Small, lightwieght lenses for 5x7

[John Kasaian]

I've been restoring an original case for my 5x7 Agfa-Ansco Universal, and I'd like to be able to fit camera, holders and lens in the case for easy transport. A just about any lens can ride on board the camera body because of the design, but in order for it to fit while folded in the case, the lens and shutter cannot stick out more than 1-1/4" from the surface of the lensboard. That leaves out the massive 10.3" Cooke that came with the camera and even the 14" APO Artar thats a refugee from my 8x10 kit.

Looking at possible lenses that fit the criteria, I have a 203mm Ektar and 159mm WA Wolly, but I was wondering if any of you good people could suggest other little lenses that might be appropriate?

[David A. Goldfarb]

168mm Ser. III Dagor. I think my 8-1/4" Gold Dot Dagor (in an Ilex 3 shutter) fits that description too.

[Sam Crater]

I measured my Fuji A 180 for you and it sticks out just under 1 1/4" with cap and supposedly covers 252mm.

[jnantz]

i think i used to have a wollensak exwa 3 1/2" f12 . they say, stopped down it covers 5x7. i only used it on a 4x5. it is a tiny lens.

[jnantz]

john - it was a wollensak 3 1/2" exwa. it was in an alphax shutter.

good luck!

[Ole Tjugen]

Schneider Angulon 120mm/f:6.8 - they don't come much smaller in shutter. Covers 5x7" from f:16 up, I think. Easy to find on German ebay, and mostly cheap.

Not the Super-Angulon though - those are huge!

[Jim Galli]

Hi John. 150 G-Claron. 210 G-Claron. 135 Dagor. 100 f9 Zeiss WA Dagor. 4 1/4" f12.5 Raptar WA and if you do not have a packard inside I think you can put your boards on backwards and put the larger part of the lens in the bellows tor traveling. Have fun!

[Chuck_1686]

A small wide angle that covers is the 120mm Osaka (Congo). But not much room for movements. I also have had no problems with the 150 G-Claron.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Here's a few more (in no particular order):

300mm Nikkor M, 165mm Angulon, 150mm Graphic Kowa, 9 1/2" or 10 3/4" Red Dot Artar in Compur Shutter, 210mm f6.3 Zeiss Tessar, 150mm Germinar-W, 12.5cm F9 Zeiss Dagor.

I don't have the following handy to measure, but here's a few more that might qualify:

135mm WF Ektar, 210mm Graphic Kowa (or Computar), 300mm Fujinon C.

Kerry

[John D Gerndt]

I have taken to mounting (barrel) lenses BEHIND instead of in or in front of my #5 shutter. With 24 inches of extension and good woodworking skills, everything works out nicely/easily and I can buy my barrel lenses cheaply. It IS a pain sometimes to do the lens adjustments but large format is about being patient anyway.

That said, I would never let a case dictate what I do or shoot in the field. Make or buy a new case instead. I find coolers and travel bags work out nicely.

Cheers,

[Chad Jarvis]

I had a Wollensak 127mm Raptar that was teenie in a Rapax shutter. I believe it just covered 5x7. If it didn't the 135mm version may. IMHO the Raptars are overlooked in all areas, including sharpness and contrast.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

I don't have either of the Wollensaks lenses (127mm or 135mm) to test, but aren't these bother tessar types? If so, they likely barely cover 4x5 and would not be usable on 5x7. I used to have a 127mm Ektar that I used on a 4x5 Speed Graphic. It was very sharp in the center, but even on 4x5 the sharpness started to fall-off in the corners.

By the time you get down in the 127 - 135mm range on 5x7 you need a lens capable of covering 80 - 85 degrees. Most tessars types cover 55 - 64 degrees. Even typical plasmats (70 - 75 degrees) aren't really useful on 5x7 in these focal lengths.

Kerry

[e]

Check out the Protars. Also I use a 130mm Rodenstock Perigon f 12 that is so, so tiny I can even close my 3.8lb 5x7 Anba Ikeda with it reversed.

[Arne Croell]

A Meopta Largor 135mm would also fit the bill. These were coated double Gauss wide angles like the WF Ektar made in the 1950's. Meopta sold them for the "Magnola" 13x18cm camera, a simplified copy of the Technika, so the lens was intended for 5x7. They usually come in a tiny Prontor Press size 0 shutter, so the elements can be put into a new shutter without problem (as opposed to the WF Ektar). The quality is quite good if stopped down to f/16 or smaller.

[Chad Jarvis]

I defer to Kerry regarding the Raptars, as I don't have any imperical data upon which to base my opinion.