Reccomendation for 4x5 wide angles lens

[kevs-2323668]

What would be your dream few favorite wide angle lenses for 4x5. thanks again.

[Ari]

Schneider 72mm XL; happy to say I own one.

Are you looking to build a lens kit? If so, for what kind of shooting?

[Lightbender]

Super Angulon 90mm f8 and Nikkor SW 65mm f4.

It gets hard to see the corners at the wider angles, so the brighter lens makes it better.

[chassis]

I have been using a 58mm Schneider SA XL that I like very much.

[Noah A]

I like the Grandagon-N lenses. I have the 75/4.5, 90/4.5 and 115/6.8.

Having all three is a little redundant (on purpose, in my case for backup). But I'd say that while you can't go wrong with a good 90mm, I find the 75/115 combo to be very nice in terms of a wideangle kit.

You may get more specific advice if you let us know what camera you're using, what kinds of subjects you like to shoot, etc.

[Gem Singer]

If money were no object, the Schneider Super Angulon f4.5 80 XL and the f5.6 110 XL.

A more practical choice (the lenses that I actually use), the Nikon/Nikkor f8 90 SW and the f8 120 SW.

[kevs-2323668]

thanks Ari, you have expensive taste. This first project is shooting a few people in a small area -- very environmental portrait . Curious, I guess a lot has to do also with speed. f/8 are quite reasonable but slow... $300 - $400, then as you get to 5/6 or 4.5 it goes up.

thanks C, wow 58 would be equivalent of 20mm pretty cool.

What does super Angulon mean? also see work Copal on one site a lot. never heard of GRandagon.

[Ari]

Super Angulons are Schneider lenses, they usually have more coverage than the older Angulons.
Copal is the brand name of the shutter.
Grandagon are a line of wide-angle/big coverage lenses from Rodenstock.

[Frank Bunnik]

I really like the perspective I get with a 90mm lens. In my case a super-angulon 90mm MC.

www.frankbunnik.zenfolio.com

[Ari]

I should add, for environmental portraits, it's really a matter of taste.
I like the 110-120 range, others have been very successful with much wider lenses, or longer lenses, like a 135 or 150.
See what you like, and what suits your style best; discard the rest.

[Matus Kalisky]

I have the Grandagon 75/4.5 N - a truly amazing lens. I could imagine to get a 55 and 80 instead (or jut keep the 75 and add 47 XL), but that would mean to carry and pay for one more lens. For now I will keep the 75.

BTW, my next focal length is 125 and I find the step to 75 perfectly fine.

[ImSoNegative]

I really like the perspective I get with a 90mm lens. In my case a super-angulon 90mm MC.

www.frankbunnik.zenfolio.com


+1

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

I don't have a wide angle lens yet. When I get around to it I would like the Rodenstock Grandagon-N 90mm f/6,8. That would give me a lens kit of 90mm, 150mm, and 210mm. This would cover all my needs.

[rdenney]

The OP has selected a great lens (a Caltar/Rodenstock 90/6.8, as I recall). Just to summarize for future searches:

The Angulon mentioned is a variation on the Dagor (really a reversed Dagor with an extended front group to improve coverage, if I'm remembering the diagrams correctly), and is more akin to modern plasmats than to the Super Angulon. The Super Angulon and its cousins (Grandagon--and its Caltar or Sinaron-branded versions, Nikkor SW, Fujinon SWD) are biogon-derived lenses like two retrofocus wide-angles places in opposition around an aperture. That is a post-WWII offering, partly because it needed coatings to work well, and really revolutionized short-lens coverage. The difference is abundant coverage for 4x5 in a 90mm lens with the SA and its cousins, versus marginal coverage for the Angulon.

For a press camera with limited movements, the Angulon is fine (as well as other wide-field lenses, such as the Graflex Optar W.A. and so on). For a technical, field or monorail camera with more extensive movements, these lenses will inhibit the use of those movements.

Also, nice as those older 90's are, they do not perform as well in the corners or at wider apertures as the more modern designs. The OP desires to make large prints with greater definition than is possible with smaller formats, and for that purpose he made a good choice.

The advantage to the Angulons and similar lenses is that they are compact and lightweight. This was not a concern for the OP.

One critical issue we had not addressed in these threads for the OP that turned out to be a decision point was that a modern 90 that provides the image characteristics he wants will not easily mount in a press camera. I compared the rear cell of my 90/5.6 Super Angulon to the opening in my Speed Graphic's front standard, and it won't fit. The only way to mount that lens is to remove the rear cell, mount the lens, and then replace the rear cell through the rear after removing the ground glass. This may not be a problem with some of the slower 90's, but I don't have those to compare. A 65 is not an issue in that regard because it's smaller overall. This more than anything led the OP to the selection of a monorail camera with a larger lens board.

Rick "summarizing for posterity" Denney