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Thread: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

  1. #1

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    First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Hi, I'm getting ready to pull the plug on an 8x10 camera - been wanting one for as long as I can remember and finally have the opportunity to get one, and so I wanted to ask if anyone could recommend a lens that will hopefully allow me to shoot landscape and possibly some portrait work though not essential.

    With that said, I would really like to shoot 8x10 using one single lens, as I have a cabinet full of lenses, and where I really just want to shoot landscapes with this particular camera.
    And so, could anyone recommend a good lens that would hopefully allow movements, as well as a large enough aperture to hopefully help keep my shutter high enough to accommodate the vivacious Newfoundland landscapes(very windy here), lots of big waves, etc...

  2. #2
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Fuji W 300/5.6 (or European equal) -- in a Copal 3 shutter. It was been my 8x10 one-lens...perhaps leaning more towards landscapes than portraits, though.

    On the wide side of normal for the format. I found it a versatile focal length for 8x10.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  3. #3

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Fuji W 300/5.6 -- in a Copal 3 shutter..
    Very fine lens, and I own it, but I'd advise anyone to see and lift one before purchase: it's a big, heavy lens.

  4. #4
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by robphoto View Post
    Very fine lens, and I own it, but I'd advise anyone to see and lift one before purchase: it's a big, heavy lens.
    Not compared to my Fuji W 360mm plasmat!

    But lots of movements and fast. Esstee: You will find that stop-action 8x10 work is not easy, but by no means impossible or improbable. Depth of Field issues that crop up with longer lens can limit how wide of an aperture one can use without giving up DoF and/or shutter speed.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  5. #5

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Twelve inch Kodak commercial ektar

  6. #6
    (Shrek)
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Lenses are like potato chips. Nobody can stop at one.

  7. #7
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Use the focal length that you use most in other formats.

    Some possible contenders:
    Fuji 250mm f/6.7
    a double or triple convertible lens
    Nikkor-M 450

    My most used lens on 8x10 is a 210, but that's probably no one else's cup of tea.

  8. #8

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ari View Post
    Use the focal length that you use most in other formats.
    That sounds like a good approach to take, my main landscape lens on FF is a 35mm, and so I guess that would put me right around 300mm

  9. #9
    William Whitaker's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Good recommendations already. But you can never go wrong with a Dagor. 12" Dagor is appropriate to a lot of situations. You won't regret it!
    Remember that with large format and especially with 8x10 and larger as you focus closer, e.g. portrait distances, bellows factor comes into play such that a 12" lens can quickly become effectively a 14" lens. So if you start with a longer nominal focal length, your effective working focal length will put you into the realm of a longer lens very quickly with the resulting loss of depth of field. Likewise your coverage will effectively increase because your lens is now further from the film plane. That can have its benefits, although loss of depth of field usually is not beneficial.
    So while a 14" lens may be considered a "normal" lens for 8x10, you'd probably do well to stick to looking for a 12" lens. And again the Dagor is a very worthy design. Lots of modern formulations are worthy too, as already mentioned. See what the market has to offer, then choose wisely.
    In the end you pay your money and you take your choice. And then you learn to use it. It's a journey. Enjoy! :-)

  10. #10

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Another vote for the 12" Ektar, Commercial f6.3 or the non-Commercial f4.5

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