300mm lens 4x5" landscape

[Two23]

I use a Nikon 300M f9 on my Chamonix 4x5 and love it. Also use it on my 8x10--it covers.


Kent in SD

[Michael R]

I use the Fuji 300 C. Excellent lens. Obviously a little dimmer wide open than the big f/5.6ers but since I don’t use this focal length all that often I couldn’t justify the much higher cost at the time. The larger 300mm lenses may or may not work on the Chamonix.

[Two23]

I use the Fuji 300 C. Excellent lens. Obviously a little dimmer wide open than the big f/5.6ers but since I don’t use this focal length all that often I couldn’t justify the much higher cost at the time. The larger 300mm lenses may or may not work on the Chamonix.

I have the Chamonix 045n and would not put a 300mm f5.6 on it. Remember the bellows are stretched way out and this is a lightweight camera. The Nikon 300M is an excellent match.


Kent in SD

[Michael R]

Makes sense to me. The Schneider 300mm Apo Symmar L, for example, was over a kg in weight and not quite symmetric either.

Another thing for OP to consider is filters. The big 300mm lenses take gigantic filters in comparison to the Nikkor M or Fuji C.

I have the Chamonix 045n and would not put a 300mm f5.6 on it. Remember the bellows are stretched way out and this is a lightweight camera. The Nikon 300M is an excellent match.


Kent in SD

[grat]

I have the Chamonix 045n and would not put a 300mm f5.6 on it. Remember the bellows are stretched way out and this is a lightweight camera. The Nikon 300M is an excellent match.

Actually-- looking at the design of the H-1 and the 45N-1, I'd be happier putting the 300mm f/5.6 on the 45N-1. The base plate just looks a bit more secure, and the slides don't look as over-extended-- you can also pull the rear standard back a bit to center up the balance somewhat, and leave the front lens board not quite as extended.

The H1 just looks a bit more fiddly when extended.

Still, it's a very large lens.

[Bernice Loui]

Typical 300mm f5.6 Plasmat in a Copal# 3 shutter is HUGE, weights almost 3 pounds or as much as the camera.. Ya really wanna do this?
Next to this 300mm f5.6 Plasmat is a 300mm f9 APO ronar in a Copal# 1 shutter.


Explain why the 300mm f5.6 Plasmat would be a better or more reasonable choice than a 300mm f9 for a 3 pound field folder view camera?


Bernice

Actually-- looking at the design of the H-1 and the 45N-1, I'd be happier putting the 300mm f/5.6 on the 45N-1. The base plate just looks a bit more secure, and the slides don't look as over-extended-- you can also pull the rear standard back a bit to center up the balance somewhat, and leave the front lens board not quite as extended.

The H1 just looks a bit more fiddly when extended.

Still, it's a very large lens.

[Mark Sawyer]

Explain why the 300mm f5.6 Plasmat would be a better or more reasonable choice than a 300mm f9 for a 3 pound field folder view camera?

Because the OP started his question with:

Hi
What's the best lens 300mm for 4x5" with the following features:
- as much light as possible...

I agree that an f/9 lens is workable for most people in daylight situations, but it seems many of the responses ignore the first qualifier on the list. I love process lenses, and use them often, even for slow processes like wet plate, and at close distances that make them even darker. But the OP wants a bright lens, and that's not an f/9, relatively speaking.

There are multiple good reasons for wanting a wider aperture lens:

Wanting the option of reduced depth of field.

Simply wanting a brighter image to compose by.

Using the more critical depth of field to learn to use movements to get varying distances in focus.

Using that reduced depth of field to more accurately set the movements to get everything in focus closed down.

Because chicks think big lenses are cool.

Okay, that last one never really worked for me, but in theory, the point holds...

Sorry, late night meanderings...

[fotopfw]

See comment #8, light refers to weight, not max. aperture.

[John Earley]

One more Nikon 300/f9 user here. Works great on my Shen Has 4x5 and wonderful images.

[Fermat]

One more Nikon 300/f9 user here. Works great on my Shen Has 4x5 and wonderful images.

That's sound great but difficult to find ...