4x5 Portrait lens & Chamonix F2

[Alan Klein]

Although I mainly intend to shoot portraits, I do like the idea of taking it out on a trail whenever I hike.
I also love shooting environmental portraits, or just outside of the home studio.

So the portability of the F2 still appeals to me.
However I’m not too huge on weight and take a tripod and a RZ67 with me easily no matter where I go.

Ideally I’d want one 4x5 that does it all.
Would the chamonix F2 not be able to handle lenses with a compound 3 shutter?

Address technical questions about Chamonix cameras to their rep in the USA in California:
hugo zhang <hugoz_2000@yahoo.com>

[Bernice Loui]

Back up, back way up...

The far more important objectives to portrait photography is capturing expression, lighting, pose. Then comes the intent and goals of the portrait image maker of capturing some aspect or essence of the portrait sitter or using the portrait sitter to be an expression of the portrait image maker.

Then comes portrait style, environmental, full length, half length, head-shoulder or ?
A virtual mountain of portrait images are easily available to be viewed on line today (photographic, alternative process, paintings and more). Have these been looked at to get some idea of what your style and finished image style might be?

Once these factors have been considered, then it becomes easier to decide on lenses (and focal length), lighting, film & film processing and the remainder of the image making process. Once this has been settled good, then a choice of camera and camera support can be made. Not until all the above and more has been decided upon and more fixed that any camera choice should be made as a view camera is servant to lens, film and the demands of the image maker. It might turn out, a monorail view camera or a portrait specific camera like a Century is a FAR better choice than a lightweight field folder camera that never leaves the portrait sitting area.


Bernice

Did a quick search but not much on this specific question. Beginner to LF, looking to buy a 4x5 set up.

I'm pretty set on getting a chamonix F2, and now am looking for the best portrait lens I can get around the 210mm/240mm range.
What would you say is the best portrait lens I can get <2k?
Money isn't really an issue, but not really looking at 4k for a Cooke PS945 (not 100% sold on the soft defocus look either), or a 210 Lanthar.

I've looked at this summary: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...rtrait-lenses/
Which was helpful, but some lenses like the 210mm Rodenstock Ysarex & 210mm Voigtländer Heliar are harder to find on eBay.

Many of the "best" 210mm / 240mm recommendations (ie above) also seem to come in compound #3 shutters.
Would a compound #3 shutter be too heavy for a chamonix F2? As in some sag in the bellows or something?

I'm probably looking at a 240mm Rodenstock Ronar f9 because they are around $400 on eBay and can find one, but I'd really like one with a greater maximal aperture, maybe 4.5 - 5.6. I know I'll probably miss focus a million times on at f4.5 on 4x5, but for some reason I want to try.

Does anyone have an opinion on the best portrait 4x5 lens, ~2k or less, f/4 - f/5.6 thats currently available for sale, thats already recommended on the summary above, or not mentioned? I know opinions will vary, but I'm asking for your personal one.
Or should I just go for the 240mm ronar f9?

I really don't care about weight either, I just want the best optical quality / bokeh. Maybe a heavier lens and a different 4x5 body than a chamonix would be suited for that.

Thank you!!

[johnj88]

Looking for a dagor, I found one on Keh: Goerz 8 1/4" (210mm) f/6.8
As well as a linhof 4X5 Master Technika on KEH as well.

Any opinions about this combo? I do feel weird spending more on the body than the lens however

[johnj88]

Is there a way to get the dagor with the synchro compur shutter here on Keh : https://www.keh.com/shop/210-f6-8-go...x5-lens-1.html

Onto a lens board compatible with the linhof master technika classic?

If so, I’m sold on that combination. The allure of being able to use the MT handheld as a rangefinder and as a field camera really appeals to me.

[johnj88]

So continuing my late night research, I’ve found that synchro compur shutters fit on copal #1 lens boards

So all I’d have to do is get that 8.25” dagor, put it on a copal 1 Linhof board, then I’m good to go on the MT, correct?
And if I really wanted to try to use it hand held, all I would need is a range finder to add to it?
On a brief search, I’ve seen people talking about sending lenses in to couple with a “cam”?

Does that mean I’d need to send the whole set up into Linhof or a service tech to get the lens coupled to the rangefinder?

[lenicolas]

I’ve never done it, nor do I know anyone who has, but my understanding is that only the lens is needed to make a cam. Basically what a technician wants is to know the exact flange distance of your lens.

As for lens choice, I personally use a 210mm Nikkor W for portraits.
I’d rather own a sharp lens and use a filter to soften it a bit than own a soft lens and be in a pickle if I decide to make big prints.

Like Bernice said there are many many styles of portraits.
Being brought up photographically in the 2000’s, I was introduced to Thomas Ruff, Martin Schoeller, Rineke Djikstra before I knew who Yusuf Karsh was... Like you I am “not sold” on the soft focus look.

Lately I’ve been enjoying the work of Richard Misrach, and I love the way his FUJI L (single coated Tessar) draws, making me think this would be a winner portrait lens. It is gentle, but not soft.
But then again when I look at his recent work shot with a digital Hasselblad, I am reminded that one can always soften a sharp image, while the opposite isn’t true.

Here is a recent 4x5 portrait with my Nikkor 5.6/210

(Snapshot of the negative on a light table with my iPad)

[otto.f]

Thanks to this forum I recently bought a Voigtländer Heliar 210, where I already owned a Schneider 210. They are very complementary to each other, the Heliar for portrait and beautiful bokeh, the Schneider for more bite, for instance architecture and landscape.

[cuypers1807]

If it hasn’t been mentioned yet, you should consider a commercial Ektar. They are brilliant portrait lenses.

[Tin Can]

Yes and a real nice 8" was or still is FS here, but OP has not been a member for a month

They are very good!

If it hasn’t been mentioned yet, you should consider a commercial Ektar. They are brilliant portrait lenses.

[jp]

reminded that one can always soften a sharp image, while the opposite isn’t true.

The softness from portrait lenses is different at different distances from a theoretical location of in-focus.. (It's never fully in focus because the softness comes from a blend of in and out of focusness)
To soften a sharp image imitating this style, one would need a 3-d stack of images to work from.. Phones with lidar and multiple lenses have the computational power to do this but wouldn't be as subtle as using a lens designed for the purpose.
Not a process to quickly apply to a single image in LR/PS.