Options for 190mm- 210mm wide lenses that cover 8x10 WIDE OPEN

Hi everyone - This is my first post on the forum so I just want to say thank you in advance for your input and information!

I'm looking to add a wide angle lens to my 8x10 kit that is usable wide open at its fastest possible aperture. I'm going to be shooting a lot of available light environmental portraits both indoors and outdoors so I'm looking for a fast lens from 190mm to 210mm that casts a large enough image circle so the corners of the 8x0 frame are useable and not blacked out and don't look like mashed potatoes haha. I'm OK with a bit of distortion or a bit of dimming but nothing extreme.

I've been doing a lot of digging and I'm finding that most image circle data is referenced at f22, so I'm looking for people who have experience shooting these 190mm - 210mm lenses wide open

Many thanks for the guidance!! It's very very appreciated!

Here a link to a recent thread specifically addressing 210mm that you may find helpful. https://www.largeformatphotography.i...10-quot/page11

Otherwise the widest I’ve shoot on 810 is 240mm so I'm note much help.

Roger

Thank you Roger! I've actually read over that thread a few times before during my search. There is some good stuff in there!

I should add that I am looking for lenses that have a fastest possible aperture in the F4.5 - F6.7(ish) range.

To add, I will most often be shooting with these lenses on-axis with minimal movements.

In short I'm looking for a fast wide angle that I can shoot wide open and get good results consistently.

You're better off accepting that f16-f22 are the apertures you should be using, then things are much less of a headache - coming in with a 35mm mentality will do nothing other than frustrate you & waste film. Realistically you probably will want either an Apo-Sironar W 210mm or a Super Symmar XL 210mm, if you really need f5.6. Both are large & seriously expensive. There are other options - 210mm Angulon & Super Angulons or 200mm Grandagon-N which are either bigger and slower or need stopped down for optimal performance. Pretty much everything else modern-ish that covers in those focal lengths only just does so & only when well stopped down.

If you're contact printing, most any lens that covers will be good. If you're enlarging, you'll probably be pickier:

210mm f/6.8 Goerz Dagor (get a later coated one)
215mm f/4.8 Ilex Acuton (a Plasmat, probably the fastest)
215mm f/4.8 Caltar S (same as above)
190mm f/6.3 Kodak Wide Field Ektar
210mm f/5.6 Fujinon W
210mm f/5.6 Rodenstock Apo Sironar
210mm f/5.6 Schneider Apo Symmar
210mm f/6.3 Computar Symmetrigon (if you can find one)
210mm f/6.5 Cooke VIIb (if you can find one)
210mm f/6.8 Schneider Angulon
210mm f/8 Schneider Super Angulon ($$$)

Probably some others I'm forgetting...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by interneg

...”There are other options - 210mm Angulon & Super Angulons or 200mm Grandagon-N which are either bigger and slower or need stopped down for optimal performance. Pretty much everything else modern-ish that covers in those focal lengths only just does so & only when well stopped down”.

---

And none are 5.6 lenses anyway.

Hi Mark! - Thanks for that info. Do you know if these actually cover 8x10 @ their fastest possible aperture?:

210mm f/6.8 Goerz Dagor
215mm f/4.8 Ilex Acuton
215mm f/4.8 Caltar S
190mm f/6.3 Kodak Wide Field Ektar
210mm f/5.6 Fujinon W
210mm f/5.6 Schneider Apo Symmar
210mm f/6.3 Computar Symmetrigon
210mm f/6.8 Schneider Angulon

I've been searching for a Wide Field Ektar for EVER and haven't been able to find one that was in great condition. (other than the $$$$ ones in HK)

How to calculate the size of the image circle at various magnifications has come up before: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...lows-Extension I believe that conversation didn't accommodate aperture (but surely someone knows how to do that too).

Honestly, your best bet is probably just to buy and try. The Fujinon W 180/5.6 is rated by Fuji as a 280mm image circle at f/22, covering 6.5x8.5. The Fujinon W 210/5.6 is rated as 300mm image circle at f/22 (so covering 8x10). The 210/5.6 is a very nice lens. I have one. It's not very expensive. I can't promise it's sharp as a tack at f/5.6, but I I made a test shot at f/8 and was very impressed.

"210mm f/6.3 Computar Symmetrigon (if you can find one)"

I have one -- probably will not satisfy the coverage requirements of the OP...even closed down significantly.

If memory serves, the 190mm f/6.3 Kodak Wide Field Ektar just covers 8x10 at f/22 with an image circle of about 308mm. According to this publication I found: https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00346/00346.pdf this lens is good for 8x10 without using swings. Since I usually use mine at f/32 or f/45 and contact print, I've never noticed any appreciable darkening around the edges/corners or any lack of sharpness. Getting into the super-wides for 8x10 generally requires a good back (weight of lens) and a hefty bank account.