What's the next 8x10 lens to buy?

[Craig Tuffin]

I've just taken the plunge after some time using 4x5 and purchased an 8x10 Chamonix from Andy Biggs on the forum (great guy and a gorgeous camera). I also contacted Hugo and have ordered the rotating 4x5 reducing back...just to keep a little loyal to my familiar 4x5. I have only one (perhaps two) lenses that will suit the larger format - a Nikkor f5.6 240mm and a 9" Petzval I bought from Eddie that I'm going to give a run to see how much fall-off and swirl I can create on 8x10. I want to contact print and Bromoil (when I learn how) with my main work being portraits, but enjoying the odd landscape as well.

I know that I've got some freedom with soft focus barrel lenses for my portrait work (thanks to reading many of Jim Galli's posts :) ), but I'm trying to get the best and most sensible focal length lenses to cover a range of subjects/styles...I'll collect more barrel lenses along the way as I learn more about them.

I figure my next lens after the 240mm should be a 360mm (the Nikkor f6.5 looks nice) and any suggestions about and beyond this would be really appreciated.

[Darryl Baird]

"...lenses to cover a range of subjects/styles"

I think it would be helpful to narrow this part down to something a little more concrete. Can you be more specific? What were you shooting in 4x5?

[John Kasaian]

I find a 14" Commercial Ektar very useful, and a 19" Artar as well. Either of these, or the same focal lengths in a Dagor should have you well covered, Another alternative to consider might be a triple convertable (the Wollensak 1a, for example---less $$ than a Cooke and seems to age better than Turner Reichs.)

[Craig Tuffin]

"...lenses to cover a range of subjects/styles"

I think it would be helpful to narrow this part down to something a little more concrete. Can you be more specific? What were you shooting in 4x5?

I mentioned my work is primarily portraits...more specifically 'street' portraits of drug-addicts and homeless. However I still want to be able to photograph landscapes without owning a plethora of lenses (or buying them right now after spending so much on a new camera).

Some wide open work, but also some stopping down for sharpness right through the shot.

Thanks John for your input. What do you recommend in regards to shutters? A Cooke would be nice but I'd have to sell a kidney right now to afford one :p

[Archphoto]

If you already have and use 4x5 you can answer your question yourself:
Look at the lenses that you use and love right now and multiply their focal lengh with 2 and you will come up with the lenses for your 8x10, if you want to make the same type of shots that is.

Peter

[Craig Tuffin]

Ok, it seems I need to clarify.

I get your point about focal lengths can be a multiple of my 4x5 lens FL. The issue I suppose is that I'm unfamiliar with the particular makes of lenses that have the image circles that provide room for lots of movements etc. against sharpness, best price or value for money etc. suitable for 8x10. Should I get the Nikkor 360mm as opposed to the ......360mm because it's sharper, has a larger image circle than the .......yet only costs $......?

I know a lot of this is personal choice but I need somewhere to start and would prefer to have an idea before I buy.

I use 4x5 but I'm no expert and would value some opinions from those who know more than me and have worked with lenses I've never touched.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Craig,

I agree with John, the 14" or 12" Commercial Ektars are truly fine, they came in Ilex shutters.

"I mentioned my work is primarily portraits...more specifically 'street' portraits of drug-addicts and homeless."

The Chamonix takes 5.5" Sinar boards so:

Goerz Dogmar 420/5.5
Gundlach Radar 10x12 (400/4.5)
Voigtlander Heliar 36cm/4.5
Schnieder Xenar 360/4.5

can all fit trimming the flange ring for clearance, all need a Packard shutter.

Have fun with the new toy.

[venchka]

The Fuji "A" and "C" lenses always get high praise from LFPF members. Search this forum for information. I don't know for sure if the 240mm Fuji A lens covers 8x10, but the longer ones will.

Fuji lens specs:

http://www.willwilson.com/fujinon.html

[Ben Syverson]

The 300 A covers with tons of movements. I heard the 240 barely covers 8x10.

[Frank Petronio]

I really liked the 14" Ektar when I shot 8x10 portraits -- sharp yet smooth, nice wide open, plenty of coverage. I imagine the modern 5.6 lenses might be a tad sharper and the modern Copal shutters are much more accurate than the big Ilexes, but so long as you are shooting negative film and not going for 10" tall ultra-sharp prints I'd pick the Ektar first. The Ilexes also have nice circular apertures.

[jeroldharter]

I just went through the same process.

I picked up a


Schneider G-Claron 240
Schneider G-Claron 305
Nikkor 300 M (already had that)
Schneider 360mm f6.8 (enormous size and weight. Not sure what to carry it in yet.)
Fujinon 450mm C


If you opt for the 360 plasmat type lenses, be ready for some labor if you are walking far. The 300 is fine for full length portraits and the 450 for closer.

[Drew Wiley]

The Fuji 240A easily covers 8x10, though not with sufficient room for a lot of rise,
as in architectual photography. With back tilt and a reasonable amount of front tilt,
it is fine, similar to G-Claron in 250 but with higher contrast and maybe a bit less
coverage. Very different look than a 10-inch commercial Ektar.

[Carsten Wolff]

I find a 14" Commercial Ektar very useful, and a 19" Artar as well. Either of these, or the same focal lengths in a Dagor should have you well covered, Another alternative to consider might be a triple convertible (the Wollensak 1a, for example---less $$ than a Cooke and seems to age better than Turner Reichs.)
I second John's thoughts completely, with the caveat that I found that an uncoated Wolly (or in my case "Conley" -same lens-) really benefits from a very good shade, or even a compendium. I've also had both the 14" Ektar and the 19" Apo-Artar and only sold them because I ended up sticking to the smaller formats. (I probably could have kept the Ektar as a 5x7 portrait lens). A 16" Ektar should also work for you.
Having said that, the 450mm Fujinon-C is a gem!

[FilmIsNotDead]

I've put a lot of thought into this also. I chose a lens as the central point with a FL of approximately "normal"... a 300mm Fujinon-C. I shoot landscapes so I don't need a huge amoung of extra coverage. I like some distance between my lens FL's of a bare minimum of x1.33 and a maximum of x1.6 so I added a Fujinon 450-C and am now looking for something in the 650-800mm range as the cap. I would get 600mm Fuji-C but the FL is just a wee bit too close to 450 for my taste... but if a great deal comes my way I'll jump on it. I then added a 210mm Nikkor-W, 110mm SS XL, and a 72mm SA XL (for 4x10 pano). I'm now looking for a 150mm SS XL to fill the gap between the 110 and 210.

So to recap:
72mm SA XL (4x10)
110mm SA XL
150mm SA XL (looking to buy)
210mm Nik-W
300mm Fuji-C
450mm Fuji-C
~700mm 'don't know what' or 600mm Fuji-C (looking to buy)

I chose the closer distances between the 150/210/300 due to product availability. I didn't want to carry a big/heavy 165mm SA and opted for the small/light 150mm SS XL instead. Also, I wanted the 300 and 450 Fujinons so I didn't opt for the 240/360 FL's though had I done so it would have made my choice for the longest lens simpler... a the Fuji 600.

All in all the range and gaps are about right for me.

[John Kasaian]

Thanks John for your input. What do you recommend in regards to shutters? A Cooke would be nice but I'd have to sell a kidney right now to afford one :p

You're welcome!:)

The Commercial Ektar and Artar are most often found in Ilex shutters, which I find are perfectly capable shutters. The 19" Artar will usually reside in a #4 Acme while the 14" Commercial Ektar will likely be found in a #5 Universal. The Wolly 1a usually comes in a Wollensak shutter (which I really like as well.) What you need to know is that if you have a double action shutter (the kind that cock and fire with one plunge) such as the Ilex Universal or Wollensak Betax, you'll likely need a long throw cable release in order to reliably trip the shutter. Gepes do a good job and there may be other makes of cable release that do just as well. I have not had good results with Minettes on double action shutters.

A wee bit more info to whet your appetite:

Yousef Karsh shot many of his portraits with a 14" Comercial Ektar.

john nanian has used a Wollensak 1a to make some pretty impressive photographs---you might do a search here or on APUG to see if he has posted any of his images taken with the Wolly.

Have fun!

[Craig Tuffin]

Great advice guys...you've had me madly searching out more info on the specs you've given.

[roger]

I have read about numerous lenses that are excellent for 8x10. I have several that I like, but I find when I use my lightweight Richard Ritter 8x10 camera, I almost always carry a 240mm sinaron and a 480mm apo ronar for their compactness and relative light weight. These are moderate wide angle and moderate long lenses respectively in 8x10 and provide coverage for most shooting situations. I think any of the many lenses available in the 240mm and 450 to 480mm focal length would work as well. The fuji c lenses are very compact, but currently overpriced on EBAY. The nikkor 450 lens is excellent and reasonably priced. I have other lenses ranging from 120mm super wide angle Nikkor to a 1070mm apo ronar long lens. I like my 165mm super angulon for very wide angle work, but it is heavy.

[Mark Sawyer]

With the caveat that this is stupid advice from a stupid person...


"What's the next 8x10 lens to buy?"


It's kinda like saying, "there are two and a half billion women in the world. Which one should I go out with next?"

Okay, that's not very helpful...

But if you really, and I mean really, get into lenses, the question is probably something like, "I have thirty-seven different twelve-inch lenses for my 8x10. What twelve-inch lens should I buy next?"

Craig, go back and re-read every answer to your question. And keep this in mind, you might as well be on a heroin forum asking what sort of heroin you should buy next...