I need some advice on choosing my first two large format lenses.

[Andy F]

The other thing I keep thinking about is what people are saying about buying a single lens. Maybe i am thinking too much like a 35mm shooter. I am looking at taking pictures of people living and working in the landscape. Most the images will be waist up. At other times it will be just the landscape itself but I really want to shoot people in their environment. Something like August Sanders. Maybe I only need one lens and with 8x10 it is all about bellows draw and that is what I should be thinking about.

[Vaughn]

Big thanks to everyone particularly Vaughn for the help. I am trying to process what people are talking about. There is a bit of a learning curve here...

This is Vaughn, not Vaughan -- we are two different members. I just got back from a month in Japan (with my Rolleicord, not LF).

I do recommend the Fuji W 250/6.7...a fine lens that I carry with my Fuji W 300/5.6. Yes, they are close in their view, but I prefer a close-to-what-I-see/experience for my image construction. Just a personal preference. I also have a Fuji W 360/6.3 that occasionally gets used when I feel strong enough to carry the weight (but use it mostly for the 11x14 as a wide-normal)...and two Red Dot Artars (19"/480mm and 24"/610mm) in barrels that I use rarely.

I have used the 300mm a lot in the past for portraits in the environment, but with the figures much further into the landscape than Andy might be going for. Below is an image (8x10 platinum print) with the boys about as close as I got. I consider the 300mm as being on the wide-side of normal for 8x10 and used it for years before getting a second lens (the 19" RD Artar). Primarily I am in the Redwood forests, but with the Yosemite and deserts also getting visits. The Fuji W 250/6.7 seems to get a lot of use now -- especially with 4x10 images -- and if I were to go back to a one-lens system, I'd probably go with it.

Good luck in your decision!

[arri]

My favorites were the Schneider Angulon 165mm f/6.8 and Symmar 300mm f/5.6 and a 600mm Repro Claron.
All are very good lenses and with low or moderate prices.

I sold a 300mm Symmar, one of the last series, a few weeks ago for 250 Euros to a member of the forum.
In b&w the lens can be use with an angle of view of 80°
The Angulon up to 100°
I often used the Angulon in 8x10" for landscape and achitecture. It really has a much larger image circle than Schneider wrote in the 1950th lists.

Now I´am using only uncoated lenses. It has some advantages.
When an anastigmat lens is stoped down to the working aperture it is nearly impossible to see any differents between the lenses. And yes, this incl. the pre war lenses as well. I´am talking about B&W photography.

[angusparker]

My two cents are here: https://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blo...10-view-camera

[Steven Ferson]

The fuji w 250 f6,7 is the one for 8x10. This comes in a copal 1 shutter and fits in a linhof lens, board.

The type of Lens boards is imortant if you want to carry your lenses. Most 8x10 lenses come in a copal 3 shutter. They fit on the larger sinar type board, but barely on a linhof board. The larger sinar boards take a lot of space in the backpack.

My chamonix camera came with a sinar to linhof reduction and i fitted my fuji 250 and 360 on a linhof board. For the 360 a needed to make a plastic spacer between the board and the shutter to have some room for the parts of the shutter to pass along my reduction.

The 360 mm is heavy for my tripod and ball head. Especially when a lot of bellows is needed.

For lighter wooden field camera’s i would prefer lighter glass in copal 1 shutter and i consider my 360 mm fuji @ 1175 g the upper limit.

Steven

[Joshua Dunn]

One lens that is a very good lens and surprisingly affordable is the Nikkor W 240mm. I have bought several of them of the auction site for less than the cost of the shutter. Just recently I saw several going for the mid $300s. Not enough room for any real movements but has very good sharpness and contrast.

-Joshua

[Tin Can]

Really depends on usage

Some want to carry their rig to mountains

I will never do that again

Heavy, big, old, no shutter is what I want

[Mark J]

The 240 Nikkors are really good value really aren't they, but pretty heavy.
However the Fuji 250's make more sense if you're carrying it.
The 250/6.3 isn't so good for 8x10, but it's a really nice long(ish) standard for 5x7" , with movements. They are the poor relation vs. the 6.7's on EBay price too ... I can feel my fingertips itching.