65mm lens comparison

[Daniel Unkefer]

Norma Handy Stuff 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

It's not on Dan's listing but here is mine.

[Hmuessig]

I see no one has mentioned the Rodenstock 65mm f4.5 Grandagon-N . . .

It is one of the sharpest lenses I have - next to my Rodenstock 150mm Sironar-S. It is also a nice small size. And it uses a 58mm center filter - a bit cheaper than the 67mm ones of any brand. My camera is a Toyo 45A and I've never had any problem with the bed in the picture except when I needed to drop the lens. As someone else noted, on a Toyo Field camera the 65 needs to be on a recessed board: a shutter release angles extension is essential and aperture, shutter and cocking, and press focus can be a challenge if you have big fingers - Chopsticks or something similar work well for setting the shutter even with the center filter on.

[hiend61]

I see no one has mentioned the Rodenstock 65mm f4.5 Grandagon-N . . .

It is one of the sharpest lenses I have - next to my Rodenstock 150mm Sironar-S. It is also a nice small size. And it uses a 58mm center filter - a bit cheaper than the 67mm ones of any brand. My camera is a Toyo 45A and I've never had any problem with the bed in the picture except when I needed to drop the lens. As someone else noted, on a Toyo Field camera the 65 needs to be on a recessed board: a shutter release angles extension is essential and aperture, shutter and cocking, and press focus can be a challenge if you have big fingers - Chopsticks or something similar work well for setting the shutter even with the center filter on.

+1 for the Rodenstock Grandagon N 65/4,5. It´s very very sharp. I shot color slide film and I find the center filter is mandatory, unless you like heavy fall off efect.

[Neal Chaves]

Will the f4 Nikkor's rear component fit through the hole behind a Pacemaker board and/or fit inside the bellows?

I have a 65mm f4 Nikkor SW on a Pacemaker Graphic lens board and it fits just fine on a 4X5 TRF Crown. It can cam-couple to the RF like the Fujinon 65/8, but it cannot fold up in the case.

[Alan Klein]

My experience with 65mm (SA 65/5.6) is that I now leave it on a shelf at home.

Why?

I'm just getting into 4x5 and have a 75, 90 and 150mm. I do have a center filter for the 90mm but not the 75mm. I'm just starting to shoot and was wondering if you'd share your experience.

[Jody_S]

Why?

I'm just getting into 4x5 and have a 75, 90 and 150mm. I do have a center filter for the 90mm but not the 75mm. I'm just starting to shoot and was wondering if you'd share your experience.

I guess the real reason is that I can't compose an image in my mind with a 65mm. My 75mm sees pretty much what my 90mm sees only a little bit wider, and behaves exactly the same when shooting. It was a very small adjustment for me to go a little bit wider. But composing on a ground glass with the 65 has proved too challenging, I keep getting things in the image that aren't supposed to be there (like my filter holder), vignetting because the image circle is too small and I don't use a camera with detents and all that stuff that would allow me to lock everything down perfectly centered and parallel.

I guess it comes down to the 65mm seeing wider than the human eye/brain does, I have similar difficulty composing with a small format fisheye because I can't see in my mind what the final image will be. It remains a novelty focal length for most, IMHO. You bring it out when you're not seeing anything good and hope you get lucky with some unusual perspective or proportion.

[mdarnton]

Same for me. I have and use 15mm 35mm lenses and 21mm is my favorite, but 65mm on 4x5 is something I can't deal with. . .I prefer 75 or even longer.
A mystery.

[Corran]

My 2nd-favorite focal length, after 90mm, is 58mm. I think I'm pretty good at ultrawide shooting. A lot of folks here seem to be partial to longer lenses.

Also depends on where/what you are shooting...

Oh, and there's a big difference in maneuverability when it comes to small handheld cameras vs. a 4x5 on a tripod. Certainly makes things a bit more difficult in terms of composition.

[Peter De Smidt]

It really is strange. In 35mm/LX digital, my favorite lens is 20mm, but in 4x5 I use 120 much more than 90.

[Corran]

I wonder, for those that shoot ultrawide on 35mm/FX but longer on 4x5 - does the aspect ratio change your compositional perspective? Do you use a lot of foreground/background relationships or just show a "wide view?" Is your tripod at eye-level or are you finding the best place* for the composition you envision?

Something else - when shooting 90mm I often use front fall/rise to accentuate foreground objects. This is just like a ~21mm lens on 35mm with the top cropped off. 65mm and wider starts to get REALLY wide. I think of 90mm as equivalent to 21/25mm lenses, depending on aspect ratio comparisons on the long/short ends.

*A recent precarious tripod position. needed to get the composition that accentuates the foreground.