5x7 kit.

[Ole Tjugen]

Unless you luck into a 210 angulon, that is...

There's one on ebay right now, a 1966 model. Should be coated, could be nice. I'm almost tempted to replace my uncoated one. ;)

[John Powers]

Diarmuid,

If you are photographing subjects that require long exposures, such as landscapes or macros of still life, you might consider process lenses. These do not have shutters and are found second hand in print shop cameras that are no longer current technology.

For instance I am doing a series on the locks and structures of a local canal. Nothing except the trees around them has moved in a hundred years. A friend offered me a wide angle English lens, a 300mm Wray for $20, that covers my 7x17 camera. Minimum coverage for 7x17 is a 464mm image circle. Minimum coverage for 8x10 is a 313mm image circle.

Working without a shutter means you open and close the lens cap or use a dark slide. You can only do this with some accuracy when exposures are in seconds rather than fractions.

John

[Nick_3536]

The 150mm is the only hard one.

210mm Fuji -W

300 and above any non-telephoto really. The fast ones is #3 shutters tend to be cheaper. Bigger and heavier. Odds are you won't need both a 300 and a 360mm.

[eric black]

I think I might be a little less traditional but my 8x10 kit is catered more towards 4x10 and includes the following
110 Super Symmar XL, 210 APO Symmar, 300 Nikkor M, 450 Fujinon-C and 600 Fujinon-C.
The 210 and 300 were both obtained used for less than $450 each

[MIke Sherck]

My 8x10 lenses are: 210 Fuji (barely covers but I use it rarely. In fact, I don't usually carry it,) 12" Commercial Ektar, and 420mm Fujinon L. Most used is the 420mm Fujinon. It's a heavy lens in a Copal 3 shutter, but if I had to drop all but one lens, this is the one I'd keep.

Mike

[John Kasaian]

Unless you're doing very specialized stuff you don't IMHO need a battery of lenses to enjoy your 8x10!

I don't know what is commonly found in Ireland, but in the US I think the 14" Commercial Ektar, 375mm Ilex, 12" Wollensak Velostigmat, 12" Dagor, 240mm G Claron (240 because it seems to be the most commonly available, but the other "G"s are also very desireable!) Wollensak 1A triple convertable, Convertable Symmar, or 19" APO (or RD) Artar are all fine lenses to look out for. In good condition, of course!

[Herb Cunningham]

I have a Nikkor 270 f10 that will cover and then some, my favorite is the ssxl 150, but I have a hugo meyer 165 that will fit in a shirt pocket.
If you are out west longer is better. I find here in the east that wider lenses are more useful.

[jb7]

There aren't a lot of 8x10 lenses commonly found in Ireland-

I've only recently started, so my experience is extremely limited,
but my single coated Fuji 210W would be my most used so far-
in fact, the only one I've used so far-

There are 2 Nikkor M's as well, 300 and 450, but I like movements,
and the 300 doesn't have any-

I might give it a go for some portraits soon though-
just need to set some time aside for them-

Good to see some more big cameras in Ireland-

Herb, is that the west of Ireland you're talking about?
I've never heard that rule of thumb here before...


j

[Mike Herring]

240mm is a good wide angle. Most 210mm will not cover 8x10. I have used 240 Nikkor-W and Rodenstock Sironar-N and they are superb.
210mm Schneider is very expensive and excellent.
300-360mm Plasmats from Fuji, Nikon, Rodenstock and Schneider will give the greatest coverage.
I use 240mm Sironar-N, 360mm Sironar-N and 480mm Apo-Ronar. 3 lenses should be ample for 8x10 unless you need ultra-wide angle. In this case you will require a 150mm-165mm from Schneider, Nikkor-SW or Rodenstock.

Have fun,
Mike



Hi everyone,

I'm after buying a 10x8" Toyo camera off ebay. I'm hoping now to buy some lenses for it, as cheaply as possible. However, I'm finding it hard to find lenses that will cover the 10x8" format, with enough coverage for me to use the full movements of the format.

I was thinking of a 210mm, 300mm, 360mm and maybe a 150mm lens too. Is there any way to tell from the names of the lens whether or not it'd cover the format? or any other way?

Thanks for all your help


Diarmuid:cool:

[The Muid]

Thanks a million for all your help everyone, I really appreciate it. Birthday's coming up soon, and these suggestions will no doubt return to plague my family :D


Diarmuid:cool:

[Lenny Eiger]

I was thinking of a 210mm, 300mm, 360mm and maybe a 150mm lens too. Is there any way to tell from the names of the lens whether or not it'd cover the format? or any other way?


It depends on what you are photographing....

If you are an architectural photographer, you may need an arsenal of many sizes. Commercial concerns also often need differing sizes for a variety of reasons.

However, if you are a fine artist, you should be advised that 90% of the folks in the history books used one camera and one lens for 10 or more years at a time. You are welcome to be one of the other 10%, but suffice it to say, multiple lenses are not necessary.

Some would say of larger scenes, pick up the camera and walk closer. (A 360 is a very small difference from a 300.) I carry two lenses as walking closer is not always possible, such as when there is a river in the middle... I don't carry a wide angle... I don't like the perspective of it. Using one lens primarily has the effect of sensitizing one to the area that it covers over time. Setting up a shot often takes less time, and one's seeing gets more sophisticated...

This is obviously only one perspective, there are many shootings styles represented by the folks on this list, I just wanted to let you know that you can go photograph with one lens and you don't have to wait until you have them all...

Lenny

[John Schneider]

If you are out west longer is better. I find here in the east that wider lenses are more useful.

I may be wrong, but I think Herb was talking about North America, in which case i would agree.

[The Muid]

Funnily enough, I would agree with him in an Irish context, lol, though he probably was talking about America. I shoot a lot in Mayo and the West/Mid-West of Ireland and since there's so much bog there, the zoom has until now been employed to get me close to those mountains, lol. When I'm in Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains, I find the wider end of the lens is needed to accommodate the up-close scenery.


Diarmuid:cool:

[Steve M Hostetter]

Hello,, 165mm 6.8 Angulon or Wallensak for wide.... 300mm 6.8 Goerz Dagor for normal.....

anything Artar for longer.... the Wray process lenses are great , I have a 12" and the 36" exptremely sharp but no shutters.....

480mm 8.4 Schneider ,, big lens but has a 500mm IC and is great for color

for extremely wide images I use a 115mm 6.8 Grandagon non MC w/ a cf. No movements available or required. Has tons of DOF!

[Steve M Hostetter]

PS... something to consider about barrel lenses you might find on ebay.. it is nice to get a barrel lens with the retaining ring and lens cap which doubles as the shutter.. Otherwise your forced to look for additional needs so don't just buy any ole 20.00 lens.. I wouldn't even consider a lens without the retaining ring unless you know a machinest