Your "standard" lens for 4x5 B&W landscapes

[Bill_1856]

While many of us have an obscene number of lenses to choose from, I suspect that most of us actually have a single focal length that we use for the vast majority of our landscapes.
John Blakemore is reported to only use a 180mm lens for his intimate British beauties, while Roman Loranc uses a 210mm Nikkor for those stunning California vistas.
My vision seems to be best matched with a 203mm Ektar.
I wonder what yours is?

[BrianShaw]

For 4x5 B&W landcapes I tend to always fall back to the same lens - a 135.

For 4x5 Color landscapes I tend to use a 135.

Same is true for 5x4 landscapes. :D

I've used longer FL, like a 210 or 300, but my initial visualization always seems to be 135-centric.

[BrianShaw]

Oh... and I also use an older lens occasionally, a 5-1/2 inch. ;)

[Capocheny]

Bill,

For some reason, I always seem to gravitate to a 240 whether on 4x5, 5x7, or 8x10.

Seems to correlate best with the way I "see" the world. :)

Cheers

[John Bowen]

Bill,

The 1st LF lens I ever purchased was a 210 Symmar as recommended by Fred Picker. If my memory serves me AA (or was it Uncle Earl) recommended the 210 to Fred. I've been shooting LF for nearly 30 years now, and the lenses (of the 10 or so I own) that spend the greatest amount of time on my cameras are the 210 for 4x5 and the Nikon 450 on the 8x10.

[Heroique]

My 110-150-240 kit serves me well for diverse 4x5 landscape shots, but strangely, I’ve determined that if I could start over again, my first lens would be a 180, the lens that would be my best “one lens kit.”

[Vaughn]

My first 4x5 came with a 210mm -- but I turned that camera into a 5x7. My next 4x5 I bought a Caltar IIN 150mm and it was all I needed for years.

[Preston]

In order of most used (lately)...

210
300
180
135
90

At this point I don't think I'd be a 'one-lens' photographer, because so much depends upon what I want to convey in a particular scene.

--P

[MIke Sherck]

If I had to live with one lens, a 180mm for 4x5 would be a strong candidate. For a long time my 210mm Fujinon was more than likely the lens I used; more lately it's been the 125mm Fujinon. I'll go wider if I ever complete the bag bellows for my 4x5 Zone VI (sheer laziness, I admit. I have to make the frames and it's hot in the garage. Maybe late September or early October will see the end of that.)

Mike

[Graham Patterson]

135mm, the alternatives being 90mm or 270mm. Maybe because it is smaller and travels near the top of the bag?

But I notice I am happy to adjust to what I have. I know what sort of view I get from any of my lenses on any of the formats I use.

[David Karp]

My two most used lenses on 4x5 are a 125mm Fujinon NW, and a 210mm Caltar Pro.

My two most used lenses on 6.5 x 8.5 are a 210mm Caltar II-N, and a 450mm Fujinon C.

[Gem Singer]

The two lenses that I use for for both 4x5 and 5x7 landscape photography are:

Nikon/Nikkor f8 120SW and Fujinon f6.3 250CM-W.

If I had to choose only one lens for 4x5 landscape photography, it would be my Nikon/Nikkor f5.6 135W.

[Eirik Berger]

My very first LF-lens was an APO Sironar 135 mm, and it is still the lens i use most often for 4x5". Even if I the last decade has had several other great lenses/focal lengths.

I do mostly landscape work.

[Ron Marshall]

In decreasing order of usage: 135; 200; 90.

[Bruce Barlow]

210.

[kevin4x5]

210 and sometimes 135

[Mark Sampson]

300/9 Nikkor-M, 135/6.3 Wide Field Ektar. Can't do without those two.

[ki6mf]

150 followed by a 90 and I am thinking of something in the 120-135 range! This is because I am in the eastern USA with limited views of grand vistas so moderately wide angle, compared to the 150 MM, to get more DOF in framing "closer in shots" seems to be the next lens purchase. After that something in the 65 t0 75 MM range for extreme wide angles.

[jnantz]

hi bill

either a 21cm tessar or a rr lens named laverne which is
about the same focal length...

john

[JHenry]

Since I'm still new to large format, I only have one lens: 115mm Rodenstock Grandagon N f6.8. I choose it because in 35mm format I mainly use a 35mm lens, but always wish for a bit wider lens when using the Leica for landscapes. That, coupled with the excellent price from KEH, convinced me to start out with the 115mm.

That said, I'm thinking about adding a 300mm or something in the mid-200's so I can isolate subjects more.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Peter Gomena]

My 150 and 210 lenses get the most use out of the 6 lenses I have for my 4x5. I tend to work with normal to "normal + a bit" lenses with most of my cameras.

Peter Gomena

[Leonard Metcalf]

180 mm f9.0 Fujinon A is my most used lens... has a lovely large image circle and is quite light weight too...

[Rayt]

I am new to LF so my kit emulates my 135 set up: 72XL, 110XL, 150mm Sironar-S - a rough 24, 35, 50 equivalent.

[Brian Stein]

Using a 4x5 as a press camera: 135mm
Using it for other stuff: I tend to like the normal plus view so 210

[Jim Rhoades]

If I had to live with one lens for 4x5 it would be the 200M. Since I don't, my main kit is a 150 & 240.

5x7 is a 250 and 8x10 is a 360. I like/see longer.

[Drew Bedo]

I tend to use my 150mm most when shooting 4x5.

[SamReeves]

Most of the time I slap on the 150 too, but if not the 210 hides in my bag.

[Matus Kalisky]

125 and 240, although I use the 400 more often than I though I would.

[arunrajmohan]

135mm apo-sironar-s and just in case I keep a 90mm f8 nikkor. However, 135mm does what I need.

-Arun

[David Aimone]

Interesting answers here, especially after scanning the "Large Format Landscapes" thread on this forum. Scanning through the last five pages or so, by far the most often used lenses are 75 and 90mm.

I looked because that's what I use most often for landscapes, while 150, 210 and greater are most often cited on this thread...
;)

[John Kasaian]

203 Ektar, 'cuz that's what I got!;)

[Bruce A Cahn]

75 or 150

[Darren H]

75mm all the way! The 210 is far to long for my way of thinking of the landscape.

[Bruce Watson]

My 110-150-240 kit serves me well for diverse 4x5 landscape shots...

I'm not a "one lens" photographer. I tend to see photographs in certain aspect ratios, not focal lengths. I use the same lenses as Heroique, and find that I use each of these focal lengths about 30% of the time. The remaining 10% is split between an 80mm and a 360mm.

[drew.saunders]

I find myself grabbing the 200/8 Nikkor more often than any other lens in my kit. Lately, the new-to-me c. 1960 165/3.5 Zeiss Tessar gets a lot of use too. I guess next might be my 120/5.6 Symmar. Since I'm a wide angle guy with 35mm, I'd expect to use the 80/4.5 more than my 250/6.3 or 300/8.5, but I do tend to use the longer lengths with LF.

[Brian Ellis]

210 Schneider APO Symmar.

[Harley Goldman]

240mm, probably followed by a 300mm.

[Thalmees]

My 4X5 kit came pre-formulated with 90mm, 150mm, 210mm and 300mm lenses.
My standard Landscape lens is the 150mm. But, I feel its little narrow for my vision.
If I could start over again, I’ll use 135mm as standard Landscape lens.
BTW, I think the Horizontal Angle of View of 90mm(65.5 Degrees) is the most versatile all round wide angle in every format 4X5 and smaller.

[Sam]

I use the 90mm Fujinon f8, and Nikkor 150mm 5.6 a lot, but also carry a 210mm calumet f5.6 I think its a schneider or rodenstock. I follow the advice Jim at midwest has offered me. He has never let me down and a good source for info, if you have a question Id say give him a call. He has helped me a great deal from my beginnings in large format, and through replacing lost equipment (from Hurricane Katrina). My usual advice is to give him a call, he's always found what I was looking for! I think the 150mm is a good place to start, or 135mm these lenses will cover most everything If you like wider shots I would recommend a good 90mm, Ive found at least for me the 75 and 65 are just too wide for my taste. Hope this helps,and good luck!

[Ron McElroy]

I use a 210 the most followed by a 120 and then 90.

[Wade D]

I mostly use a 210mm Rapid Rectilinear. If I need to go wider I use a 127mm Ektar.

[Andrew Plume]

I use the 90mm Fujinon f8, and Nikkor 150mm 5.6 a lot, but also carry a 210mm calumet f5.6 I think its a schneider or rodenstock. I follow the advice Jim at midwest has offered me. He has never let me down and a good source for info, if you have a question Id say give him a call. He has helped me a great deal from my beginnings in large format, and through replacing lost equipment (from Hurricane Katrina). My usual advice is to give him a call, he's always found what I was looking for! I think the 150mm is a good place to start, or 135mm these lenses will cover most everything If you like wider shots I would recommend a good 90mm, Ive found at least for me the 75 and 65 are just too wide for my taste. Hope this helps,and good luck!

Sam I very much endorse what you've said about Jim Andracki at MidWest, a top guy indeed - coincidentally I've just done a post over on the UKLFF and I 'underlined' Jim as being one of the best (imho) in the States to deal with


andrew

[Andrew Plume]

While many of us have an obscene number of lenses to choose from, I suspect that most of us actually have a single focal length that we use for the vast majority of our landscapes.
John Blakemore is reported to only use a 180mm lens for his intimate British beauties, while Roman Loranc uses a 210mm Nikkor for those stunning California vistas.
My vision seems to be best matched with a 203mm Ektar.
I wonder what yours is?


210 5.6 Symmar, a great lens

andrew

[John Cornish]

Although quite new to 4x5 format over recent years I have developed a pechant for a more three dimensional approach, hence my gravitation to wider angle lenses allowing more detail in the immediate foreground.
On 4x5 my recently purchased Fuji 90mm is getting a good workout! A very good buy indeed.

[hmf]

A 135mm lens seems to most accurately represent my natural view of the world. I use a Fuji CMW.