5"x 7" Lenses

[Ed Bray]

With the receipt of my Toyo Field to Linhof Technika adapter I now am able to use my full range of lenses as they all cover 5x7 to some degree. Now I know they are all nice to have, but am I really going to use them all especially when the weight factor is taken into account.

I curently have the following:

Schneider:

72mm f5.6 Super Angulon XL (with correct Schneider centre filter) IC @ f22 228mm 35mm approx equiv 16mm
90mm f8.0 Super Angulon MC (with Schneider IIIb centre filter IC @ f22 216mm 35mm approx equiv 20mm
121mm f8 Super Angulon MC IC @ f22 288mm 35mm approx equiv 28mm
150mm f5.6 Apo Symmar IC @ f22 220mm 35mm approx equiv 35mm
180mm f5.6 Apo Symmar IC @ f22 263mm 35mm approx equiv 40mm
210mm f5.6 Apo Symmar IC @ f22 305mm 35mm approx equiv 48mm
240mm f5.6 Symmar-S IC @ f22 337mm 35mm approx equiv 53mm
300mm f5.6 Symmar-S IC @ f22 411mm 35mm approx equiv 67mm

Rodagon:

360mm f9 Apo-Ronar IC @ f22 318mm 35mm approx equiv 80mm

I like the idea of the 90mm, 150mm, 210mm and 360mm as a light 4 lens kit with the 72mm added for when I need/want a bit more drama

This could allow me to sell the 121mm (great coverage but bulky and heavy), the 180mm (lovely lens but too close to both the 150mm and 210mm), 240mm & 300mm (funny focal lengths on 5x7 not really one thing or the other, big and heavy too in Compur 3 shutters)

The funds from the sale of those lenses would probably allow me to buy a nice 450mm Nikkor or 480mm Apo-Ronar to give me another nice portrait length lens.

Thoughts please?

[John Kasaian]

My 5x7 lens kit:
15" Cooke which is big and heavy, and
360 Apo Artar
203 Ektar(this one aboard a Speed Graphic with limited movements)
159 Wollensak Velostigmat WA, which are niether big nor heavy.

[mdm]

210 + 300, great 2 lens kit.

[sully75]

210 to me would be a great one lens kit.

If I had your lenses I'd go 90 - 121 - 180 - 240 - 300 (or 360)

I started with the 180mm and it's a great lens for a group portrait or a single portrait stepped back a little bit. Then the 240 is nice and a little tighter than the 210. So you get the nice slightly wide and then a slightly short normal lens. 90 is pretty wide and 121 would be normal wide.

360 when you are just too far away.

If I was going to lose one I'd lose the 121.

[William Whitaker]

For non-panoramic formats my two favorite lenses are one with a focal length roughly equal to the long dimension of the negative and one roughly equal to twice the short dimension. What I keep with the 5x7 field camera is a 7" Dagor, a 9 1/2" Dagor and an 8 3/4" Verito. The last is there simply because I have it. But it does also convert to a 14" lens. For my purposes, that kit is more than adequate. Others have different preferences and that's OK, too. These are what I keep in the travel kit and it keeps things pretty compact.

[Gem Singer]

The four lens kit that I use for my Canham MQC57:

All are Nikon/Nikkors: 120SW, 180W, 240W, and 300M.

All four lenses pack into a Domke back pack, along with six 5x7 film holders, spot meter, loupe, dark cloth., filters, and compendium lens shade.

When I use the 4X5 reducing back on the MQC57: Nikon/Nikkors: 90SW, 150W, 210W, and 300M, along with eight 4X5 film holders.

Makes for a nice compact kit that I can easily carry.

[Carsten Wolff]

My standard kit for 5x7 is a bit of an eclectic mix: I generally use a 90mm f8 Nikkor SW, 135mm Fujinon-W, 210mm Komura-Commercial and a 15" f5.6 Wolly Tele. But I also use a 75mm Nikkor-SW (a bit tight), 104mm and 159mm W.A.Raptars, a 152mm f3.5 Komura and a 10" Conley, (which is theoretically convertible).
If I wanted to go longer, a Fujinon-C with a teleconverter (=765mm), currently on that auction site would be tempting :)

[AnselAdamsX]

I use 72, 90, 120, 180, 300 when I can pack everything. Cutting it down to 72, 90, 180 would save only a few pounds.

[dasBlute]

only you can say which lenses 'fit your eye', which can change over time as well.
use 'em all, and let the work sort out which ones are important to you,

that being said, I've worked too dang hard to get the lenses I've got and they can't
make me give 'em up :)

my 'minimal' 3 lens 5x7 kit
121 SA
203 Ektar
300 Nikkor M

[Bill_1856]

10" Caltar. One lens is sufficient.

[Sal Santamaura]

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?48176-What-2-lenses-would-you-pick-for-a-5X7&p=460907&viewfull=1#post460907

[DrTang]

I'm packing a 210 f3.5 Xenar, 12" f6.3 Caltar II and maybe the 360 f6.3 Fuji

I just picked up a 165 Angulon.. and if I keep it..that may come along too

[Kevin Crisp]

If I had to pick one lens it would be my 180mm Symmar. Wouldn't have to think about that one at all.

[sully75]

If I had to pick one lens it would be my 180mm Symmar. Wouldn't have to think about that one at all.

I used to feel that way but I realized that for doing portrait orientation portraits, I was getting pretty significant distortion on anything closer than head to toe portraits. I think 210mm would be my one lens kit now, definitely.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

By coincidence I know that you also might want to shoot panoramas and I would not get rid of any of those lenses till I have tried that out. You might want a possibility of a center filter for the 120 (or 121 lens) and the 210 to 240 gap might be a bit to close to matter. But experiment first.

[mdm]

The only way you can know is to try all of them out and see which get used the most. On 5x7 I only use 210 and 300, it just happened like that, I didnt choose. I thought I would like 180 and 240 better than 210, but I dont, and the only way to know is to try them all and see.

[hmf]

I started with older, single coated Fujinon 180 and 250's. I've since added a Fujinon 450c and Nikkor 120SW. The two originals are still my most used; especially the 250 f6.7.

[Kevin Crisp]

I agree if doing portraits much I'd go with a 210 or 240.

[Jim Andrada]

Started with 210 Symmar (convertible) and a few years later added a ReproClaron 300. That was it for about 30 years.

Frankly I think I could have just lived with the 210 and 300 but since I'm shooting 4 x 5 and 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 I've bulked up the collection a bit. Well OK QUITE a bit!!!

[Ed Bray]

Thanks all for your comments, I will do some further testing, before making some decisions.

[hiend61]

I would sell 72, 150, 180 and 240, and with the funds I would get a 150-165 wide angle (Schneider, Rodenstock or Nikkor) and a 480 Apo Ronar. I have used both 450/9 Nikkor M and 480/9 Apo Ronar, and find the Apo Ronar a bit better.

[Ed Bray]

Too late, I have just bought a 450mm f9 Nikkor, I like the idea of a 165mm Super Angulon though.

[Vaughn]

210/6.8 Computar in a Copal 1 - a fine lens for 5x7
and will be adding a very light 159mm Wollie in a Raptar shutter for a two-lens kit of 5x7