5x7 wide lens: a newbie's conundrum

[Rraven]

Hello!

I have recently taken my long anticipated plunge into large format with a magnificent 5x7 Norma and three lenses: a 165mm angulon, 210mm sinaron s and a 450mm nikkor m. Now I think I'm in need of a little sage advice to help complete my line up with a wide and I'll be, for the moment at least, all set!

I'm shooting 5x7 and 6x17 panoramics, and anticipate using a fair amount of movement when shooting wide in 5x7. Multiplying up from small format, I seem to gravitate towards a 100-105mm focal length, with a blank range between 120 and 150ish, but use down to 90 with occasional want for wider. Which leads to a troublesome dilemma; which compromise will leave me happiest? The lenses I am considering are:

• Grandagon 115mm: Great coverage, but I fear wanting wider, especially for the panos, a bit too often.
• Super symmar 110mm: Great coverage again, nice size but frankly a bit pricey.
• Fuji SW 105mm: OK coverage I guess, nice focal length on paper, a bit dark and performance a tad below the others, possibly?
• Super angulon xl 90: Seems to be the only 90 that makes sense on 5x7 (how conservative are the stated IC's of the 4.5 grandagon and nikkor sw, and fuji swd?), maybe a bit wide for general use but not for the pano's, and there's always scissors.

I have also considered the 4 3/8" wa dagor, but it seems that there's no deals to be had there either. I value resolution, but out of focus rendering and other facets of character are at least equally important. I don't care too much about illumination falloff, indeed I often add vignetting to my photos, so long as it's not severe enough to ruin a strip of velvia when shot straight on. What do you think? ...are there any secret options I've missed? I look forward to your opinions!

Rr.

[Steve Goldstein]

Wollensak 108mm? A tad dark at f/12.5, but it's tiny and lightweight if that matters.

[Mark Tweed]

Speaking of 90's, there is the Komura 90mm f6.3 that covers the 5X7 format, I have one and it's a great lens with its brighter f6.3 viewing and less light fall-off in the corners because of its retrofocus design. Here's some quick specs I pulled off the web.


Super-W-Komura 90mm F6.3
Wide-angle lenses for large format camera in the 1970s

- Lens construction: 8 elements in 5 groups
- Comprehensive angle: 106 °
- Image Circle: 240 mm
- Screen Size for: 5x7 inches
- Shutter: COPAL No. 0

[AA+]

I use the 72mm Super Angulon XL on 5x7 and it works very well. Watch your foot position! I also use the correct center filters for both my 90mm and 72mm Super Angulon XL, and they work very well for evening out the illumination.

Best wishes --- Allen

[Greg]

I use a 105mm f/8 FUJINON SW on my Whole Plate. Excellent lens in every way and should provide you with ample movements on your 5x7.

"Grandagon 115mm" also was marketed by Calumet under Caltar. Had a 115mm Caltar and it was an excellent lens.

Also consider the Nikkor 120mm f8 SW. It's my widest lens for my 8x10 and sharp even in the corners.

When going this wide, really, really consider a center gradated ND filter. Never used one for years, but then tried one had haven't looked back since.... rarely shoot without using one.

Norma's are great... use a 4x5 and an 8x10.Some advice: never sell it. I did for both formats and soon regretted it. Replaced both as soon as I could.

[mdarnton]

The Wolly 108mm has a stop on the aperture and will open to about 6.8 for viewing; perhaps not for focusing. There's also a 6.8 version of the same lens (I have one of each). But I don't think that they have enough movement, compared with the others.

[IanG]

I'm using my 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon as my WA lens for 7x5, I've always found that 90mm lenses are very responsive to quite small amounts of movements, a little achieves a lot. For what I shoot with 6x17 I actually found the 90mm to be a touch too long but this is mainly to do with my subject matter and need to work closer to the subject so I use a 75mm f8 SA.

Ian.

[George Hart]

The Nikkor-SW 90/8 has been available for a reasonable price. It covers 5x7 easily and is very sharp. The Super-symmar XL 110/5.6 is superb on 5x7, worth waiting for…

[Luis-F-S]

The 90 XL is a beast so never leaves the studio. I like the WA Dagor n as posted above there are plenty other 90s that cover 5x7. There's a 90 SA 5.6 on this forum very well priced.

[mdarnton]

I have to take back what I said. This morning got out my 8x10 and started hanging lenses on it. I put my Wolly 108/6.8 (not the 12.5) and was surprised that it nearly fully lights 8x10. The 115/6.8 Caltar did slightly better, as the specs would indicate. Now the interesting thing: I put on my 90/5.6 SA, and it nearly lights the whole 8x10 also--less than the others, but still pretty good. Some of you might remember my experiment with the 65/5.6 SA on 5x7, near the end of my LF Flickr stuff, but I think the 90/5.6 covers 8x10 better than that. So now I have that project to do--lug the 8x10 outside and see what the story really is. Notice I said "lights"--I have not yet determined how the sharpness is out there with any of these.

I'm starting to think that any of the suggested lenses would probably provide MORE than is required.