If you could have only three lens focal lengths?

[MichaelC]

More specifically, I have a 4x5 (Zone VI), which came with a 90mm and 210mm lenses.

There is a third 300mm/500mm convertible lens that is just too big for this 4x5 camera (OK, I'm sure if there was a will, there would be way), but I'm considering trading it in for another lens—but which one?

Which lead this LF neophyte to wonder, if you had only three focal lengths for LF, which three would they be? (perhaps listed in priority, the first being the only and only you could not live without).

If you shoot with a different format, but want to share your choice of three lenses, go for it.

[Gem Singer]

Michael,

Simply add a 135 or a 150 to the 90 and 210, and you will have the classic trio for 4x5

[E. von Hoegh]

I've been using 90-150-210 on 4x5. I could probably live without the 90, replacing it with a 105.

A 150/168/180 is a very good all-round lens if you have to go with just one lens.

I can live just fine without any of my photographic equipment.

[Vaughn]

150mm

[C. D. Keth]

Well, I was recently in the exact same shoes, having a camera, a 90mm and a 210mm. I bought a 150mm convertible symmar. That gives me 3 lenses to carry and possible focal lengths of 90, 150, 210, and 265.

[cuypers1807]

I use a 90, 150, and 240.

[Zaitz]

65/75
210
600

Wish I had the bellows to use a 600. Loved the 24" Artar but the cc400 is no C1. Chamonix and Fuji 600t would be great :(.

[dave_whatever]

65/90/150

The crucial pair being 90/150, could easily swap the 65 for a long lens like 240 or 300.

[MichaelC]

Dave, you got my attention with that line up—I tend to prefer the wider side.

I guess my first move is to swap the 300mm/500mm convertible for a 135mm or 150mm, then play with those three for a while and see if I can get my hands on a loaner 65mm to make a final decision.

Thank you all, I think I am now a man with a plan (unless I keep that jumbo bit of glass and look for a 8x10....hit me NOW!).

[Two23]

A 90--150--300mm does all I need.


Kent in SD

[lbenac]

With money
Fuji 125mm or Sironar-N 135mm
Nikkor-M 200mm
Nikkor-M 300mm

Without money
Angulon 90mm
Xenar 150mm
Xenar 210mm

[vinny]

65, 90, 135, 210, 250, 305, 450 are the lenses I carry for 4x5. Sometimes I leave one home only to find that's the one I need. I can't count.

[David R Munson]

Right now I've got 135/210 and it works well for me. I waffle between wanting a 90 or a 300 enough to make me think that I'll probably end up with a 4 lens kit.

[lbenac]

Right now I've got 135/210 and it works well for me. I waffle between wanting a 90 or a 300 enough to make me think that I'll probably end up with a 4 lens kit.

That is what I have 90/135/200/300 on my main kit
90/150/210 on my out of the country kit

[Vaughn]

65/75
210
600

Wish I had the bellows to use a 600. Loved the 24" Artar but the cc400 is no C1. Chamonix and Fuji 600t would be great :(.

That's the rub -- if you had the bellows for a 24" RDA, then there might be too much bellows to use the 65! There are bag bellows and recess lens boards, of course.

I certainly run into this situation with the 8x10 (Zone VI). It can handle a 24" (but not a 28" focused at anything but infinity -- cranked out to the very last tooth on each rail). Using the 159mm does not allow much movement. I have a 2D that can take the 28" in stride, but I have not tried the 159mm on it. The three lenses I am carrying with the Zone VI in its pack...250mm - 300mm - 19". I might take the 210mm Graphic Raptar (barrel) if I will be photographing in tight places in the forests and can easily use the lens cap for long exposures. It weighs also nothing. The 159mm is being put on a board for the 5x7, along with a 210mm.

[IanG]

65/90/150

The crucial pair being 90/150, could easily swap the 65 for a long lens like 240 or 300.

That's what I've used for over 25 years, the 65mm has the least use but when it does it's been well worth carrying it.

Ian

[jp]

Depends on what you shoot. Some people here mostly post wide angle landscapes. Other people, completely different subjects.

My interests in LF shooting aren't quite normal, so this is how I order what I use in 4x5.

most used:
190 wollaston meniscus
210 trioplan (triplet)
127 factory speed graphic lens (tessar)

less used
210 fujinar (tessar)
90 nikkor-sw

unused:
210 nikkor (plasmat)
210 xenar (tessar)
sold due to lack of use:
75 nikkor-sw

[Chris Wong]

75/90/150 for 4x5

[Zaitz]

That's the rub -- if you had the bellows for a 24" RDA, then there might be too much bellows to use the 65! There are bag bellows and recess lens boards, of course.

I certainly run into this situation with the 8x10 (Zone VI). It can handle a 24" (but not a 28" focused at anything but infinity -- cranked out to the very last tooth on each rail). Using the 159mm does not allow much movement. I have a 2D that can take the 28" in stride, but I have not tried the 159mm on it. The three lenses I am carrying with the Zone VI in its pack...250mm - 300mm - 19". I might take the 210mm Graphic Raptar (barrel) if I will be photographing in tight places in the forests and can easily use the lens cap for long exposures. It weighs also nothing. The 159mm is being put on a board for the 5x7, along with a 210mm.

Ah good point. One of the things I would probably forget about. I have the 65mm in a recessed lensboard right now and it's a pain to use on the cc400.

[Dan Henderson]

210 for at least 50% of my pictures (it is the lens I "see best" at.
305 for 30%, when I can't get close enough for the 210.
135 for 20% when wider seems better.
90 for 5% when really wide seems really better.
...wait, that's 105%. Vinny can't count; I can't add.

[Corran]

I couldn't choose just three lenses, with no options to switch out depending on where I was going.

I hiked about 5 miles yesterday, and decided to bring a lot of kit - 47/90/150/210/300/360/500. I shot 6 sheets, 2 with the 500mm, 2 with the 210mm, and then 2 with the 47mm. Who would normally bring 47/210/500? But that's what I needed/saw.

Haven't developed them so it remains to be seen if that was the "right" lens choices...

[Garry Madlung]

This could be an evolving thing. Being a wide angle shooter for some time now (47, 72, 90), I'm bringing a 150 back into the mix. (Wow! radical!) A 180 would be handy as well. Before I switched to a camera that wouldn't take anything over 180 without a back extension, I loved working with the 210.

These wide angles just happen to suit my photography, which lately involves alpine and sub alpine zones and doesn't involve a lot of vistas/scenics where things in the distance would be dwarfed by the foreground. A 150 is very useful in these situations.

So, three lenses? 72, 90, 150. Just to be different from everyone else.

Ask me again next year.

[Zaitz]

I couldn't choose just three lenses, with no options to switch out depending on where I was going.

I hiked about 5 miles yesterday, and decided to bring a lot of kit - 47/90/150/210/300/360/500. I shot 6 sheets, 2 with the 500mm, 2 with the 210mm, and then 2 with the 47mm. Who would normally bring 47/210/500? But that's what I needed/saw.

Haven't developed them so it remains to be seen if that was the "right" lens choices...
Almost my list from the first page! :D.

I like the wide and long end.

[John Kasaian]

10" (or there abouts) 14" and 19" on the 8x10. In fact thats pretty much all I use anyway.

[Joseph O'Neil]

In my case, for 4x5, I have a number of lenses, but I find my Rodenstock 135mm and 180mm are what I use for 75% of all my shots. As others have pointed out, after you are shooting for a while you sometimes "evolve" into either a wide angle or telephoto kinda shooter. That is likely true for any format, film or digital, when you think about it.

I do have a nice 90mm, but seldom use it. I find I use my 270mm G-claron for close up work or "telephoto" more than my 90mm. I know the 210mm is a "standard" and despite having three 210mm lenses myself, I don't like that focal length too much. Yeah, I know, don't ask.

I suggest you start with two lenses, one larger and one smaller than the 150mm size, and see which one of the two you use the most. You may then find out over time your three best lenses are all under or over that 150mm mark

good luck
joe

[welly]

When I first started shooting large format, I found my 90mm was more or less glued to my camera, a Sinar F2. But I was shooting coastal landscapes mainly and it suited the kind of landscapes I enjoyed shooting. Now it's not that easy for me to get near the coast, I generally shoot what is around me in the city. So I'm finding my 90mm unused, my 150 mostly glued to the camera and my 210 getting action like it never used to. I'd like something longer though. So for this present time, I'd say 150, 210 and a 360mm. It'll change in 6 months no doubt.

[Preston]

I only shoot 4x5 landscape, intimate landscape, and some close-in stuff.

135 Fuji, 210 Schneider Symmar-S, 300 Nikkor M all of which I already own. I also have a 90 Nikkor that is not used much, and 180 Fuji which sees more use.

Wish list: I'd add a Fuji 450 or a Nikkor 500T.

--P

[RW Hawkins]

I like to keep it simple and have only owned 3 lenses since I started large format, Schneider 58mm, 90mm, 210mm. Only last year added the 58mm and love it!

I recently noted this in my blog (http://blog.rwhawkins.com/4x5-field-work/) if you're interested.

[Scott Walker]

If I could only have three for 8x10 these three would suite me rather well 150/300/450

[Armin Seeholzer]

75-135-210mm thats for me!
Nr. 4 would be the 47 XL from Schneider
Nr. 5 300mm APO Ronar

Cheers Armin

P.S.You never have to much glass;--)))

[Peter Gomena]

90, 150, 210 for 4x5.
120, 210, 300 for whole plate.
It's funny, I primarily use normal-to-long lenses for 4x5, but wide-to-normal lenses more often on WP.

Peter Gomena

[ImSoNegative]

i have a 65 90 210 for 4x5. i also have a 121 SA but i use it on my 8x10. my 8x10 trio consist of 121, 300, 480. Im looking for something around 175 that will cover 8x10, the 121 is a bit too wide.

[Former Member 27732]

Shooting 8x10, my latest acquisition is a Schneider 90 XL. Covers 4x10 beautifully.
Next is the Schneider 150XL, then a Rodenstock 210n. The Nikkor 300 has hardly been touched and the Fuji 450 hasn't made it out of the bag, yet.
Horses for courses...

[Noah A]

If I could have only three they would be 120, 150, 210. I use these three for virtually all of my work anyway, once in a while I use my 90mm.

But I'm not a wideangle fan. In your case a 135mm or 150mm would fit in great between the lenses you already have.

[adam satushek]

Hmmmm....if I was building an all around kit for 4x5, I would probably keep my 120, 150, and 210.....but honestly my most used lenses on 4x5 (in order of use) are 150, 300, 450...though this might be a long lens phase I was going through, I havent decided yet.

However, if I had to pick only 3 lenses to use for 4x5 AND 8x10 I think a 150 (4x5 only), 300, and 450 would be a good lineup for me. I know that was not the OP's question....

[uphereinmytree]

I use a 125mm fuji, a 240mm xenar or a 220mm verito , and a 450mm nikkor on 4x5. Sometimes you can't move closer and I don't shoot alot of landscapes where really wide is best. This would be ideal for me if allowed only 3 lenses as my back has been recently, but who has only 3 lenses?

[Mark Stahlke]

For a long time my three lens kit for 4x5 landscapes was 75/125/210.

[rdenney]

I lived for years with 90 and 121mm Super Angulons and a 8-1/2" Ilex. Recently as used lenses have gotten cheap, I've added a 65, replaced the Ilex with a 210 Sironar, and added a 300. (I have others, too--150, 180, and 240, but I only use them in special cases.) I could still be happy with 90, 121, and 210, though.

Rick "who rarely notices the gap between 121 and 210" Dennet

[Drew Wiley]

That's how I generally do it anyway. For 8x10: 250,360,450.

[largeformatguy]

I lean toward the moderately wide-angle part of the spectrum. On the 8x10 it’s mostly the 10” and sometimes the 12” convertible (19” + 23½”). I guess that makes four.:eek:

On the 5x7 it’s almost exclusively the 16.5cm. But I sometimes use a 210mm Reproclaron for fruits and vegetables.

I guess I'm too comfortable in my photographic rut!

[evan clarke]

+ 150

[jnantz]

it depends what you want to photograph.
if i could only have 1 lens it would probably be a 150, i've used it most in the past year ...
you seem to have most of everything else, so why not get a 150 ..