Best 75mm / 90mm lens?......totally kidding, but not really...read on pls

[Havoc]

I just like my Fujinon SWD 75. The SWD 90 is also nice but heavy.

[drew.saunders]

I believe that it also suffers fall off that would need the CF.

Long ago, I shot Ektachrome E100VS with the 80/4.5 SSXL and, looking over those scans, I do see a bit of corner vignetting. It doesn't bother me, but, of course, if it bothers someone, they'd need the CF.

The 80/4.5 SSXL takes the IIIB center filter, along with a few other lenses.

Here's one sample image from 12 years ago (I need to get back to Yosemite more often!) that shows fall off in the upper corners in the sky:

C-12-03-08-3 by Drew Saunders, on Flickr

If I hadn't botched the exposure, there would be falloff at the bottom.

For some reason, the falloff is more noticeable in the TMax shot taken almost at the same time:

12-03-08.6 by Drew Saunders, on Flickr

[Bob Salomon]

Long ago, I shot Ektachrome E100VS with the 80/4.5 SSXL and, looking over those scans, I do see a bit of corner vignetting. It doesn't bother me, but, of course, if it bothers someone, they'd need the CF.

The 80/4.5 SSXL takes the IIIB center filter, along with a few other lenses.

Here's one sample image from 12 years ago (I need to get back to Yosemite more often!) that shows fall off in the upper corners in the sky:

C-12-03-08-3 by Drew Saunders, on Flickr

If I hadn't botched the exposure, there would be falloff at the bottom.

For some reason, the falloff is more noticeable in the TMax shot taken almost at the same time:

12-03-08.6 by Drew Saunders, on Flickr

It is not vignetting. It’s fall off. Vignetting is a different thing all together. But nice shots. Some people accept the fall off as “the wide angle look.”

[AdamD]

As with many of you, when Doremus speaks, I listen....

But something has me concerned....

My Fujinon SW f/5.6 75mm takes 67mm filters. I haven't compared it to any others in this focal length. I use it rarely, but really like it when I need it. Coverage is minimal for 4x5; just a bit of rise/fall and forget front tilts/swings. Other 75s are likely similar.

Wait....are you saying that typically any 75mm will lack the ability to tilt???? I use at least a little front tilt on just about every image I've taken. I can think of only a couple where I was parallel on standards.

This sounds like a pretty significant limitation to the shorter focal length. Am I understanding this right?

[Corran]

196mm image circle. Plenty of room for movements it seems, though I don't own that lens myself.

See this table:

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...s/LF4x5in.html

PS: you can use rear tilt for DOF control as well. Forgive me if you know this already, but just thought I'd mention that.

[AdamD]

Totally true, yes. And Corran, I appreciate you not just assuming I know about rear tilt.

I tend not to use it except to exadurate the up close foreground for special effect. Otherwise, I'm using front tilt for depth of field and to optimize my focal plane. I typically shoot photos where there's something of interest up in close as well as way off in the distance.

[Corran]

With that much IC you should be able to use plenty of tilt for DOF. I use the 47mm and 58mm XL lenses and they have only 166mm of IC and I can still use front tilt fine. Don't need much anyway with those lenses! I've just realized that the needed tilt for DOF is proportional to the focal length, so as you get wider and wider you need less and less...

[Bernice Loui]

75mm f5.6 Fujinon SWD, 75mm f5.6 Super Angulon, 75mm f4.5 Nikkor SW, 75mm f4.5 Grandagon have very similar-identical spec image circle of 196_ish mm at f22 _ infinity. They are essentially far more similar than different.

75mm f6.8 Grandagon, 75mm f8 Super Angulon, 75mm f8 Fujinon SW have an image circe about 180_ish mm at f22 _ infinity.
Again these are essentially far more similar than different.

Any of these 75mm modern wide angle lenses easily covers 4x5 with more than adequate camera movement. The most common problem with using a 75mm on any view camera is bellows restrictions (addressed by using a bag bellows), less than the lens and it's image circle. On a flat bed folder, the front of the camera bed can be an issue (dropping the bed helps) and getting the camera front standard into the camera enough to focus, specially at infinity.

The only larger image circle modern wide angle about this focal length is the 72mm f5.6 Super Angulon XL with a spec image circle of 229mm at f22 _infinity. This lens covers 5x7 _ 13x18cm with modest camera movements.

Before believing the lens with the largest image circle is "Best".. have a look at these three together.




The 72mm Super Angulon is HUGE compared to the 75mm f6.8 Grandagon. All three covers 4x5 with ease, images made at f22 would be far more similar than different. IMO, for 4x5, pick the lowest cost good used 75mm and move on. Unless this focal length will be used with 5x7 or 13x18cm, batting about which lens is better is mostly academic and not worth stressing out over.

As for center filter, not likely needed for 4x5, even with color transparencies, light fall off could be ok. Try first before making the leap to a center filter as these will impose a different set of limitations and benefits.

This image (re-post from recent) was made with a 72mm Super Angulon, no center filter on 5x7 film..


There will be less light fall of with a 75mm lens on 4x5..


As for camera movements & wide angle lens. Have a look at this recently posted discussion about the 72mm.
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...-aperture-used

All this brings up the Zeiss 75mm f4.5 Biogon.. and it's military variants by contract manufactures. For the majority of 4x5 view camera images, not recommended for a long list of reasons.


Bernice

As with many of you, when Doremus speaks, I listen....

But something has me concerned....

Wait....are you saying that typically any 75mm will lack the ability to tilt???? I use at least a little front tilt on just about every image I've taken. I can think of only a couple where I was parallel on standards.

This sounds like a pretty significant limitation to the shorter focal length. Am I understanding this right?

[Bernice Loui]

Yes, most of the modern wide angle lenses used on 5x7 images are made at f16 or f22 smallest. Using a smaller f-stop than absolutely needed is a trade-off.

On roll film 6x9, f11 is surprisingly common with a lens like the 65mm Fujinon SWD or 47mm Super Angulon XL.


Bernice

Agreed, but realistically does anyone shoot at wider than f/22?

[Bob Salomon]

196mm image circle. Plenty of room for movements it seems, though I don't own that lens myself.

See this table:

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...s/LF4x5in.html

PS: you can use rear tilt for DOF control as well. Forgive me if you know this already, but just thought I'd mention that.

Front and rear tilts and swings control the plane of sharp focus, not DOF. DOF is only controlled by your aperture setting.
Rear tilts and swings also control image shape.