Suggestions for 4x5 Lens Sets (3 lens, 4 lens and 5 lens sets)

[Ari]

Not to hijack Angus' very worthy thread, but…
...I'm a two-lens guy, so my suggestion, for anyone who needs to pack small-ish, is a Nikkor 90mm f8 and a Fujinon 210 f5.6 (older, single-coated version).
They're both 67mm filters, combined weight is about 800g, and both give tons of movements on 4x5 (the 210 can easily serve as an 8x10 lens in a pinch).
Armed with a 90 and a 210, there's not much you can't do on 4x5.

[angusparker]

Not to hijack Angus' very worthy thread, but…
...I'm a two-lens guy, so my suggestion, for anyone who needs to pack small-ish, is a Nikkor 90mm f8 and a Fujinon 210 f5.6 (older, single-coated version).
They're both 67mm filters, combined weight is about 800g, and both give tons of movements on 4x5 (the 210 can easily serve as an 8x10 lens in a pinch).
Armed with a 90 and a 210, there's not much you can't do on 4x5.

Great proposal! I'll add a two lens set-up for the minimalist!

[Kirk Gittings]

Interesting info for initiates. I'm sort of like your 4 lens kit with one addition, 90, 120, 150, 210, 305. However I don't understand the importance you put on filter sizes. Buy filters for the largest lens and step up rings for the rest. Leave the rings on all the time and buy cheap lens caps in that size. That way everything is interchangeable. I thought everyone did such?

[Bill_1856]

The Dr. Staeble Polyplast set comes with a beautiful little Compound shutter, a fixed rear element and 4 interchangeable front elements , giving 105, 135, 165, and 195mm. Used without any front element, the rear element gives 210mm. (I got it years ago from Dagor77.)
Although each lens has a different maximum aperture,the aperture is marked on the lens rather than on the shutter so it reads directly with the aperture pointer.
The little box containing the three unused elements, also has three filters which fit all lenses (yellow, orange, and tobacco).
There is a slight focus shift when stopping down.
It is like the system used on Zeiss Contaflex cameras.

[neil poulsen]

What guides my lens selection is the following: I'm picky about camera position, and I like to fill the negative as much as possible. The whole point of 4x5 is the tonality that one can obtain from using a large negative. So, I tend to like "lotsa" lenses, because they give me the flexibility of filling the 4x5 frame, without having to compromise camera position.

So, my lens selection for landscape tends to be 105mm (Fuji SW), 121mm, 150mm, 180mm, 250mm, and 355mm.

For architecture, it goes a bit in the other direction: 75mm, 90mm, 105mm, 121mm, 150mm, 180mm, and maybe 250mm.

I have other lenses, so depending on the situation, I might add a little something on either end, like a 58mm or a 450mm. As for a 90mm, while it's the most used lens for architecture, I generally find it too short for landscape. The Fuji 105 SW was a nice addition, because I find that it comes in handy for both landscape and architecture.

By the way, I have a cart that I use for carrying equipment.

[IanG]

My landscape selection is 65mm f8 Super Agulon (or 75mm f5.6 Super angulon), 90mm f6.8 Grandagon N, , 150mmf5.6 Sironar N, 210mm f5.6 Symmar Sand I used to carry a 300mm f9 Nikon M as well but only used it twice in over 15 years.

Unlike Neil in the post above I'm rarely shooting in large wide open landscapes and I've found the 65mm has been useful, I've replaced or maybe supplemented it recently with a newer 75mm Super Angulon, I'm shooting post industrial landscapes (remains or traces of early industry) and archaeological landscapes so probably closer to Neil's architecture setup.

Ian

[fishbulb]

I like the idea of going with linear increases in focal length. For example, the four lens set has ~1.5x increases.

Extending it would be: 60/65 --> 90 --> 135 --> 200/210 --> 300 --> 450.

Meaningful increases in focal length without too big of gaps in between.

[Neil Purling]

Bill's suggestions are very good. My Graphic came with a 127mm Ektar which does cover 4x5, but I don't think it really has much coverage beyond shooting without movements at f16-22. If you have economy in mind a 210mm Schneider G-Claron would be a good partner for the mild wide angle Ektar and the 150mm version if you wanted to travel with only one lens.
I have used and passed on more lenses. The G-Clarons and a 150mm Linhof-selected Xenar were the most modern.

[DG 3313]

My 4x5 rig started with a Sironar N 210mm 5.6 then a new Grandagon N 90mm 6.8 and later added a Fuji 125mm 5.6 W, Nikkor 300mm 9.0 M, and a Grandagon 75mm 6.8. I use the 300mm the least and lately the 210mm or the 75mm the most.

[Professional]

Well, i am still very new to LF and i am trying to move within it slowly or wisely, but i feel to each his/her own and i can't get the right answer, and hence we all keep asking questions or looking for suggestions or recommendations, so also i am not hijacking this thread, but it is almost in the same boat.

I already have Rode 150 Sironar N and Schn 72 SA XL as brand new, and will skip the lenses i have for Graphlex that are on Graphlex lens boards, not sure what else to get, in my mind there are only 3 lenses i am really interested in to get but i can't make sure, and they are: 90mm, 210mm, and 300mm.

I have 72 so definitely not thinking about 65 or 75, and 90 isn't that much far but i feel 90 will have something in use beside 72mm, even in my digital side i have many or diffeerent lenses in that ULTRA/Super wide angle side, so why not doing the same, so if that 72mm is nealy as 17mm or 20mm equivalent that what is 90mm, 35mm for example? and i am also thinking to replace that 150 version i have with another 150 better version or quality even if it is least used, but not in rush.

I really don't know about another FL such as 110, 127, 240,...etc, so if i have 90 and 150 and 210 for example do i really need those lenses i started with in this line?