Ralph...how about making that into a wearable piece so you could leave it on all the time? Like a hat sort of.
Ralph...how about making that into a wearable piece so you could leave it on all the time? Like a hat sort of.
I held off getting a 150mm for a long time, because a lot of people advised against getting the "normal" lens. Now that I have it, I like the focal length.
My vote goes for the 150mm. I don't think the 135mm offers a lot of movements, either. With only one lens at the beginning, you'll be disappointed if you don't get a decent amount of movement on large format.
If you're concerned about getting a wider lens, get a 120mm later on.
Great idea, Doug.Originally Posted by Doug Dolde
Actually, at one point, I tried to adapt the rails from my Toyo compendium shade to that purpose, with a treaded socket on the bill of one of my baseball caps. It was a little heavy, though, and needed a counterweight on the back of the cap. That, in turn, kept bumping me in the posterior, making me think someone was trying to pick my pocket, which, of course, prompted me to draw the .45 auto. Embarrassing, to say the least.
I have the 135 Sironar S and it is a great little lens as is the 150. If you are looking for a used lens I would take whichever turns up. If going for a new one it would be the 150 because as others have noted it will fit a little better with a 90 and 210. I have a 90 Nikkor 4.5 and the 110 XL as well as the 135 and although they are relativly close in length I do use them all.
If you are able to find either lens used it is unlikely you would lose anything by selling it later if it does not fit your needs. The Sironar S's hold their value quite well.
I faced the same chioce last year when I assembled my LF kit. I choose the 135 Sironar S, and like it a lot, bought it new, paid a bunch, picked up a 240 G Claron for a lot less, and use it more than the 135 (for landscapes), so in hindsight, I agree with Frank, whatever comes up cheapest, and don't limit your search to just 135 vs 150. And hey, the 240 will still be useable as a wide angle when I (someday) get an 8x10.
I have both 135mm and 150mm, and the 150mm gets a lot more use. Even 121mm, 165mm and 180mm gets more use (still on 4x5") than the 135mm lens.
My 2¢ : I primarily shoot big mountain landscapes and wide vistas, so I tend to prefer lenses on the wider scale. Through trial and error I've dialed in my ideal lineup: 75mm, 120mm, and 200mm. I sold my 135mm in favor of a 120mm because I felt the 135mm was oftentimes just a little too tight.
Jack, I don't want to go too much on a tangent, but you have found the same thing I find at times... 135 being a bit too tight. Why did you trade for a 120 versus supplementing 135 with a 90? I'm thinking of doing that because at times I still find 135 a useful "normal" focal length.
If you're only going to have one lens, the answer is obvious -- the 135mm. If it's too wide, you can easily crop the negative image a little without significant loss of detail. Although it's almost always possible to move closer, sometimes you can't back up. This answer does not apply if you have a wider lens available. Sorry it took 10 days to respond to your query.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
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