Lens length preferences in 7x17 format?

[John Bowen]

I know this is reviving an old thread, but so what???

My 7x17 lens kit consists of 305 & 355 G Clarons, a 450 Nikkor M and a Fuji 600 C. The 355 and 450 seem to spend the most time on the camera. I have had the 305 on the camera a few times, but I almost always swap it out for a longer lens prior to making an exposure. I shoot landscapes, but the way I see seems to be better suited to the 355 or 450.

Great thread...I found this very helpful when I was considering glass for my Ritter ULF camera.

[Scott Squires]

Interesting thread and it may be intereting to see if any of the original guys have changed there view on different lenses?

I use a Dagor type 305 G-Claron, 450 Nikkor M and Fuji 600 "C". All three are great performers for 7x17.

My favorite has to be the Dagor type 305 G-Claron, a great lens from the Tonopah mine!

[unityofsaints]

Not sure if it's kosher to resurrect such and ancient thread but I found the responses here useful, and it's not like the selection of lenses changed since then

I'm finding my 600 C quite o.k. as a standard lens but the perspective feels more compressed than the 55mm 35mm film equivalent would lead you to believe. That and the massive bellow draw that's required leading to instability in the slightest bit of wind has me looking for a 450 or 360. The market is nuts at the moment, though.

[Tin Can]

I love old threads

Usually very informative as is this one

I use a 12" very old lens, that I cannot remember right now, Dagor type

I should try my 250mm WF Kodak Ektar as posted in this thread

[Jim Noel]

I don't know if I responded previously and because of age no longer have my beloved Korona 717.
At the time I had a 19" Artar, 14" Dagor, 12" Dagor, 10.75" Dagor, 165mm Angulon, Probably in excess of 90% of my images were made with the 10.75" Dagor. It just seemed to have the same angle of vision as did my eyes..
I now am down to a Korona 5x12 and although I have tried a variety of lenses, both modern and old, I have yet to come up with one with same pleasing angle and presentation of vision. Modern ones not only don't fill my need for angle, but the images are too "cut and paste" looking.

[Lachlan 717]

The two easiest-to-find and high quality lenses is modern shutters in the FL that you mentioned are the 355mm G Claron and the 450mm Nikkor.

Both are amazing lenses with more coverage that your camera will be able to use.

(I have both - money where my mouth is!)

[G Benaim]

I've been using a 12" Dagor and a 16" artar for a few years, mostly the Dagor. The artar can be found fairly affordable still, will give you something closer to a 55 in 35mm terms.

[Steve Goldstein]

Jim, have you tried a 190 Wide-Field Ektar? 5x12 and 7x17 have almost exactly the same aspect ratio. So doing the math: (12/17)*10.75*25.4 =193mm so the Ektar should match the view of your 10.75” Dagor on 7x17. The big IF is whether it’ll cover the format…

[e]

270mm is nice.

[Lachlan 717]

270mm is nice.

Hard to find, though, with limited options and limited production of those limited options. Pity…