Lens set for 8x10?

[Mark Sawyer]

I'd go with a 14-inch Commercial Ektar, a 14-inch P&S Semi-Achromat, a 14.5-inch Cooke Portrait lens (preferably an f/3.5 Knuckler), a 14.5-inch Verito, a 14.5-inch Velostigmat Series II (with diffusion ring), a 14.5-inch Imagon, a 14-inch Cooke RVP, and a nice 14-inch Petzval...

[Corran]

Generally I don't shoot much longer than 300mm. For hiking I might bring some of these lenses:

Schneider 90mm f/5.6 XL (slightly cropped)
Nikkor 120mm f/8
Graphic Kowa 210mm f/9
Nikkor 300mm f/9
Nikkor 450mm f/9
Nikkor-T 720mm f/16 (Haven't actually felt the need to shoot this long, but it covers)

[Jim Jones]

Maybe I need to think of lenses for 810 by the height of the 35 frame instead of the width...

Yes. I like that extra 6mm width, but almost always crop it off. My kit for Leica was 21,35,50,90,and 135 and for a compact 4x5 a fairly similar 65, 90, 125, 203, and 250. For longer reach I needed a Nikon SLR. Much depends on the way one looks at landscapes. An old travelling buddy often borrowed my 20mm Nikkor for one shot while my long tele could pick out several good compositions from the same place.

[sepiareverb]

This is coming faster than I can assimilate tonight. Will really dive into the investigation of recommendations tomorrow. At this rate of reply I should add that I'm enlarging in addition to contact printing. Mostly going to 1620 - 2024.

Thank you much!

[John Kasaian]

240mm Schneider G Claron
250mm Kodak Wide Field Ektar
12" Goerz Dagor
14" Kodak Commercial Ektar
19" Goerz Red Dot Artar

[neil poulsen]

One of my primary interests is architecture, and i use medium and 4x5 view cameras, and a full-frame digital for that work.

But I think that 8x10 is better suited for landscape and fine art. Architecture requires super-wide lenses, which are expensive and can be challenging to use on 8x10.

For 8x10, I have a Sinar-Norma outfit that includes all the rail that I need, a bag bellows, and both 4x5 and 5x7 backs. I stumbled across this outfit at a swap meet and picked it up at a modest price. It was a great find. What people may not realize is that, for a monorail, Norma 8x10's are light-weight. With about 24" of rail, mine weighs just over 13lbs, which is only a couple of pounds more than a Deardorff, and less than a Calumet "green monster". Yet, it has all the stability and capability that one might expect in a rail camera. With a 4x5 or 5x7 back and the bag bellows attached, I can easily use a 75mm lens with all the movement that might be needed. But with the intermediate standard and the 4x5 bellows that I picked up, I can manage an 8x10 maximum extension of up to about 40 inches.

I have four lenses that I've picked up over time which cover 8x10: the 250mm, f6.7 Fujinon; a 355mm f9 G-Claron; the 450mm f9 Nikon M, and a 600mm f11.5 Fujinon C.

[sepiareverb]

Will start looking at these lengths carefully at lunch today. I'm working with a Canham wood field, which I traded a Wisner for about eight years ago now. Couldn't deal with the round knobs on the Wisner any longer, and couldn't be happier with the Canham.

[N Dhananjay]

Really does depend on your vision and choice of subject. I am assuming you are not talking about extreme wide angles and extremely long lenses which are sort of special cases dictated often by other reasons (e.g., working in narrow spaces or not being able to get closer etc.). If you like the illusion of space and near-far relationships in the open landscape, you would prefer gentle wide angles. If your photographs are about patterns and rhythm across the picture plane, you would likely prefer slightly longer lenses. I lean towards longer lenses - the 14" Dagor and 19" Artar see a lot of use. Cheers, DJ

[Jim Becia]

When hiking, I like a three lens set: a 210 Graphic/Kowa, a 300 Fuji, either a 5.6 if the hike isn't too long or the 300A, and a 450, again, a Nikkor if it isn't too long or the Fuji 450C. When working close to the car, I also have a Nikkor 150SW and a Fuji 600C. I like the spacing of this group of lenses for my work with the 300 being my most used length.

[John Kasaian]

240mm Schneider G Claron
250mm Kodak Wide Field Ektar
12" Goerz Dagor
14" Kodak Commercial Ektar
19" Goerz Red Dot Artar

I should note that I don't consider these any sort of "set" but rather a "collection." I spent years quite content with just the 14" Commercial Ektar, adding the rest of the glass if and when affordable examples came my way.
The 240 G Claron is superb for hiking with it's lightness and size.
The 19" Artar is super sharp and the longest my camera can use without taxing the bellows.
The Kodak Ektars offer seemingly acres of coverage and speed and while sharp when stopped down they also have interesting qualities when wide open.
The Dagor has a classic charm all it's own.

When hiking, I'll select no more than two lenses depending on the situation and terrain--- one riding reversed, in situ the camera, and the other in my kit bag

I also have a 159 WA Wollensak "yellow dot" and a 15" B+L Petzval (Pretzel?) for when the need arises.