inexpensive wide-angle for 4x5?

[nate_ross]

I'm rather new here, but I dug a bit and didn't find an answer to my question, so I figure I'd ask here.

I have a toyo 45cf which is seeing more and more use lately, and I think it's about time to get another lens. Regardless of which camera I'm using, I tend to shoot very wide. Ultimately I'd love to have a 65mm, but I think a 90 is really what I should be looking for right now. I have a rodenstock 150mm right now, but I'm finding myself wishing it was quite a bit wider.

I don't have much of a budget, and I don't really know what's good, so this is my question:

If I want a 90mm lens for my 4x5, what is a good lens to look at used in good condition for ~$300 or so?

[sparq]

Check Frank's post in classifieds.

[David Karp]

If that does not work out for you, consider a single coated Fujinon SW 90mm f/8. Contact Jim Andracki at Midwest Photo Exchange. Ask him if he has one or can pick one up for you. I have one that I bought from Jim at a very reasonable price (which I can't remember), and it is a nice lens.

[nate_ross]

Well, if it's still up for grabs next payday I'm on it. Thanks! That's about what I am looking to pay. Now if I could find a lensboard that would work without paying toyo prices... Off to *bay

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Now if I could find a lensboard that would work without paying toyo prices... Off to *bay

Check out eBay item # 280103792714 - $28.99 + $9.50 shipping for a brand new, factory sealed 110mm Toyo Copal 0 lens board. He has 28 available at that price.

I haven't bought anything from this seller, but see him listing these Toyo boards all the time. He doesn't have any listed currently, but he also usually has some recessed 110mm Toyo boards at very reasonable prices.

Kerry

[Alan Davenport]

$300 on Fleabay will get you a 90mm f/8 Super Angulon in a shutter.

[nate_ross]

Ok, so will I NEED a recessed lens board for a 90?

I remember reading somewhere that for vertical shooting with a wide lens you needed a lensboard with an offset hole, so you could drop the bed to get it out of the frame.

Is that only a concern with MUCH wider lenses or something I should plan for?

[Scott --]

Don't know 'bout the Toyo, but on my Super Speed Graphic, a 90/6.8 Raptar (a real inexpensive wide angle option... ) loses infinity focus when you drop the bed for vertical shots. I cobbled a recessed board for it, well-documented here and abroad.

[Rob_5419]

If I want a 90mm lens for my 4x5, what is a good lens to look at used in good condition for ~$300 or so?

You might find a 65mm f8 Super Angulon in a Norma type shutter. The lens is shutterless and can be removed and fitted directly into a Copal 0 shutter. If you've not used a wide-angle before, a 90mm focal length might be a first preference, since it is less extreme and you will have more movements with this lens too. Most likely you can find a cheaper wide-angle lens without a shutter (i.e. Sinar DB lenses) and mount it into a shutter when you have the funds.

Alternatively, if you are on a shoestring budget, there are Ross Xpres wide-angle lenses running around 4 1/2 inch - 5 inch. These are later Tessar type derivative lenses. Their coverage is very modest (5x4 with some movements) and can be found in Compur shutters. They mostly sell for peanuts.

Like you, I tend to be a wide-angle shooter. For a few years I had a Schneider 47mm S.A. XL mounted onto a Sinar F2. It was excruciatingly heavy to carry for long periods and eventually I stopped and shutter-mounted the lens in a Silvestri T30 which weighs a fraction of the Sinar and is hand-portable for 5x4" shots. The 5x4" monorail gave me no advantages using such a wide-angle lens since the 47mm XL has no spare movements on 5x4" at full aperture.

Ok, so will I NEED a recessed lens board for a 90?

You can check on your Toyo. I doubt it, as I never need a recessed board for a Sinar F2 & 90mm lens - regardless of movements. You may need a wide-angle bellows instead of your standard bellows though.

[Jean-Marie Solichon]

A 65 mm will not work with the Toyo CF : 75 mm is the shortest.