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Thread: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

  1. #1
    evanbaines's Avatar
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    Question Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    Hey all,

    I'm looking for a moderate wide to complement my 210 Nikkor on my new Wista 45vx. I know that 120 is the "natural" 2 lens combination with a 210, so I'm looking for a lens between about 100-135mm. I also know that the widest lens the Wista supposedly uses without a bag bellows is 135mm, although it seems that is a conservative estimate if one is willing to sacrifice the outer reaches of lens movements.

    I will be using the lens for landscapes and particularly urban landscapes of buildings, so I'd like some movement capacity although I doubt I'll need extremes. I often like to shoot long exposures at night, so I suspect a more modern multi-coated lens might perform better. I will be using the lens for mostly B&W but some color. Ability to close the lens inside the wista is a plus. Not needing the bag bellows is crucial. Not needing a center ND is a big plus. Lower weight is a plus but not a requisite.

    As always, I'm not looking to drop a fortune on the lens so I recognize some compromises might need to be made. Absolute max budget of $500 but I'd love to stay a lot lower.

    The Fujinon 125mm CM-W is short-listed.

    Any other suggestions for lenses to keep my eyes especially peeled for?

  2. #2

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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    You may run out of coverage with most 135mm lenses shooting buildings. Limiting yourself to a lens that fits when folded is, well limiting. Ideally a 120mm nikkor sw for buildings. I sold my 135mm nikkor because i often ran out of coverage when shooting urban stuff. I use a sironar-s which has a bit more coverage than others.
    You're going to get a million answers so just search for other "what lens should i get?" Threads where this has been discussed to death.

  3. #3
    Joel Edmondson
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    The older 135mm f5.6 Fujinon (nomenclature on the front ring) mounted in a Seiko shutter has about the same coverage as the 135mm WF Ektar, can be left on the Wista VX and SP when folded (46mm filter) and - if the one I have is representative - performs well (it is single-coated). They are not expensive and, even if the shutter needs a CLA, fall well within your budget. There are a couple of 135mm WF Ektars on the auction site - also single-coated. I don't know if they can be left on the camera when folded and they are usually in Supermatic shutters... I would be wary of examples mounted in "modern" shutters as the lens spacing in the WF Ektars was particularly critical!
    The 120mm f8 Nikon SW can be had for about $500 and of course, has huge coverage but obviously cannot be left on the camera when folded.

    Joel

  4. #4

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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    A 90mm is the most common wide angle lens used for 4x5. The three most common lenses for 4x5 are 90mm, 150mm and the 210mm. This answer is after 34+ years as the Linhof Product and Sales Manager, 28 years as the Rodenstock Product and Sales Manager and 20 years as the Wista Sales and Product Manager.

    Of course, those are for new lenses.

    New 100/105mm lenses do not cover 4x5.

  5. #5

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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    I own a Schneider Super-Angulon 121mm f/8 lens in a Compur shutter. It is sharp and will just cover 8x10 with no movements so there is plenty of coverage for 4x5. I paid just less than $200 including shipping for mine off Ebay.

    The 120 Nikkor SW mentioned above is said to be a great lens and is newer, in a Copal shutter, and has a little more coverage. Of course it is more expensive.

  6. #6
    Richard Johnson
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    There are Schneider 120 APO-Symmars and their newer kin APO-Symmar-Ls (with 10mm more coverage) that are very compact and very sharp. Not a lot of extra coverage but you can find the APO-non-L for $350 at KEH and it is a great landscape or not-so-tall-verticals lens. The newer L tends to be over $500.

    The nice thing is the smaller 120-135 Symmars will fold up inside most of the Wista field cameras. Most, if not all, of the semi-wides that have a lot of extra coverage also are larger lenses, not sure about the Fuji 125, it may be the rarity that is compact and has extra coverage. If you get one of the latest 135 Rodenstock Sironar-S lenses they have pretty good amount of coverage too but they tend to be over $500.

    For a lot of things a $200-$300 135 APO-Symmar or Sironar-N is a great 4x5 lens.

  7. #7
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    I have the 125mm Fujinon CM-W. It's great for landscapes, but as pointed out above would probably be limiting with architecture. Any of the 120 F8 SW lenses, Fujinon, Nikon, Schneider, Rodenstock.... should all be fine.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

  8. #8
    evanbaines's Avatar
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    Thank you all for your input.

    I picked up a cheap ($220 shipped with wista board) 135mm Sironar-N MC (which I understand to be roughly the same as the APO-Sironar-N) today that looks to be in excellent condition. It seems to be a small lens with good image quality and moderate movement capabilities at a decent price. I will probably supplement with a wider lens later, but this should be an adequate 2-lens combination for the time being. The only challenge now is I have to find the right lens caps for this lens, which seems to be a bit of a challenge searching through old threads.

    I just wanted something a little wider than the 150 nikkor I used to have, but not to wide or unwieldy. If I find I need something wider or with a bigger image circle later, I may add a 90 in the future.

    Thanks again!

  9. #9
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    Sounds good! When you get to the 90mm, check out the F6.8 varieties. They are a nice balance of bright viewing and small size.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

  10. #10
    evanbaines's Avatar
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    Re: Advice on moderate wide lens for Wista

    Thanks again!

    Does anyone know for sure about the cap sizes for this lens? S/N 9668549. It has the "for Wista" designation on the shutter but is a Copal 0. The front filter is 40.5mm. Past thread search shows some people talking about this but no solid answer.

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