Help for best set of lenses

[Fermat]

Hi all,
I have cumulated nine lenses over time.
I think I need to decide how to build my set and decide what to keep and what to sell.
My photo are mainly landscape and cityscape.
My viewcamera is a Toyo VX 125.

Here is my current list of lenses owned:

Schneider Super Angulon XL 72mm
Rodenstock Grandagon N 90M F4.5
Schneider Super-symmar XL 110mm
Schneider Apo Symmar 150mm
Schneider Apo Symmar L 180mm
Nikkor E 210mm
Schneider Apo Symmar 210mm
Fujinon SF 250mm
Nikkor M 300mm

Could anyone help me in defining the best set of lenses?

Thanks in advance.


Mario

[Drew Wiley]

Gosh. Most look pretty useful. You've obviously got a duplicate 210; and that 250 soft focus is an odd duck compared to the rest. The 90 and 110 are fairly close in focal length, but both are pretty desirable too, for architectural applications.

[Lachlan 717]

72, 110, 180, 300

[Ari]

Which do you use the most?
For 4x5, I always had a 90 and a 210. Together, they cover about 90% of any work.
Other lenses were specialty, like the 72XL.
I could see needing the 110XL, as well as a 300 (or longer) for compressed cityscape-type photos.

[lassethomas]

You've got a nice progression of good lenses. Why sell, unless you need the money.
Except perhaps for the 250 Soft Focus there is no bummer, and the 250 is not a bummer just a little odd compare to the others.
No one here can really tell you what to do. Keep the ones you use the most, and sell the other if you must.

[mdarnton]

Sell the 250SF and that is the best way to raise the total quality of your collection. Then if you want a soft lens, buy a real one.

[mhayashi]

I’d say to keep the following.

Schneider Super Angulon XL 72mm
Schneider Super-symmar XL 110mm
Schneider Apo Symmar 210mm or 180mm L
Nikkor M 300mm

[neil poulsen]

I tend to like lenses fairly closely spaced, the next longer having 25% to 35% greater focal length. Your lenses pretty much fit into that category.

If I were to offer a suggestion, a 180mm and 210mm are too closely spaced. You could trade the two 210mm lenses for a 240mm, like a 240mm G Claron. That would give you a better transition from 180mm to 300mm, and it would also give you a lens optimized for scenes nearer to the camera.

[Drew Wiley]

Oh, there are times when a 180 and 210 are quite a bit apart in terms of desired perspective or needed image circle, just like a 210 versus a 250, or 250 versus 300. No, I don't carry them all at the same time; but I personally need them all at one time or another. But if this query is really about earning some needed money instead, there are a couple of potentially pricey ones involved.

[LabRat]

Your shooting style should determine your preferred lens choice... Older advice about FL's was to start with one FL, shoot a lot with it, and rise to the need to add another as needed...

There is not a big difference in FOV when using longer or shorter series FL's as there is when using a smaller format system, so a bit of mindset carried over... I think the "look" of different lenses is more important than non-radical changes in FOV...

Beware of GAS attacks!!!

Steve K